Trash?
Look again.
Look again.
They say one man's trash, is another treasure. This familiar cliché is well suited for the artists behind the current exhibit at The New Children's Museum in San Diego.
Here, you'll find the artistic works created using nothing but the discoverable oddments that are generally considered common trash.
Considering the abundance of forgotten refuse at our disposal, I'm particularly impressed with the artist's functional use of yesterday's throwaways.
Photo Credit: Philipp Scholz Ritterman
The young nephling and I took to the "moo-seum" offerings.
"Moo-seum" as stated by the clever two year old.
We participated by building an art sculpture crafted from broken toy parts, making pictures with washed garbage, blowing bubbles,
and by taking part in a Midden Monster making workshop which allowed us to have a look into the devastating impact of plastic trash on the earth's ocean.
Midden meaning "refuse heap"
Here, we handcrafted "Steve", our new friend created by knotting and tying pieces of recycled carrier bags, and bits of rubbish.
for the record "Steve" is on the left
Did you know?
In the United States, annual production of waste has tripled since 1960.
The average American produces 4.5 pounds of trash on any given day.
Less than 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled each year. Recycling one ton of plastic bags costs $4,000. The recycled product can be sold for $32.
Every year, Americans throw away enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons to circle the equator 300 times.
The average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups every year.
Photo Credit: earth911.com
Blecch!
Living in the most wasteful nation is a shameful reality, but a critical lesson for anyone, at any age.
It was a good learning day for us kids.
And I'm quite certain that Steve was elated to have been saved from his fate of being forever banished to a state landfill for his remaining days on earth.
I can tell by the smile on his face.
Inspired?
Well then, here's a handy guide for to make your own Midden project:
I believe you'll find that making a Midden creature is far more fun than a barrel full of refuse waste.
You should also note that each San Diego library carries two membership cards good for free admission for two adults and all children in the household to the downtown museum, thanks to a fantastical program called "Check Out the New Children's Museum".
A program made possible by $45,000 in sponsorships from Qualcomm and the Ford Motor Co. Fund.
Passes are good for ten days, and there's a waiting list. Well worth the wait however, as tickets can be pricey.
For further information visit:
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