One person’s garbage — tin food cans, pop cans, old flyers and newspapers — is a group of students’ artwork on display at Sunridge Mall during April, Earth Month.
On display until April 26, 10 pieces of artwork made entirely from recyclable materials are on display at the northeast mall. The works feature actual garbage from the school cafeterias of John G Diefenbaker, Lord Beaverbrook and Forest Lawn High Schools.
When Diefenbaker art teacher Gary Toy received the invitation to participate in a sculpture contest for works made of garbage, he saw it as a great opportunity for his students not only to enhance their own school art program, but help the environment as well.
“The process of working through this project has really captured the kid’s interest and they realized they simply weren’t doing enough,” he said. “It’s about the little things like recycling one more bottle, or disposing of garbage conscientiously.”
Sunridge Mall is displaying the artwork and mall visitors were allowed to vote on their favourite piece of work, according to marketing director Joanne Foran, and the winner will be announced tomorrow, which is Earth Day.
“Each year we try to find a unique way to bring attention to how we treat our Earth,” she said. “We want to encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle.”
Foran added since April is Earth Month the mall is also asking citizens to take their own small steps in becoming “greener,” including reusing water bottles and riding their bikes to work.
