ACA “Art for a Greener World” Tire Repair Mural

My hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts is where I take my drum lessons and housed in the same building (my old Junior High School mind you!) is the Arlington Center for the Arts. The ACA is a non-profit organization that has been serving artists in and around Arlington for over 22 years and one of their popular programs is the Vacation Arts Program (VAP).

Kids ages 4-14 are strongly encouraged to register for the Vacation Arts program (run several times per year during school vacation weeks/months) as they will complete some extremely exciting artwork, such as this piece below that I was able to snap a photo of the last time I was attending my drum lesson. The mural is entitled Tire Repair and was completed as a part of the “Art for a Greener World” themed February VAP. The premise of which was to consider the impact on the planet from driving our cars and ways we could reduce our dependence on those vehicles. Enjoy!

Ever Wonder What Can Be Done With Old Tires?

Yesterday, a friend of mine and fellow blogger Dennis, sent an email asking that exact question and I was curious what I might find within. Turns out there are some seriously creative people out there making use of this medium to create not only functional pieces like playground equipment but lasting impression art as well! I hope you enjoy this random sampling of amazing pieces and if anyone happens to know the artists of these very cool sculptures please let me know in comments, thanks & enjoy!

Miwa Koizumi Creates Aquatic Life from Plastic Bottles

By now many of us are fully aware that there is a place in the Pacific Ocean called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Gyre. This area, about 1,000 miles off the coastline of California is a swirling mass of non-biodegradable plastic debris that outnumbers marine life by a 1000:1 ratio in some areas. Because much of this plastic has traveled to this area from land (wind carried bags, bottles washed out to sea, etc) it is more important than ever to ensure we find the most functional uses for our PET plastics and artist Miwa Koizumi has done just that in stunning form with her PET Project.

Her plastic marine animals and creatures are created primarily from items she has harvested from the trash and include all manner of plastics from colored soda bottles to five gallon water cooler bottles. She creates everything from dramatic jellyfish with seemingly weightless tails to the urchin and anemone type life forms that reside on the ocean floor.

The artist lives and works in New York and her art takes shape by all manner of cutting or soldering tools to create something truly unique and special.

In addition to her actual sculpture Miwa is also working on a photography project which captures the beauty and grace of her designs through use of black backgrounds, white backgrounds and directional lighting. She truly took the ‘trash to treasure’ adage to new heights with this project!

These works of art are just the tip of her creative talents however! Other projects include her plastic bag kites, a plaster and LCD installation art display, sound installations and performance arts.

Fun and Funky Jewelry from Artwork by KD

Recently I chatted a bit with Kathy DellaValle, fellow Team Eco Etsy member and owner of Artwork by KD located in Susquehanna, PA, because her super funky jewelry really caught my eye as a fun and fresh approach to a hip retro style. Her use of bold colors and large shapes seem to scream hey check me out! Oh and did I mention all the materials used in her fashions are completely recycled or upcycled? She was willing to share a little bit of what encouraged her to pursue a career with an eye on both the planet and funky fashion.


How long have you been creating jewelry from recycled/upcycled materials?

A little over 1 year.

Where do you acquire the materials that go into your pieces?

I collect on a daily basis in my house (some kind of container is always being emptied) and I also receive lots of donations from friends and family!

What inspires you to create a piece?

I am inspired by colors big time!! They are usually my first inspiration. I love creating color combos that just make you stop in your tracks. Or a really rich color all on its own! Colors make me happy! Shape/texture come next.

Do you wear your own jewelry? What kind of reactions do you get from people on the street?

I wear my jewelry all the time! I had a post mistress that would order just about every pair of earrings I wore to the post office! It's great to get compliments from people in public. It makes me morph from artist to business woman; I then flash a business card and a smile ;-)

When did you become interested in protecting the environment?

Ever since I could walk! I always wanted to reuse things; it made me feel like I was hurting it's feelings to throw something away. Here's an embarrassing fact: When I was a little girl, after using a paper napkin I would keep it in my hand and call it my little napkin dog (I also did that with small brown paper bags too!). You can imagine the sadness when little paper dog went in the trash!

Are there other ways you are Green?

I recycle everything I can. Even tiny pieces left over from making things are sent to the recycle bin. I'm also a big conserver of water and electricity (I don't let the water run, I turn off lights when I'm not in a room, etc.). I enjoy picking wild apples and berries when they're around and making things from scratch. I park in a central location and walk to where I have to go and I also plan errands on the same day to avoid driving to town every single day.

What is one thing you do everyday that is considered Green?

Making wearable art from disposable objects and containers!

Do you have a tip for artists that are new to their industry?

Live by the 3 P's:
Passion - Love what you make/do so much that even if you don't make a dime for 3 months you still can't wait to wake up in the morning to get to work again.

Patience - Typically a successful business does not happen over night, maybe not even in a year! But you get what you put into things, so be patient and know success does not come fast or easy.

Lastly, Persistence. You need to have a daily plan and be aggressive every single day. Persistence in promotion, and in art making. Constantly try and make your work better, and think how you can reach more people. Sell at lots of shows. Don't give up! Everyday is a new chance.

Where can we find your items?

Web:
Artwork by KD Etsy Shop
Artwork by KD Artfire Shop

Brick and Mortar Locations:
Greenbeing in Scranton, PA
Earth and Wears in Dallas, PA
Pure Pennsylvania in Great Bend, PA
L'aveggio Roasteria in Binghamton, NY
Sea Hag Soaps and Art Mercantile in Brackney, PA

To keep up with the happenings of Kathy and her latest creations or show appearances you can also stop by her Artwork by KD blog which she updates frequently. She is running featured artist spots as well (I will be one of them in a few days too, thanks Kathy!).

Eco-meme -- I Have Been Tagged

On my personal blog I can not get enough of tags, they work out fantastic when I go through dry spells and have nothing to say. Plus there is nothing like sharing quirky randomness with the blogosphere to really let people know the real you. Or at the very least the realest you that you are willing to put online for everyone to get to know.

I have not yet been tagged over here at Green Leaf Reviewer until Hyla from Green Earth Journey did so a few days ago. I thought about this a lot as I know there is no true obligation to satisfy the requirements of a tag but I felt compelled to complete it anyway. But as per my usual, I am doing so with a little twist. The rules are published as follows:

* Link to the person who tagged you
* Post the rules on your blog
* Write six random things about yourself
* Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them
* Let each person know they've been tagged

In lieu of random facts about myself I intend to share random items I have been introduced to of late as related to the environment. Hopefully these topics will raise awareness and spark conversations either here or on each of our own blogs. Think of it as six mini GLR blogs in one! Also I never tag back so if you would like to snag this, by all means please do so!

1. CPSIA. What is it many of you may be asking? I had begun reading about this topic over on Etsy a few months ago and since then Julie has shared some additional information on her own blog regarding this very hot button topic. CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and was enacted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 2008 as a way to ensure all items sold for children are free of lead. This goes into effect on February 10, 2009 and has become a hot button issue because items must be tested to ensure compliance. Due to the cost prohibitive nature of certain lab testing methods, many home based businesses will be forced to close leaving many entrepreneurs out of work. Please feel free to read the CPSC Press Release from January 8, 2009 for more detailed information.

2. Green Art. Victoria from Victoria Case Art Design was looking for a way to go green in her work so when she came across Green Art colored pencils and watercolor paints her curiosity was peaked and environmental nature satisfied. She tried out the pencils and gave us all her very honest review of their performance both from a professional opinion as well as what a lay person (or child) might think. Today she added her ten cents regarding the watercolors and in brief, she did not find them adequate for professional use but certainly wonderful for the everyday user. Moms purchasing such items for art classes be on notice and check out this Earth friendly option!

3. The dirtiest clean coal I have ever seen. In Harriman, Tennessee on December 22, 2008 a coal sludge spill of about two and a half million cubic yards was introduced into the land surrounding the Kingston Fossil Plant. Twelve homes were damaged, one of which was ripped from its foundation, after the retaining wall at the coal plant collapsed and the grey ash sludge spread its way to over 400 acres of land, six feet in depth. This spill is one of the worst environmental disasters of our time and the fact that it did not get a lot of press nationally is simply wrong. I wanted to thank Charmaine for bringing this news story to my attention and let everyone know that additional details can be read on the Environmental News Service website.

4. In happier news on this subject, the Obama EPA Administration plans to begin investigations into all coal ash ponds nationally, regardless of the fact that they are not subject to federal regulations. The plants are but the off site storage facilities of the sludge are not and although it was proposed to set a national measure on them by the EPA in 2000, they never proceeded under the Bush Administration. Obama is primed to do so now as not only one spill has occurred as indicated above, but a second in Stevenson, Alabama just five days ago. Both spills occurred at facilities maintained by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The sludge can contain toxins such as mercury or arsenic so I fully applaud the Obama EPA for making these initial strides to shore up and hopefully regulate such facilities before more harm is done.

5. Follett Higher Education Group. My Aunt is a nurse and attends a local college here in Massachusetts. She popped into the book store and discovered that they, as well as a number of other educational facilities, are doing their part to go green! FHEG is a manager of bookstores nationwide (over 750) and additionally provide support, product and services to another 1,800 stores across the United States. Their goals include sustainability and they are now rolling out reusable bags available for purchase at just $0.99 as opposed to the plastic bags of the past. For a student this is ideal as this bag will be utilized many, many, many times over during the course of collegiate life!

6. It is called natural selection for a reason. It was reported today that on Macquarie Island in Australia some thought it would be a fine idea to remove all the feral cats so the native sea bird population would rebound. In doing so it triggered an increase in the population of rabbits. Rabbits like to eat leafy greens. Those leafy greens were what the birds used as cover from predators. See where I am going with this? The cats and rabbits (as well as rats and mice), it is suggested, were introduced via ships over the past century. Since they are not native species it is now deemed acceptable to begin poisoning those animals to eradicate them so the birds can once again thrive on the island.

So there you have it. Please feel free to share your thoughts on any or all of these topics!