RIVER FALLS — Earth Fest brought just about every type of booth and project one could imagine to the community back in April, and some of the impact will span years into the future. Glass artist Erin Ward was a part of that lasting impact, working with local people to create a mosaic art piece for a garbage can at Ostness Park in River Falls.

“I have been looking to do something in the community for a while, so this was really something I’ve been looking for,” Ward said. “I was very grateful to Earth Fest for taking a chance on it. I think the final project turned out nice.”

The piece was made up of majority-recycled glass, allowing people to pick out a piece and stick it to fiberglass meshes which were then wrapped around the garbage can. Ward said glass lasts a long time, so people can return to check out how their single piece is a part of a large piece.

“I worked with a couple stain-glass repair companies in Minneapolis and got recycled pieces of broken glass,” Ward said. “I cut them all, and at Earth Fest, people were able to take from the pre-cut glass and put it onto the mosaic. So now they can go and find their leaf that they put in.”

Ward was previously a part of a community art project in Roseville where they created a rose out of glass and thoroughly enjoyed working with area residents.

“There’s nothing negative about it. It’s just beauty and peace, and people love it,” Ward said. “It helps people feel invested in the art.”

Five years later, Ward still receives messages from people trying to find the piece they added to the puzzle in Roseville.

Ward’s family is newer to River Falls, but she has been to Earth Fest previously and watched it grow by the year. When Ward had the chance to be a part of it in 2025, she knew she had to take up the offer.

“I think it’s just a really great addition here to the community,” Ward said. “It’s very focused on trying to use what we have, and I think that’s really a great message, especially as we enter into what might feel like more turbulent times.”

Ward hosts a community education course in River Falls, holding sessions where people create mosaic portraits of dogs. She also has a website, www.misserinmosaics.com, with more information and plenty of photos of previous work.

“Every artist thinks their art form is the best, but I think, for me, mosaics is just such a… you’re using something that’s broken and you’re remaking it into something beautiful,” Ward said. “I just think there’s something so powerful with that.”