The country’s largest and oldest recycled art market, Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival, is dedicated to showcasing art created from discarded materials. This exciting weekend-long event kicks off with Friday night’s famous Trash Fashion and Costume Contest, then continues with an inspiring art market, adult and student juried art exhibits, and make and take art activities. And the word is out. “Recyc
le Santa Fe is recognized across the country and beyond as an example of promoting unique recycled art. In the past six months, I’ve received emails from groups in Colorado, Illinois, Australia and Canada asking to use Recycle Santa Fe as a model for new events,” noted festival coordinator Sarah Pierpont. This year's Festival brings more than eighty artists from New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, California, Arizona and elsewhere to offer their original pieces for sale in the Art Market and display their work in the juried art exhibit. Every year, this event attracts thousands of art lovers and the eco-conscious holiday gift-giver attracted by the art deals, family friendly art making activities, gallery-worthy exhibits and the perfect gifts. All art consists of a minimum of 75% recycled materials – everything from vintage tin cans turned into beautiful earrings to scrap metal sculptures. Artists successfully upcycle trash into treasure, combining recycling and innovation to show creative ways to save our resources, while making one of a kind art. The event demonstrates the resourcefulness of the artists and has grown into a powerful economic development tool for existing and emerging artists.
“Recycling does many great things. It saves energy, natural resources and water, but this event demonstrates another benefit from recycling: it creates jobs! A large handful of art market vendors have turned their creativity into careers and are able to support their families by making recycled art,” noted Pierpont. There are 10 jobs in the recycling field for every one job in landfills (Institute for Local Self Reliance). The Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival celebrates its fifteenth year on December 5-7, 2014, in conjunction with Keep Santa Fe Beautiful and recycling education efforts surrounding America Recycles Day (November 15th). Friday general admission (purchased at the door) $5 and under 12 are free. The Friday night recycle fashion show is at 7pm, tickets include general admission and are $15-20 and may be purchased ahead of time through www.ticketssantafe.org or by calling 988-1234. Free Saturday & Sunday. Food will be available on Saturday and Sunday as well. More information can be found at www.recyclesantefe.org
