It’s here! Small Business Saturday is two days away and plaid Friday is tomorrow! This week’s sustainability spotlight, Jodie Atherton, is being highlighted three days away from Artists Sunday. Laramie-born contemporary western environmental artist, Jodie Atherton, has been creating art since she was a child. Now, her work centers on the re-utilization of materials while also promoting recycling and other important environmental discussion. Her website dedicates an entire page to the do’s and don’ts of Laramie recycling. In regard to her art, Jodie creates sculptures utilizing ceramic skills, strong glue, and careful, strategic placements. She begins the process of starting a new piece by walking around Laramie—specifically the prairies—to find forgotten objects such as prairie glass. Ideas for art usually strike after she has attained enough materials to sustain a theme. Many of her themes coincide with water and can be connected to the drought and dryness brought upon by the western water shortage. As mentioned before, Jodie’s art is a physical representation of re-use methodology and zero-waste values transformed in a creative nature. She symbolically references recycling in each of these pieces which is an important aspect of sustainability from the local to global scale.
“The recycling rate has increased from less than 7 percent in 1960 to the current rate of 32 percent”
Recycling is a solution to the problem utilization causes. With greater utilization of resources and manufacturing products, there is a more substantial need for recycling processes. For example, some Nordic countries have very low utilization rates, therefore making their recycling rates appear statistically smaller than other European countries. When looking at solutions, one initiative the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken, “On November 17th, 2020 at the America Recycles Summit… [is] to increase the national recycling rate to 50% by 2030” (recyclecoach). This is an achievable rate, and it can be initiated with the help of greater public outreach and education. Hence, Jodie’s helpful recycling tips on her website and the environmental messages spoken through her art.
How can I support a local artist?
Exposure and initiation are two simple methods to help support local artists. For example, initiating a conversation with someone about Jodie’s art or using social media to share her pieces are two approaches of support. Viewing Jodie’s portfolio and reading her piece’s descriptions will not only inspire awe, but it may lead you to more sustainable habits. Whether you are shopping locally, supporting an environmentally focused artist, or being aware of recycling guidelines, there are multiple ways of integrating sustainability into one’s life. Through these multiple techniques one singular response is garnered, a healthier and livelier environment.
“I like the idea of using things that already exist in the world and giving them a new life ”
Citations:
21+ New Recycling Statistics for 2021 (and beyond). Recycle Coach. (2021, June 2). Retrieved November 25, 2021, from https://recyclecoach.com/resources/21-new-recycling-statistics-for-2021-and-beyond/.
Bureau, U. S. C. (2021, October 27). America recycles day: November 15, 2021. Census.gov. Retrieved November 25, 2021, from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/america-recycles-day.html.