Andrea Heidinger's Blog

Gratitude & Mindfulness

8/6/2017

Over the last couple months, I have experienced many things to be grateful for. Here are two of the highlights from the art world:

BIG thanks to all of you that contributed to the Shared Artifacts project! I received artifacts from family, current friends, and new friends (those who shared with me without knowing me—thanks!). There was such a range of contributions from everyday throw-away items to mentally hard to throw-away items to very sentimental items. The challenge is to honor them all, keeping in mind the spirit with which they were given- whew! To help me with this, I have a studio assistant, Rachel Henkels, who placed the items into categories she conceived. I consider her help as yet another collaboration helping me see these items in another light, as art materials. Here is a small sampling of what I received.

To check out all the items donated and the various categories they were placed in, go to the Be a Part of the Art page!

I was also lucky enough to finish an artwork and be a part of the Face of Utah Sculpture exhibit at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. The show features a wide range of strong artwork from artists all of the state and I am honored to be among them. My artwork that is on display until August 30 is a steel armature with woven cloth remnants and soft plastic packaging. It is called Tempest.

MINDFULNESS

So, I have been thinking a lot about why I started the Shared Artifacts project in the first place and the biggest reason has already (mostly) come to pass: TO CONNECT with others by getting a glimpse of their life through the things they are ready to discard and give to me. The other reason is a little more secret, but probably not that secret to most who know me: TO CREATE AWARENESS. In fact, one friend of mine knows very well my crusade against overconsumption and waste and sent me this article which touches on facts about material production and consumption, specifically plastic materials, that I have thought about a great deal and has permeated my life and artwork for a long time.
One truth that even I don’t think about enough is that recycling will never be the cure to the problem of waste pollution; curbing production and consumption is really the “key.” Check out this quote: “Dr. Geyer cautioned that recycling was not a cure-all for global plastic pollution. He said the sole benefit of recycling was to reduce the amount of new plastic being produced, adding, 'We don’t understand very well the extent to which recycling reduces primary production.' The features that have made plastic so important in the global market are the same ones that make it such a pervasive pollutant: durability and resistance to degradation.”
I am reminded of how I have wanted to try living without any plastic for a given amount of time, but every time I think about doing it, I am stumped! So, rather than that, I would at least like to resolve to give up new plastic acquisitions for a time. After all, there are so many reusable objects made of plastic that I use everyday—toothbrushes, bags, even my clothing! I am certain this new resolve will be enough of a challenge... Thank goodness for farmers markets, glass, metal, and ceramics! I will report on my progress in future blogs.

BTW, has anyone ever read this book? Plastic Free: How I kicked the Habit and so Can you Please let me know if you have and what you thought of it. Intriguing indeed!

Signing off with a potential chuckle! Thanks for reading! http://blog.nus.edu.sg/plasticworld/2016/09/29/plastic-comics-read-this-even-if-you-hate-the-blog/

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Catalyst Magazine Exhibition

6/30/2017

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With the help of Catalyst Magazine, I am making one more “ask” to get people's post-consumer artifacts to put in artworks for the Shared Artifacts Exhibit coming up at Marmalade Library in August. The Catalyst will have an article about the project as well as be a drop-off point for artifacts. Marmalade Library will also be a drop-off point.
Please challenge and inspire me with your contribution!!!

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Inspiration to Work Through the Fear

6/30/2017

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Making art with intention takes courage.
School got out the last week in May. As usual, I was exhausted, but this year, I was also very heartened by my students creative courage. “Create with purpose” has been a theme in my classroom for quite a while and this year it really seemed to resonate in the work I saw my students make. For my introductory students, I was especially impressed to see them pursue their challenging ideas despite being new to the studio environment (one that has so many eyes seeing your work) and being new to the medium. Questions inevitably turned over in their mind, like, “What if it doesn’t turn out after I have spent so much time on it? Is it worth it?” Yet they persisted with wonderful results!

My advanced students also exhibited courage by sharing a part of their individual stories in the visual form. Their innovative and bold art and the statements at their final presentations were truly admirable… Inspiring actually.

Don’t second-guess your vision — GO FOR IT!
A week later, with these reflections in my mind, I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii with my husband’s family on vacation. Hawaii was truly relaxing. We visited with one another, hiked, swam, snorkeled, and bird watched, among other things. I didn’t sketch as much as I usually do on vacation, but I think that is alright. Below are a few sketches I managed to do and some pictures from the island landscape, which I found dramatic and lovely!

One night, we went on an Art Walk at a local shopping center, Kukui’ula Village. It was a fun exploration with a variety of galleries, all of which had something interesting to us. One of my favorite galleries was Gallery 103 which, of course, was contemporary! While there, I was struck but Deyana Mileke’s work. That evening, she had paintings that were made in a limited palette of blues. She was there and I was able to speak with her about a painting with albatross in it. In it, one bird was soaring above the other, both large and taking up most of the page. She spoke of her personal experiences with albatross and her need to make this work (the second of its kind) and how the experiences dictated what the painting needed to be. Contemplating the conversation later, I felt like to was reaffirmation to make the work I need to make without worrying about “failure.” Not making the work envisioned in your mind would be the true failure.
On the plane ride back to the states I watched the movie The Last Word with Shirley MacLaine. In the movie, the older woman shares with the younger one, “I never made mistakes, mistakes made me.” As I embark on this new project, Shared Artifacts, where people have an physical investment in it, I have to remember these reflections: be fearless, follow through with your vision, and see the experiences, mistakes or otherwise as assets/insights. Here I go!

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Local Resources

6/3/2017

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Last week, I had the honor of sitting on a panel of professionals from organizations that really move the needle in a positive direction when it comes to waste reduction here in the Salt Lake Valley. We were presenting in front of the current Master Recycler class, which is a great program run by the Waste and Recycling Division, Department of Sustainability, Salt Lake City Corporation. As a panelist, I talked a bit about my history as a post-consumer artifactist artist and my current project of making artwork from other people’s “artifacts” as well as my own for my upcoming exhibit Shared Artifacts at Salt Lake City’s Marmalade Library. The rest of the panel talk about their different organizations’ efforts to reduce waste in Utah.
Here’s are some of the highlights of what I learned:

Wasatch Resource Recovery is getting a food digester that will change food waste from a number of businesses into usable compost and energy. Did you know that 30% of our landfill is composed of organic waste? So, it was great to learn that that some of this staggering amount can now be diverted from the landfill.
Utah Recycling Alliance, who I have mentioned before, has some great resources and events for those wanting to cut down on waste. Two of my favorites are their CHaRM events which help people figure what to do with their hard to recycle items and their Fix-it Clinics where people can come and learn how to fix their broken items to get more life out of them, particularly small appliances, clothing, and bikes.
Reuse People of America- Materials Resource- This organization carefully dismantles homes or parts of homes and donates the building materials and appliances for reuse elsewhere, hence diverting them from the landfill, giving the owners a sizable tax write-off, and helping out people with less-resources get affordable building materials for their homes.
Finally, there was the Restore. This store takes reusable building material donations (some from Reuse People above) and sells them to the public for much less and the money they earn is then used for Habitat for Humanity projects. This is a winning formula for all those who are involved!

It was a truly enlightening experience meeting all these people and learning about these organizations. I definitely feel hopeful for our community with them on the scene!

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Earth Day Contest

4/18/2017

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From Salt Lake County Recycling:

In honor of Earth Month and to celebrate our new Instagram page, we will be doing a 3 week contest! Show us how YOU reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Contest rules:
1. Follow us on Instagram @Recycle_slco
2. Post a picture on Instagram related to the week's theme with the appropriate hashtag (See the picture above)
3. Multiple entries allowed, but do not use the same picture for other weeks!

At the end of each week we will do a DRAWING of those who participated that week and the winner will get a really cool prize! We have donations from The Spotted Door, The Bicycle Collective (what could that be?!), and more!

Don't have an Instagram? You can still participate on Facebook, but will not be eligible to win the weekly prizes.

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April: Earth Month!

4/9/2017

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This month was kicked off with a inspiring trip to the Bear’s Ears National Monument. I love the layers of different plant life and geologic foundations.

I also am in awe of the evidence of the resilient ancient human life that lived in this area.

Going into April, I have completed an artwork I have revisited many times but only resolved now: “Injured.”

Granger High, where I teach ceramics, is excited to be involved with Empty Bowls 2017. My student and school community are producing bowls for the event… A shout out to them for both helping others and the spirit of re-use by making ceramic bowls!

I will be having a workshop at Marmalade Library in celebration for Earth Day. It is also the March for Science Day, so make sure to participate in both events, everyone! :+)

In celebration of Earth Day, check out Citizens Climate Lobby and the terrific work they do! You can also check out the Utah Recycling Alliance.

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Inspiration from the Landfill

3/9/2017

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I have been to the Salt Lake County Landfill many times since I moved back to Utah in 2001, mostly to bird watch at Lee Kay ponds, but also to pick up mulch for our garden. However, it had been about nine years since I toured the landfill with Salt Lake’s E2 Citizens program. It seemed like a good use of a rare day off to tour it with Mercedes Anto, the Recycling Specialist who will be hosting a workshop with me this coming Earth Day at Marmalade Library. She was great to talk with. Here are some pictures and thoughts about the visit:

This is the first hill of garbage made at the landfill in 1991.

This is the new landfill which takes in 2.2 million pounds a day — that’s 2.2 million pounds/day.

Here are a few more pictures of the heavy equipment working the trashscape:

This is one of my favorite things: the exothermic reaction from decomposing yard waste:

During our conversation we talked about people’s different perceptions of what they need in their life and what they want or would consider a luxury. Mercedes reminded me that “reduce” is actually the first “r” in how communities should approach the problem of waste.

We talked about items that people use often but might not consider as having much of an impact on the environment and Mercedes mentioned a statistic that really struck her and consequently, struck me: The American public uses 500,000,000 straws per day. That’s 500,000,000 straws per day.

This was especially interesting, since I have been working on an artwork with straws in my studio. I have been collecting straws for a long time — I use them, but not that often, but now I am thinking not at all!

Here’s a few pictures of what I have made so far. Its structural support is some old mini shutters from our house, I am still a long ways from feeling like it is a resolved artwork:

One final thought before I sign off: I am thinking this exhibition in August should be interactive. People could look at the artifacts in the art and place a mark, maybe a certain color on items they feel are necessary and a different color on items they don’t feel are necessary. Besides being interesting to watch it change visually, would we find that one person’s necessity another person’s luxury?

Quote for now: “The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” -Julia Cameron

To reach Mercedes Anto about educational programs about the Salt Lake County landfill and recycling contact her by phone or e-mail: 385-468-6399 or SLCO.ORG/RECYCLE

Another good recourse for environmental education is: Utah Society for Environmental Education, USEE. They will be having an environmental education conference this coming month. Check it out! http://usee.org/

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It's All About Perspective

2/13/2017

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This is a radio story I want to share with my art students and you from the show Snap Judgement.

The whole episode is good but my favorite was a story told after 16 Minutes and 40 seconds into the show where a blind man gets a vision app. It is really quite a beautiful story… Imagine if you had to describe your favorite artwork to someone who couldn’t see it. How would you? I love so many artworks, they can change my day, when I experience them.

Here is one that fits my mood after all of our winter weather in Salt Lake, by Andrew Goldsworthy.

Quote for the day: “If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees.” —Rainer Maria Rilke, Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God

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First Musing

1/18/2017

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Hey there! This is my first post of a twice monthly Artifactist Blog I intend to write about artwork(s), my own and others' made from people's trash/"artifacts." To have your artifacts included in one of my artworks, go to this link:
http://www.ahheidinger.com/getinvolved.html

So far I have gotten the following artifacts for artwork I am planning to exhibit August 2017:

A lotion pump valve
Plastic spirals from spiral notebooks
Super scratched sunglasses
Parts of mini audio tapes
2 ripped bags for baby wipes
A hologram card that was a free children's prize
A chewed up dog toy

I have been amazed at the diversity and glad that I am getting the chance to work with a few items I myself have not had to ponder, namely the mini audio tapes and baby wipe bags. We have dog tops galore and I have yet to include them — that could be interesting!

The first step for me this past weekend (that's right — I am finally getting started!) was to organize my studio and categorize the artifacts. Here is where I placed the new items alongside my own artifacts:

Lotion pump valve went in with thin linear objects, like straws, stir sticks, etc.
Plastic spirals went in with other plastic spirals
Sunglasses are going in with "misc items" for now. Distinctive cool things are the hardest for me to work with because they have a cool quality all their own. I tend to not want to ruin them, but yet am not sure if I want them to stand out. Tricky stuff, but I love a challenge.
Parts of mini-audio tapes- goes in clear plastic packaging (another cool item!)
Baby wipe bags- goes with colored, soft plastic packaging which I typically like to include in weavings
Hologram card- goes in "misc items" for now
Chewed dog toy- goes in "misc items" for now

Categorizing artifacts is always my first step of brainstorming to make an artwork. This is something I will talk about at my artist workshop on Earth Day, April 22 from 3- 5 PM at the Marmalade Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Well, I am going to sign off now, but I will leave you with a final humorous quote, a plea, and a cool image and link:

Quote:"I pick up other people's trash, I am sort of obsessed." -Eric Close

Plea: Please send your artifact, give me challenge, "be a part of the art"!

Art and website: Check out this picture from an artist who makes art out of trash that washes up in Mexico. I found it on this cool website that actually has a lot of admirable artwork.

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Gratitude & Mindfulness

Catalyst Magazine Exhibition

Inspiration to Work Through the Fear

Local Resources

Earth Day Contest

April: Earth Month!

This month was kicked off with a inspiring trip to the Bear’s Ears National Monument. I love the layers of different plant life and geologic foundations.

I also am in awe of the evidence of the resilient ancient human life that lived in this area.

Going into April, I have completed an artwork I have revisited many times but only resolved now: “Injured.”

Inspiration from the Landfill

It's All About Perspective

First Musing

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