Art students at Animas High School and WeFill – a zero-waste store committed to reducing single-use plastic pollution – have united to help The Hive DGO with an online auction of the students’ artwork.
The “Trash Art” auction went live Monday and will run through Wednesday. Patrons have the option to check out the pieces both online and in person at WeFill, 3465 Main Ave.
Cristin Salaz, owner of WeFill, said she got involved in the project when her friend and AHS art teacher Britt Blasdell wanted to do the “Trash Art” exhibit for WeFill last fall. And now it’s time to find new homes for the artwork.
“I was trying to think of a good project for an intern, and the auction came to mind. All the students who submitted pieces agreed to donate them to a fundraiser,” she said in an email. “As much as I’ll miss them not being in the shop, it’s time for the pieces to be ’repurposed.’ I wanted to give the money to a local nonprofit, and the Hive seemed like a great place with a great mission.”
If you go
What: Animas High School “Trash Art” Auction.
When: Now to May 12.
Where: Online at https://bit.ly/3nG5joA. Check out the pieces in person at WeFill, 3465 Main Ave.
More information: Visit https://bit.ly/3nG5joA.
The nonprofit Hive DGO has been serving the Durango community since October 2019. Its mission is to provide an inclusive, safe space for kids to develop and discover their true selves by providing passion-based exploration through creative expression and mentorship.
Salaz’s intern August Gates, a junior at AHS, who is also a skateboarder, was excited to help with the auction because part of what the Hive is doing is trying to raise money for an indoor skate park. The artists gave him permission to auction their work.
“I’m a super-avid skateboarder,” he said. “I just thought Durango could really use an indoor skate park, in my opinion … the skate scene in our community is really big and just having a place to skate in the winter time would be super beneficial for us. And that’s not all they’re doing, by any means.”
The student artists who donated their work are: Bille Brand, Julia Busnardo, Adrian Griffith, Roan Harvey, Margaux Newby, Nora Olivier, Alex Pavon and Sophia Prestipino. Using repurposed cans, wrappers, etc., they have created art out of bits and pieces that would have been thrown away, illustrating the wasteful – and harmful – nature of single-use plastics, a lesson, Salaz said, consumers can use.
“It is so important because we are trying to raise awareness and educate the public about the need to reduce single-use plastics,” Salaz said.
katie@durangoherald.com
