Is Art Hidden in Your Trash? Can you create a winning piece of art using discarded recycled items?

A Press Release from Visalia Environmental Committee

In support of recycling and to bring attention to the 50th Anniversary celebration of Earth Day, Visalia’s Environmental Committee is sponsoring the first annual Recycle Art Contest, “ecocreate”, challenging all ages to repurpose allowed City recyclables into unique creative art works. To accommodate request for additional time, the original deadline for submitting entries has been extended from February 20 to March 15, 2020.

Open to all Visalia students, and Tulare County adults 18 and older, prize winners will be announced at Visalia’s Earth Day, April 18, 2020, at Riverway Sports Park.

Assemble a quirky robot out of plastic, a bird using pieces of paper, a fire truck from aluminum cans, or a portrait from a collection of paper, bottle caps, screws, or whatever is available. “Amazing examples are online by searching ‘recycled art’. Initially, I had to search how to work with plastics, aluminum cans and paper,” explained Kathy Falconer, co-chair of Visalia Earth Day 2020 committee. “Ignored daily are the many different shapes, colors, and sizes of plastics, or the various images and colors in junk mail and magazines, all perfect materials to create a prize-winning work of art.”

Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, workmanship and adherence to guidelines. Allowed adhesives include tape, glue, string, wire, or soldering if working with metal. No paint is allowed as all color must come from the recycle items. Except for class projects by pre-k through third grades, all work must be by one individual. For more information and guidelines go online to: GoGreenVisalia.com.

The simple practice of recycling is a significant way to protect the environment. For youth repurposing used items not only is an affordable medium for creative expression, and greater cognitive development, it also encourages our future generation to be better environmental stewards.

CONTACT: Kathleen Falconer, Co-chair Earth Day 2020 sub-committee, Visalia Environmental Committee Cell: 310-995-6295, Email: jkfalconer@nwi.net