FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Please List
“UN-TRASHED”
an “Art from Detritus” exhibit
Curated by Vernita Nemec
January 23 – February 17, 2024
Reception: Thursday, January 25, 6-8pm
Art Talk, Saturday February 17, 4pm
Denise Adler * Jennifer Bain * Brandin Barón * John Bassett * Annaliese Bischoff
Zoe Brown-Weissmann * Ellen Burnett * Lindsay-Ann Chilcott * James Ciosek
Irene Christensen * May DeViney * Harry DeLorme * Kiffi Diamond * Jean Foos
Debra Friedkin * Michael Angelo Gagliardi * Rachel Green * Halona Hilbertz
Bernice Sokol Kramer * Kathy Levine * Mia Loia * Gail Meyers * Nancy Nicol
Felicia Olch * Melinda Rasch Elizabeth Downer Riker
Courtney Lee Weida * Larry Zdeb
Chelsea NY: Viridian Artists is pleased to present the exhibit “UN-TRASHED” featuring fine art made primarily from trash. The heart of this exhibit is the message of the three R's: Reduce/Reuse/Recycle and most importantly, Upcycle, as the artists in this exhibit have done. The exhibit will open January 23 and continues through February 17 with a reception January 25, 6-8pm and an Art Talk Saturday, February 17, 4pm. 10% of sales of the artworks in this exhibit will be given to an environmental organization fighting the evils of trash.
“UN-TRASHED” attempts to say it straight as artists have long used trash as a medium, sometimes because of the beauty they see in such objects or other times because of limited funds. But the message in this exhibit is clear: we must realize that our environment is at stake if we continue to merely discard packaging and broken or un-desired objects in our possession. We must begin to un-trash, reuse and upcycle all that we possibly can. The artists in this exhibit are showing us only one solution – to make art created primarily from debris. Some of the works present themselves through the mere use of these materials, others are more decisive in their message of the evils of trash if it is left untethered.
“Art from Detritus”, or art from waste, was conceived by artist/curator Vernita Nemec in 1994 in Portland, Oregon during the annual conference of the National Recycling Coalition (NRC). The first “Art from Detritus” exhibit was presented in the lobby of a recycled Sears Roebuck building, the corporate headquarters for municipal waste & recycling in Portland. Since then, the exhibit has re-occurred with funding from the Kauffman Foundation, the Puffin Foundation and sponsorship by the NRC. Past Detritus exhibitions have occurred in Pittsburgh, Kansas City MO, Phoenix AZ, Turners Falls MA and NYC. You can see more information and images of past Detritus shows at www.ncognita.com. Since that time, the changing groups of artists in these environmentally conscious exhibits have opened an ongoing dialogue about the importance of protecting the environment through their art-making.
We hope that you will be able to see this art in person and we hope that you can come on the last day of the exhibit Saturday, February 17 to hear these artists talk about their art and environmental concerns.
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12–6pm
For further information please contact: Vernita Nemec, Gallery Director or Jenny Belin, Assistant Director at viridianartistsinc@gmail.com
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