September 30, 2004
'Junk Beast' sculpture rears ugly heads
Trash artwork created by 21 youngster taking part in environmental awareness class project
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
"I learned that old things can become new things." - Joe
"I learned to be a good steward of the Earth." - Matthew
"I learned that trash can be fun."- Evan
Junk Beast class grade: A + for inspiring environmental awareness.
This summer, 21 area young people delved into the throwaway society and emerged with a working knowledge of recycling, waste management and the environment.
Led by Kelly Ignace, a resource recovery specialist with Grand Traverse County, the students crafted a Junk Beast that merged four huge boxes of items headed for the landfill into a massive sculpture.
Culminating their effort, these students in Northwestern Michigan College's College for Kids class showcased their creation in the Junior Royale Parade during the National Cherry Festival.
"They created a two-headed Junk Beast," said Ignace of the class, which was held in late June.
Before the five-session class began in late June, Ignace tapped Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan for help. She asked for donations of 'safe, clean junk smaller than a breadbox' and received 320 cubic feet of items. These goods included children's toys and household items ranging from lampshades and trays to rakes and baskets as well as the many odds and ends that comprise the debris of modern life.
Merging of solid waste education with hands-on art thrilled the kids, who dove into the project with enthusiasm.
"We dumped it all out on the floor and set up four workstations: gluing, screwing, nailing and painting," said Ignace, who also received supplies such as glue guns, nails, paint and other craft or art equipment from area businesses.
"We worked fast, this was not a masterpiece," she noted. "It was amazing how they took to using the power tools and the glue guns."
The students completed numerous small sculptures from the junk while Steve Morse of the M-Tech Center built the frame. The frame, which was also made of junk, was built on a trailer for the parade float. The small sculptures were either screwed or wired onto the frame to create the beast, which featured lampshade eyes, stovepipe spines and a compact disc and rake tail.
Students were an integral part of the Junk Beast design team, Ignace noted. The first day of class, she helped them brainstorm the basic structure and look of a Junk Beast. They used clay, markers and paper to bring their ideas to life.
"I asked them what a Junk Beast would look like, how many legs, how many heads, how big," she recalled. "The next day they presented their ideas, I picked out the common features and sketched something up."
Ignace also wove an overview of recycling, environmental and solid waste issues into the class, setting aside the first 45 minutes of the three-hour class for these activities. Students delved into composting, worm composting and land stewardship into her presentations.
"They were totally into it," said Ignace, who is already planning a new angle for an environmental awareness class next year. "Most of them had a grasp of things, some didn't know much."
As for the Junk Beast, it met its destiny in a landfill grave after the parade. The myriad pieces of junk that made a temporary detour through the children's hands served their educational purpose: spread the word about recycling, waste management and wise use of resources to anyone who would listen.
"It was an outstanding project," said Randy Smith, manager of resource recovery for Grand Traverse County. "When you thought the kids were all wild and crazy, you'd ask about recycling and they knew all about it."
"It was fun to be part of this, a first time for us," he noted.