|
New Businesses! Watch Our Grassroots Grow!
|
|
this page
|
Remanufacturing 3 - The process of cleaning and repairing used products and parts to be used again for replacements.... more |
|
|
75%. The percentage of electricity reduced by switching to compact fluorescent bulbs. What should be done when they burn out? Do NOT throw them in the trash ... more |
|
|
RSS Feeds
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In
Stumbleupon
|
|
|
|
Local Limelight: Weeklyish Articles Of Interest
Befriend Your Trashcans!: Junk To Funk Mesmerizes and Inspires
By Emese Ilyes
I wish I could roll up Junk to Funk in a beautiful little bundle of words, images, sounds, and vibrations. This bundle would be brimming with excitement and progressive energy, a mayor elect with his words wrapped in a smile, music from a daring DJ inspiring motion in a dozen tireless dancers that cleverly fill the spaces between your thoughts of appreciation, definition and redefinition of words like ‘art’ and ‘trash’, ‘recycling’, and ‘visionary creativity’.
Locally brewed Bridgeport beer cradled in the hands of enthusiastic strangers sharing an evening of wild possibilities. Then, when anyone in any corner of this world would ask me that familiar question inquiring about the character of the city of Portland (often riddled with misconceptions of dreary rain filled days), I would only have to reach for my neat little package to unravel the secrets of this unique city.
Even earth seems to celebrate Junk to Funk. Fall’s brave splashes of color over the grey sidewalks and the dynamic fiery dress shrouding proud trees is the perfect context for this unusual fashion show promoting creative environmentalism (a portion of the proceeds went to Orlo, a magazine that delves into environmental issues through an artistic lens).
A winding line of folks greeted us when we arrived forty-five minutes before we were let into this sold out show. This over 21 gathering was incredibly diverse, with old and young equally as willing to dress up in their own favorite recycled outfits; the time spent waiting quickly passed inspired by these observations.
Once inside, rolling laughter following surprising statements from Mayor Elect Sam Adams (he too seemed surprised at the words coming out of his mouth at times) and those delivered by the clever Tara from 94.7 FM. Before the fashion show officially began, a panel made up of representatives from The ReBuilding Center, Orlo, Sameunderneath, Recycling Advocates, and Wieden and Kennedy all clad in recycled funk themselves playfully reminded us of some recycling Dos and Don’ts . (I felt my world tremble when I learned that the tops to yogurt containers, unlike the tubs themselves, cannot be recycled!)
Then thirty visions of creativity grouped in five categories (Paper or Plastic?, PDX Crunk Junk, The Textiles of Our Lives, Multi Media Mayhem, and Trash or Treasure?) appeared one by one before an awestruck audience. I was personally most impressed by Rain or Shine (see image to the right), a beautiful dress made of only umbrellas, quite timely!
Indescribable does not scratch the surface of these elaborate pieces of art. Made of items that would typically be condemned to landfills, designers, artists, and the creative public have rescued these materials awing us with wearable art. Not letting us catch our breath for a minute, the organizers scheduled in The Key Turn Project for the intermission. These dancers, beautifully dressed in pieces of trash themselves, possessed with seemingly untamed energy mesmerized an already satisfied audience.
When I returned home glowing from the thrill of such an eclectic evening, I couldn’t help but wink at the secret pieces of art trapped by the humble trashcan in the corner of the kitchen. Hold on, I’ll free you!
|
|