You can make a living from Junk-Art!

Check out these gorgeous sculptures made from plastic utensils, some selling for $10, 000 a piece!

Stuff Stuff Stuff ... we're stuffed

The world is stuffed

Close your eyes and imagine:
...your pile of unused stuff.

...adding the unused stuff from every house in your neighbourhood. Now your city. Now your country.

...all the factories producing more stuff every second:  http://www.storyofstuff.com/

...all the people who don't even have what they need and can't afford to buy new or buy at all.

...being a part of the solution instead of the problem.


It's easy. Just take a deep breath, and let go.

Someone will thank you for it. It might even be you.

End of Summer + some more inspiration!

Well, if any of you have visited our depot this summer, you've surely noticed that the concrete interior remains cool despite the sweltering heat we've had! And then, if you stuck around longer than 20 minutes you surely noticed that one heats up quite quickly inside the depot regardless!

Despite the heat, we've had a glorious summer here at ArtsJunktion, thanks to our Green Team summer youth worker, Blue, who has been working on the beautification of our outdoor space and helps with the day to day tidying of our interior! Pictures to follow, of course.

And now for some more recycled art inspirations, check out Clare Graham's website which looks itself like an ode to AJ.  She does things with bottle caps I've never dreamed of!!  There are too many pictures to copy and paste into this blog post but if you have a moment follow the link to her site and browse her awesome art, all from recycled materials!

Bottle Caps from Clare Graham Art

Tupperware: How to recycle into art

Plastics seem to find their way over to the AJ depot fairly frequently. We don't take tupperware, cookie trays, yogurt tubs, etc for a variety of reasons. But now, we've got a project for you if you find yourself in the possession of some Tupperware you no longer want: Jellyfish.

Check out this beautiful picture from James Moulder's blog:

  

The top portion, the "body" of the jellyfish looks like it might be some sort of plastic bundt cake mold.  I have to say the white, semi-opaque slickness of it lends itself really well to becoming a plastic jellyfish.  The tentacles are made of beads and what looks like lace trim!

Try it yourselves! Be inspired by some unwanted plastic and send us a photo!

GUERILLA CROCHET -- A MUST SEE!!

I post this with the best of intentions, as I know that yarn can be a hard commodity to secure around here! (in other words, the insane popularity of yarn never seems to cease!)

But I just had to share this and HEY if you are addicted to both crafting and minimalism, this could be the answer. Spend all your time crocheting like mad and then leave it somewhere outside your house!

Any way you slice it, Guerilla Crochet is just brilliant and definitely provides a little chuckle. Check it out on Street Art Utopia!

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