We’ve just finished hosting Recycle Utah at Gallery MAR for the “Charity Gallery Stroll,” here in Park City.  Recycle Utah has some new members, we gave away a gorgeous art gift basket, and educated some newbies about recycling practices and “going green.” Did you know that the most “eco-friendly” time to run the dishwasher is at night? A little white noise for your slumber.

Here at Gallery MAR we recycle, well, almost everything! We reuse cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and peanuts, and re-use and recycle our paper products as well as cardboard, plastic, and aluminum. We’re very fortunate to enjoy  the recycling capabilities that we have here in Park City.

A few of our artists also recycle products and found-objects and use them in their artworks. Sustainable metal and wood artist Joe Norman makes tables and pedestals out of found objects, reclaimed palette wood, and car and bike parts. And Michael Bingham has used reclaimed highway signs and car parts in his wall pieces, towers and beacons. Bingham’s work is featured above; the wing of this sculpture is from an old Coca Cola billboard.

When shipping artwork (or moving house, as I am this week), you can re-use a well-made cardboard box at least 4 times before the edges start to fray. At that point, the cardboard gets cut into rectangles and becomes a shield between paintings in our back storage area. The life of the tree keeps on giving! Bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, and other “fillers” can be re-used indefinitely and there are some fantastic new biodegradable options in the packing department.

I know my collectors appreciate that their fine art purchases are brought to them in the most “green” way possible. Now, if we could just get Federal Express to offset their carbon imprint…

Tags: Joe Norman, Michael Bingham, Recycle Utah, Recycled Art, Shipping
Posted in Gallery News