Waste to Wonder, Detroit Month of Design

Celebrating Creativity and Community Through

Sustainable Art

I was thrilled to be invited to take part of the Waste to Wonder 2024 Initiative, a remarkable event that celebrated the transformative power of sustainability, creativity, and community. Hosted by Ecosphere Organics in partnership with Make Food Not Waste, this inspiring gathering took place at Newlab @ Michigan Central as part of the Detroit Month of Design. Waste to Wonder brought together artists, designers, and sustainability advocates, all united in exploring the potential of upcycling food waste into art and sustainable innovations.

As part of the event, I had the honor of showcasing a small body of work that I created using clean food scraps as both pigment and texture in my art. The process of transforming discarded materials like banana peels, coffee grounds, and grapefruit rinds into beautiful, vibrant pieces was a rewarding and eye-opening journey.

I was also privileged to work with the Girl Empowerment Group of the Southeastern Michigan Girl Scouts on a collaborative piece, where the girls used upcycled pigments as watercolors. This experience gave them hands-on insight into sustainability in art, and their finished piece was proudly displayed at the event.

The piece created by the Girl Empowerment Group was purchased by Alchemi, a donating restaurant located in Royal Oak Mi. It will be on permanent display within their main dining room! Proceeds go back to the girls to fund future programming.

Beyond the artistic showcases, Waste to Wonder featured engaging panels and discussions that delved deep into the intersection of art, design, and sustainability. One of the highlights was a fireside chat led by Melanie McClintock, Chair of the Color and Materials Design Graduate Program at CCS. We discussed the potential of using sustainable materials in artistic practices and how they can reshape the future of design.

The event also included a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring key voices from the sustainability field, such as Ian Lambert, Dean of Graduate Studies at CCS, and Tepfirah Haana Rushdan, Director of Sustainability for the City of Detroit.

The event also offered live demonstrations from organizations such as Sanctuary Farms, Chef Montrell’s Kitchen, and Orange Sparkle Ball, all of whom showcased innovative practices in food waste reduction. It was an inspiring evening of creativity and conversation that reimagined how waste materials can shape a more sustainable future, both in art and beyond.

Waste to Wonder 2024 was a powerful reminder of how art, design, and sustainability can intersect to create meaningful impact. I was deeply honored to participate and excited to share this journey of upcycling with the community.

Highlighting bone, banana stem fibers, recycled cardboard and packing peanuts for texture on recycled canvas. This piece measures 48"x60" and weighs about 40 lbs. I used ash in solid and powered form, powdered coffee grounds, banana peel and grapefruit rhine powder. Everything you see was created from the usage of clean waste.

The first piece I created in this series which includes some blue paint from a company that upcycles paint waste. Along with recycled cardboard, banana stem fibers for texture. This piece also contains powedered ash, coffee ground poder and curry. 48"x24" on gallery wrapped canvas.

The bone in the middle of this piece sets this one apart as it grabs the pigments, layer after layer which creates incredible depth. This piece also has banana stem fibers and cardboard for texture. Hibiscus, grapefruit rhine powder, ash powder, dehydrated bluberries, curry and banana peel power was also used in it. 24"x30" on gallery wrapped canvas.

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