UA News

The Union Gallery has announced dates for its first three workshops to teach participants how to make items from recycled materials.

A new workshop series headed up by the Union Gallery at the University of Arizona gets kicked off on Wednesday.

In the first of several workshops the gallery will feature, participants will learn how to create artwork and craft with the exclusive use of recycled materials. While the Union Gallery is announcing its first three workshops now, about five others are being planned and will be announced at a later date. 

Holly Brown, the Union Gallery curator, said "create/sustain/renew is a new art movement" based at the gallery.

"By utilizing everyday objects, trash, and recycled objects from right here on campus, we will create books, jewelry, totes, and art in this open workshop series," Brown said.

All workshops are free and open to the public, and all materials needed will be provided by the Union Gallery. All workshops will be held at the gallery, located on the third floor of the Student Union Memorial Center, 1303 E. University Blvd.

The Union Gallery collaborated with the Sustainability Committee to introduce the spring semester workshop with funding from Ikon.

UA studio arts major Stephanie Dammer will lead the first workshop, which will be held Jan. 28. During the workshop, Dammer will teach participants how to bind books and also how to make journals and notebooks from recycled materials. The session will be held from 5 to 8 p.m.

The second workshop will be held Feb. 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. Melissa Aquino, a graphic designer at the UA, will teach participants how to make jewelry out of bottle caps.

During the third workshop, participants will learn how to make totes out of T-shirts. Fine arts major Pedro Romano will be leading the session on March 5, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Union Gallery will also feature the work of visiting artist Nick Georgiou, who is frong New York, April 3 through April 24.

The gallery will present Georgiou's 3-D sculptural works, whcih were created using various mediums. His creatures, portraits, and still life pieces were born from the written word of recycled books and magazines.