Where the Magic Happens

Recology San Francisco is home to the Artists in Residence Program, the place where the magic happens. If you ever wondered where all your cans, bottles, tissues, old newspapers, unwanted junk mail and rotten food end up, wonder no more, it all goes straight to Recology, a huge dump and recycle center, to be separated, processed and turned once again into usable materials.  The mecca of all things trash was the perfect venue to foster innovative artists who are interested in bettering the environment, and thus the Artists in Residence Program was created in 1990 (Recology).  The AIR program hosts different artists every year and provides the artists with a huge studio space and all the materials they will need to turn “trash into treasures” (Recology).  The mission of the program is to “use art to inspire people to recycle more and conserve natural resources”, which is essential in the fight against consumerism (Recology).  One of the most exciting aspects of AIR is the exhibition of the artwork at the end of the artists’ stay, which is highly revered in the art community.  AIR is a great opportunity for artists to come and work and have access to virtually unlimited resources and inspiration, while teaching the world about how to use what we already have instead of consuming more.


/Melinda & Blair

Works cited:

"About the Recology Artist In Residence Program." Recology SF  Web. 09 Dec. 2010. 
<http://sunsetscavenger.com/AIR/>.