For fifteen years, SF Recycling & Disposal has hosted an Artist-in-Residence Program at San Francisco's city dump. A group show of work by some of the artists is currently on display at Steven Wolf Fine Arts Gallery. Seen here, Dio Mendoza's "Styrofoam Tree" (carved styrofoam, 2005. 120 x 84 in.) From the Artist-in-Residence Program description:
The goal of the Artist-in-Residence Program at SF Recycling & Disposal, Inc. is to use art to inspire people to recycle more and conserve natural resources. The company provides selected local artists with the opportunity to create art using materials they gather from San Francisco's refuse. This includes 24 hour access to a well-equipped studio, a monthly stipend, and an exhibit at the end of their residency, but artists seem most excited about having 24 hour access to the materials.
"Many artists find and recycle materials in their art, but no one else has this much material to pick from," says Program Director Paul Fresina.
The 2,000-square-foot art studio is located at SF Recycling & Disposal, Inc.'s Solid Waste Transfer and Recycling Center. The 44-acre site is where most of San Francisco's garbage and recyclables are temporarily dumped before going to a landfill or recycling plant. Recyclable items are sorted before being shipped to recycling plants and manufacturing facilities.
Throughout a residency, each artist talks to young students and adult tour groups about the experience of turning trash into treasures. At the conclusion of their residency, the company holds a reception to show the artist's work and invites the public. Many pieces of art from the program are exhibited in office building entries and public spaces in San Francisco. Many artists have made a permanent piece for the sculpture garden adjacent to the SF Recycling & Disposal, Inc. Transfer Station and the garden is a key stop for students on recycling tours.
Link (Thanks, Todd Lappin!)
