Collaborative Consumption: It's on the rise!

It is one of Time magazine's "Ideas that will change the world", collaborative consumption is the new way for everybody.  Community-based sharing is what its all about and we at ArtsJunktion know that better than anybody!

Check out the website and the book for an educated approach to dumpster diving and get sharing!

Upcoming Workshop: All are invited

Our allies at W.R.E.N.C.H have extended an invitation to their non-violent conflict resolution workshop.  Please read the following:

Saturday August 6

Non Violent Communication and Conflict Resolution Workshop - This workshop will be lead by Karen Ridd. 

Bike shop volunteers find themselves dealing not just with mentoring and teaching people - but also with some tricky interpersonal situations.  Karen Ridd will lead a hands-on, participatory workshop that gives volunteers tools and techniques for verbally de-fusing people, and for resolving conflict.  The focus will be on practical skills and practise, using real life scenarios that volunteers have encountered to add to peoples' existing skills.  Karen Ridd teaches in the Conflict Resolution Studies programme at the University of Winnipeg: she has worked with grassroots organizations for years, including human rights work in Latin America, community capacity building in Southeast Asia and First Nations communities, and living in inner-city Winnipeg.  

Participants in this workshop will gain tools, techniques and skills, and will do hands-on practise for:
- defusing high tension situations and
- dealing with intra-organizational and interpersonal conflicts
Participants will develop and hone their communication skills for effective conflict resolution

2:00 - 5:00 PM at the United Way Building main floor 580 Main St. 

If you'd like to confirm your attendance at this workshops, we'd love to know you are coming so please RSVP.

Contact us at programs@thewrench.ca or 296-3389 

www.thewrench.ca

Art can be made from ANYTHING

James Franco has been called a Renaissance Man lately, as he has been active in not only movie-making but also visual art and higher education.  Recently, he has sold "the idea of art" for $10,000 to a Canadian woman in Montreal. 

The following is a story that exemplifies another use of some very non-traditional media.  This story is copied from Mike Doughty's blog, waaay back in 2006.

I'm walking through Union Square en route to meet Scrap, and there's a Japanese girl sitting at a card table with a sign: "Give Me Your STRESS for My ART."

I stop. How do I give you my stress?

She pushes a card and a pencil towards me and tells me to write down what's stressing me out. I write Judgement of my music.

She draws the outline of a bird-fish over my handwriting, and then fills in the space around it with blue; paints the bird-fish yellow; gently flicks white paint over the picture; affixes a little heart sticker over the word music, the faint outline of which is the only word left visible.

She hands me the card. Do I owe you something?

"I accept donations."

I get ten bucks out of my wallet.

"That's too much," she says.

No, that's OK, it's not so much for me.

She smiles and thanks me. "You don't take it home," she says.

I'm confused.

"You take the art home, but leave the stress."

There. Now if people can make art out of ideas and stress, you can certainly try your hand at using some junk!  Come on down to AJ and try it for yourself.

Styrofoam: Part 2

So the planets aligned and after the enthusiastic response to my earlier post on styrofoam, about a million people donated it to us.  Now we have this styro-corner at ArtsJunktion and it beckons to the creative crafters out there!

I just got word that more is on the way, so I will offer up one last image as inspiration for all of you resourceful people.  If you aren't keen on putting a life-size styro T-Rex in your living room, try this tasteful wall art. Talk about conversation piece.  You can brag to your friends about how you turned the packaging from your end table into the wall art that hangs behind it. How about it??

WHAT I MADE: testimonial from an AJ first-timer!

Beautiful people of Winnipeg, here comes our next recycled-artist. Meet Shelley who recently us and was instantly inspired!

Here's what she has to say: 

"I just discovered ArtsJunktion last week.  I came in and picked up a few things, and I wanted to show you what I've made so far with the items I picked out.  All three of these are painted on old 5.5" floppy diskettes ... The plan is to use these as mail art - write a name and address on the back, slap a stamp on it and see how far it gets. 

Thanks for what you're doing.  I think it's amazing!!"

And the best part is what Shelley's kids had to say:

"Now my kids are mad I didn't get more so they could play too - so I'll probably be back to pick up half a dozen more."

See!? Resourcefulness just inspires more resourcefulness! Come to AJ and share your own creations!

Styrofoam: It's not all bad

Styrofoam, also known as polystyrene to people with English accents, is notoriously trashy.  It doesn't biodegrade and it has practically no use other than sandwiching your new DVD player and all of its individually packaged parts into a cardboard box.

While this function is of course, very useful when shipping items of a delicate constitution, it is hard not to hate Styrofoam once your DVD is set up and you have no further use for it. Scattered on your living room floor, you curl your lip in disdain as the white blocks of foam stare back at you, taunting.  Now, you have to "deal with it". 

Sigh.

We get a lot of Styrofoam at AJ.  And I think it's time we started to consider the uses and re-uses of our most despised un-recyclables (I'll talk about VHS tapes another time.  There's a lot going on there.)  Styrofoam, in capable hands, can be a most malleable substance.  Perhaps some of you will relish the challenge of making your best art with your worst enemy.

The following are inspirational sites and images to help get you started:

From http://eeryelegance.blogspot.com/2010/04/styrofoam.html

And is all the gossip around the water cooler boring you, and you find yourself searching for deeper meaning? DOODLE on your Styrofoam cup.

From http://xaxor.com/creative/4508-amazing-sharpie-art-on-styrofoam-cups-.html

And if you purchase a lot of appliances, do your part and go for something .............. bigger.

From http://picturesportal.blogspot.com/2011/01/recycled-styrofoam-art.html

Event of the Year!! Art Auction

Okay, the second annual Art Auction Fundraiser is tomorrow starting at 6:30pm with our AGM, then 7:00 for a viewing, and the LIVE auction at 8:00.


Please come on over to 312B William Ave, it is shaping up to be a really fun evening in support of an excellent cause!