One man’s trash is another person’s masterpiece on Saturday, April 27, at Negative Space Gallery, 3820 Superior Ave.
In celebration of Earth Day, the gallery and studio in Asian Town Center will host a free “Art for Earth Day” exhibit opening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring works by 19 local artists who have transformed garbage into art. The exhibit runs through Monday, May 27.
Curated by Cleveland artist and muralist Tessa LeBaron, the event encourages viewers to reflect on sustainability and consumerism, in line with this year’s Earth Day theme, “Planet vs. Plastics.”
Art for Earth Day“I paint a lot of wildlife and nature-inspired themes in my art,” says LeBaron. “It just weighs on me that this earth is being filled with garbage. How can we as a collective try to improvise and make it a better place for us? That’s where the idea stems from.”
LeBaron, best known for her mural work around Cleveland and its suburbs, including the 90-foot Guatemala mural on West 25th Street, says she is looking forward to sharing her own work at the event.
“I’m creating a piece by gluing my dried-up paint tubes and paint rollers onto a found piece of wood—upcycling materials that would have ended up in a landfill,” she explains.
According to LeBaron, her main challenge was deciding which materials to use, given the abundance of trash she had to work with.
“I just want to keep making garbage art now,” she reflects. “I saved all these materials, like candy wrappers, old paint tubes, my old glasses, all these random objects in a box. I could do another whole show!”
The only rules LeBaron gave the other participating artists were that their artwork must include some form of trash or upcycled material and that the pieces must be hung on the wall.
Jurnee Weeams – Learn To Love Together“Each artist is bringing something so unique to the space and everything has such a different meaning within each of their pieces,” she shares. “It’s such a great way to transform garbage into art, engage in a collaboration of bringing everyone to Negative Space, and meet for one common goal—to upcycle art. I think it’s going to be a really great show.”
LeBaron is especially enthusiastic about holding the event at Negative Space, where she has had her studio for the past four years.
“Negative Space is all about bringing in new artists and giving a chance to everyone,” she explains. “It’s such a wonderful gallery and platform for emerging artists, musicians, poets—really all walks of life—to get together, share their talents, and flourish.”
For “Art for Earth Day,” LeBaron has recruited a diverse group of new and veteran local artists for the exhibition, including Negative Space’s resident creatives Cara Romano and founder Gadi Zamir. LeBaron’s inclusive approach in her curation underlines the gallery’s commitment to fostering emerging talent and promoting sustainable art practices. At least a dozen of the artists displaying their pieces are new to Negative Space.
Artist Jurnee Ta’Zion, who helped LeBaron create the call for artists for the event, says she hopes the exhibit will ignite conversation around sustainability practices.
“Within our arts, we have a lot of power in the voices, or lack of voices, in a piece,” says Ta’Zion. “These pieces can say a lot just utilizing random materials. It’s important to share these messages and let it be known that these problems are happening, these things are real, and unless we do something about it, we won’t have an environment to really exist in. Creating pieces that advocate for environmental issues, our community, and for our planet, is just very important.”
LeBaron says she also hopes that the show will spark a more thoughtful approach to waste reduction and recycling on the part of both the artists and the viewers.
“I think that this show will help people to think about the next time they’re throwing garbage away or disposing of things,” she says. “What could they do with that object? How could it be recycled, upcycled, or reused for something else? I know it’s hard to upcycle certain things, but for the most part, I think man-made objects could usually be repurposed for something else. I hope that [the show] really compels viewers to think about their next steps.”
Art for Earth Day is a free event. Negative Space’s monthly featured artist, Seth Louis James Treanor, will have works displayed in the main gallery alongside the show. Open Mic Night will immediately follow the exhibition. Secure and free parking is available East 38th Street and the gallery is handicapped accessible. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
