Contributed by Marilyn Bennett, Valley Arts Alliance
What: Recycled Garden Art Contest
Where: At the VCRC building at the Alaska State Fair
Why: To see what our area artists can come up with this year to decorate the garden.
When: During the 2018 Alaska State Fair
The Recycled Garden Art Contest is for fun and the thrill of competing with other recycled garden art virtuosos. While recycled garden art itself is for those of us who may not have a green thumb, it is also something cheerful for our garden even in the non-growing season.
The Recycled Garden Art Contest is held each year at the Alaska State Fairgrounds by the Valley Community Recycling Center in cooperation with the Valley Arts Alliance and will be judged by the fairgoers. Everyone is welcome to participate. Let your creativity flow while doing good for the earth!
We all know that you’re supposed to reduce, reuse and recycle; but for artists, reuse and recycle often have totally different meanings than they do for the rest of us.
Recycled art is creative work that's made from discarded materials that once had another purpose. This includes anything from old plastic toys and vehicle tires to scraps of cloth and building supplies. Artists who make recycled art take those materials and make them into something new.
You might sometimes see it called junk art, but that term is a bit demeaning. Art in the garden is charming and fun no matter what your neighbor thinks. At its heart, recycled art is about repurposing and reusing materials. There's no limit to what kinds of materials can be used.
This contest is open to anyone who feels the creative urge and wishes to compete for the coveted blue ribbon.
Garden Art displayed outside the VCRS Education Booth must be:
1. Made entirely of recycled or previously used materials
2. Light-weight enough to be moved for display purposes
3. Limited by height, width and length only for item's stability and movability
4. Weather worthy and/or anchored to make it so - able to withstand the wind and rain during the fair
5. Self-supported and/or anchored to make it so
6. Delivered to the VCRS Education Booth before the fair on dates to be announced
7. Picked up following the fair at a date and time to be announced unless prior arrangements have been made to donate the item to VCRS
8. Released by its artist/creator to be photographed for VCRS marketing and/or publishing purposes by signing a printed release form
Fairgoers will vote on their choice during the first nine days of the fair. Winning place ribbons will be displayed during the final three days.
For applications to enter your art work or for further information, contact the Valley Community Recycling Center at 9465 E Chanlyut Circle, or go to www.valleyrecycling.org.
