Artists Honoured at Creative Reuse Exhibit

Langley Centennial Museum, in partnership with the Langley Arts Council, is featuring a new exhibit titled “Creative Reuse: The Art of Upcycling” displaying works of art and design created from items that would otherwise end up in our landfills. Each piece is composed from a minimum of 75% found or repurposed materials, giving it a unique new value and aesthetically pleasing function.

“It is interesting to see how many artists are doing fascinating work with recycled materials through their regular practice,” said Langley Centennial Museum Arts & Heritage Curator Kobi Christian. “To see how they transform an item into something new and original while still embodying a bit of that former use, it’s amazing.”

The museum is showcasing the work of 27 artists with over 40 pieces of art in “Creative Reuse”.

Exhibit honours were awarded based on originality, visual appeal and creative use of materials. Special recognition went to:

• First Place: Yorke Graham, “Austin”
• Second Place: Shirley Sawatsky, “Peaceful Mind, Peaceful Life”
• Third Place: Jayden Doan, “Nostalgia”
• Honourable Mentions were received by Arnt Arntzen for “One Legged Stool”, Nadine Flagel for “Tulips (Pink)”, and Ron Simmer for “Big Bird”.

In addition, a Director’s Choice prize has been awarded to Valerie Arntzen for her “Tools of the Trade” series.

The upcycling movement has witnessed a resurgence as people work to combat climate change. However, the “do what you can with what you’ve got” approach has existed throughout history, particularly when resources have been harder to access during times of war, pandemics, and economic depressions. It is hoped that visitors to the exhibit will be inspired to find ways to upcycle items in all aspects of life, and explore ways for households, workplaces, and businesses to consume less, reuse, and repurpose for sustainable change.

The exhibit runs until July 11. To see the display, and possibly be inspired to make something yourself, book a visit to Langley Centennial Museum at museum.tol.ca or contact lcmbookings@tol.ca.

This exhibit features the work of: 

Valerie Arntzen, City ArtWorks, Sonya Iwasiuk, Carol Hogan, Ralph Heading, Bella Choi, Charity Gosling, Jen O’Connor, Bill Thomson, Jason Watt, Natasha Vanderzwan, Monica Nudelman, Sybille Kissling, Kevin Matthee, Syvlie Roussel-Janssens, Vitoria Monteiro, Ron Simmer, Tracy Lynn Chernaske, Jen Candela, Yorke Graham, Nadine Flagel, Jayden Doan, Robert Maitland, Arnt Arntzen, Christine Hart, Jane Dunne, and Shirley Sawatsky.