BALTIMORE, MD (November 18, 2005) – A re-stylized guitar and a life-like swan were among the winning artwork at the fourth annual “Rethink Recycling” Sculpture Contest, co-sponsored by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) today. The art event is one way MDE marks America Recycles Day, which was recognized nationally on Tuesday.
The sculpture contest challenges students to innovatively and artistically use recycled materials as a solution to waste reduction. A total of 51 entries from 14 different high schools across the state contained everything from electronic material, cardboard, plastic, scrap wood, chicken wire, broken compact discs and more.
MDE Secretary Kendl P. Philbrick, MDE Deputy Secretary Jonas A. Jacobson, and George H. White, executive director of the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association, determined the winners.
“This event is one of my favorites,” Secretary Philbrick said. “We get to foster youth’s ingenuity and spirit while encouraging an environmental ethic. After participating in a contest such as this, artists and art lovers will never look at discarded items or trash the same again.”
Sculptures were judged on workmanship, creativity and use and variety of recycled materials.
The top sculptors were Kirsty Ferri and Caitlyn Blair, students at Broadneck High School in Anne Arundel County. The winning sculpture was an ornate guitar made from soda cans, wood flooring scraps, cardboard and wire hangers. The artists won a 20-inch, LCD flat screen TV from Sharp for their winning sculpture.
Best Workmanship was awarded to nine students at Patuxent High School in Lusby (Calvert County) for their beach chair and end table composed of soda can aluminum. They earned a portable Sony Playstation for their effort. Whitney Mench, of Kent County High, won the Best Creativity award for a swan crafted of cut up milk jug plastic for feathers, tins cans, a light bulb and paper mache. Her prize was a Microsoft X-Box game system, courtesy of Best Buy.
In the Best Use of Materials category, Emily Marcellino, of Century High School in Carroll County, won with an abstract sculpture titled ‘Stream of Consciousness’ made from the drawer of a sewing desk, lace, eyeglasses, paint, fake fruit and old magazines. Her prize was a portable DVD player.
All the contestants received a portable compact disc player from Panasonic while their instructors were given gift cards to major office supply store.
Some of the sculptures are on public display at MDE’s headquarters in Baltimore.
Prizes and refreshments for this year’s recycled art event were donated by: Allied Waste Services, Best Buy, Constellation Energy, the Harford County Office of Recycling, the Maryland Recyclers Coalition, the Maryland Soft Drink Association, Panasonic and Sharp Electronics Corporation.
The "Rethink Recycling" sculpture contest, which MDE hosts in celebration of America Recycles Day, is just one way MDE educates and empowers the public to reuse and recycle materials that would have otherwise gone into landfills. To find out what you can do to reduce, reuse, recycle and buy recycled products, visit MDE’s recycling web page at:www.mde.state.md.us/recycling
Remember when it comes to recycling, “It All Comes Back To You.”
Editor’s Note
A full array of digital images from this event are available. please contact mde’s office of communications at numbers above
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