How One Man Uncovered a Dumpster Full of Artwork Worth Millions
by Ashley Dreiling
They say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. For Connecticut skateboarder and mechanic Jared Whipple, who found stacks of artwork in a dumpster, that saying may become literal.
In 2017, Whipple’s friend asked him to help clean out a 40-year-old abandoned barn. There he found a 40-yard dumpster stacked front to back with expressionist paintings. After a lot of digging, Whipple found one with the artist’s name and began a research endeavor that would span the next 5 years. The trash-turned-treasure belonged to Francis Hines, an obscure artist most known for his “15 minutes of fame” in 1980 after “wrapping” New York City’s Washington Square Arch in fabric.
Watch the video for more about Francis Hines’ life, art, and posthumous gallery exhibition.
Channels: AMAZING
Tags: · artist, Connecticut, dumpster diver, expressionism, expressionist, fabric art, Francis Hines, JFK terminal, nyc, Port Authority, top, trash, treasure, Washington Square arch