A unique art show on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center will feature artwork created from recycled goods. The Upcycled Art Party event also happens to be on America Recycles Day.
Several professional Moab artists, along with community members and students from Helen M. Knight Elementary and the Moab Charter School, will show art pieces they created from salvaged materials.
The art party/ exhibit will also feature a silent auction of recycle-themed items, plus food from local restaurants and beer, wine and apple cider cocktails for sale (to those ages 21 and older) to benefit Canyonlands Community Recycling, a nonprofit focused on education and advocacy.
“We hope for it to be a yearly event,” said Abby Scott, CCR program director. “There are so many people in Moab doing cool stuff with salvaged materials. I wanted to do an event to bring all these people together.”
According to Scott, organizers are trying to showcase as many different types of recycled arts as possible.
For example, Triassic is a Moab shop that sells beautifully-crafted furniture, cutting boards and other wood products from wood the owners have collected from its tree service. Some of those works will be displayed at the Upcycled Art Party.
Another artist, Eleanor Inskip, said she has been creating recycled garments her entire life. One of her pieces, a black and white vestment, will be exhibited. For a donation to CCR you may take the garment home.
“One of my favorite titles was ‘costume mistress of the Moab Community Theater,’” Inskip, 69, said. “I gather materials from thrift stores, yard sales. And, I often find gifts on my porch from people who know I would treasure it.”
All of Inskip’s garments are hand-sewn to more easily meld the pieces together, she said.
“I call it ‘creative regalia,’” Inskip said. “(It’s) archiving beautiful things that shouldn’t end up in the landfill.”
Another exhibitor is Subvert owner Chad Niehaus, who makes a variety of items, including T-shirts and prayer flags, using block prints on salvaged cloth.
The show will also feature sculpture, metalwork and quilts. Scott expects up to eight professional artists and craftspeople, at least 15 community members and students from the two schools. Some of the artworks will be for sale.
Canyonlands Community Recycling was founded in 1991 to run Moab’s recycling center.
The county’s solid waste special service district took over those duties in 2010, and CCR shifted its focus to outreach efforts, Scott said. She now organizes various recycling events, including a monthly paper drive, an electronics drive, student field trips to the Community Recycle Center at 1000 E. Sand Flats Rd., and the Trashion Show in February, where community members show off garments made from salvaged materials.
The silent auction will offer items such as a gift basket from The Barkery, which includes things like a leash made from an old climbing rope, dog toys made from recycled plastic and biodegradable poop bags.
Another silent auction item will be a one-hour consultation from Eco Logic Design Build discussing effective energy upgrades for your home. This package includes a project/ material list and budget, a book about how to make your home more energy efficient and a follow-up session with a three-person crew for up to four hours, implementing some of the upgrades. For example, upgrades might include insulating water heaters and pipes, caulking and foaming exterior penetrations, replacing windows and insulating attic space.
There will also be an art contest during the party where attendees will vote for their favorites in five different categories. Winners will receive prizes.
The suggested donation for attending the Upcycled Art Party is $5. For more information, call 435-210-4996.
Art exhibit, party a fundraiser for Canyonlands Community Recycling
“There are so many people in Moab doing cool stuff with salvaged materials. I wanted to do an event to bring all these people together.”
What: Upcycled Art Party – a fundraiser for Canyonlands Community Recycling
When: Saturday, Nov. 15, 6-10 p.m.
Where: Moab Arts and Recreation Center, 111 E. 100 N.
Information: 435-210-4996
Cost: A suggested donation of $5 per person
