Groovy: Recycled Art
Saturday, March 5, 2011
With school break in the air, we’re ready for creativity and some art appreciation. From London to San Francisco, Buenos Aires and Boston, recycled art is transforming all sorts of trash materials into folk art, sculpture, jewelry, portraits, furniture and more. Go see this inspiration live and bring your drawing pencils and paper. If Boston, London, San Francisco, or Buenos Aires are not where you live, we are bringing it to you here. It all started when we explored Rachel Pery Welty’s 24/7 exhibition showing now at Boston’s deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Her beautiful work will make you smile while raising doubts about the clutter of life. You can meet the artist on Sunday, April 3rd from 1-3 pm. See more of her pop art using spam emails, fruit stickers, and wrong number messages while you listen at
If you go, stop at the desk and ask for their fun family activity, the family fun guides throughout the gallery and use your cellphone to dial up a talking tour for each piece. The behind the scenes video and information in the process wing should not be missed. 
This MARY JANE® candy wrapper dress is only one of the works of trash art featured now at San Francisco International Airport in an exhibit called Second Chance on loan from the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe New Mexico.
We love National Public Radio and this story about the art of Vik Muniz. He created this work in a Rio de Janeiro landfill from trash and it’s not to be missed. Documentary film maker Lucy Walker captured this in the film “Waste Land” . The great note here is that Brazil is moving into recycling and closing this landfill.
Thanks to Andrea Shea at WBUR Boston, Neal Conan at NPR Talk of the Nation, Trish Smith and our spotter at SFO for bringing this art to life on the web!
Special thanks to goGIRLglobal girls Samantha and Abby for being part of our research team on the ground.
Image Left is Rachel Pery Welty “Altered Receipt: Children’s Hospital Bill for Inpatient Services,” 2001-2002
Take a virtual or live trip to London’s Southdown Avenue and you find NDI Gallery’s collection of assemblage or recycled art. What is this? The NDI definition is “creating a three-dimensional artistic composition using found or discarded everyday objects.”
MARY JANE® is a Necco Candy made in Boston with a unique and delicious molasses and peanut butter flavor!
a production of
Rachel Pery Welty
Lost in My Life, twist ties 2009
