PRESS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
September 19, 2011
CONTACT: Judi Moore, (501) 548-5224; judimmore@gmail.com
SCRAP EXCHANGE’S “EVENTS BY THE TRUCKLOAD”
COMING TO ARTSFEST
By Rachel McAdams
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — The Scrap Exchange, focusing on promoting creativity and environmental awareness, is bringing its “Events By the Truckload” to Conway’s ArtsFest and will provide activities Saturday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m to 4 p.m.
The Scrap Exchange collects materials from hundreds of individuals, industries and businesses; officials then travel to large-scale community festivals and events where they provide hands-on, creative arts activities.
“We are really excited to come and we’re thrilled to visit Conway and the Conway community,” Rowan Martell, event coordinator for The Scrap Exchange, said.
The Scrap Exchange personnel fill a van with a fascinating collection of materials — foam, fabric, stickers, cardboard cones and tubes, bottle caps and a whole bunch of things they’re sure you’ve never seen before — and allow kids and their parents to create anything they can think of.
“This is a unique program, using unusual materials, that has a wonderful environmental message,” Martell said. “It’s a great way to deal with the problem of waste management in the United States. Plus, not only is it free, but it’s great fun for everyone in the family — kids, parents, grandparents, teenagers ¬— all working side-by-side to create something they can keep.”
With endless possibilities and endless fun for the family, The Scrap Exchange, a largely self-sustained non-profit organization, helps educate children and adults not only on environmental issues but also how to stay green while feeding their creative side.
“The Scrap Exchange is a fabulous and incredibly popular creative reuse center in North Carolina but is also a national resource,” Barclay McConnell, director of UCA’s Baum Gallery of Fine Art, said. “They travel all over the country educating people about environmental issues while promoting creativity and community.”
A small group of people founded the organization in 1991 while seeking to establish a sustainable supply of high quality, low cost materials for artists, educators, parents and other creative people. The Scrap Exchange now works out of a 13,000 square-foot space in Durham, N.C.
“Events By the Truckload” is a traveling version, allowing visitors to create their own art from junk, vintage goods, unique items and even trash.
Gene Hatfield, local artist and retired teacher known for his yard sculptures and use of “junk” in his art, is also excited to see this event come to town for an educational visit.
“The purpose of this kind of art is to use castaway and unwanted material,” he said. “This is a way a little something can be used creatively to build beautiful, unique and even funny creations. Sometimes these sculptures are more unique and beautiful than something an artist creates with a purpose and plan in mind. It’s a way to create something positive out of something usually considered negative.”
For more details and information about The Scrap Exchange, visit www.scrapexchange.org. For more details and information about Conway’s ArtsFest, visit www.artsinconway.com/schedule.
For more information, contact Judi Moore, (501) 548-5224; judimmore@gmail.com
-30-
