Day #2: Sustainable Materials & Art Practices
Join us as we celebrate the completion of our pilot year with a symposium dedicated to advancing sustainability and mobilizing climate action in the Bay Area arts and cultural sector. This two-day event features presentations, discussions, and workshops designed to share best practices, expand networks, and provide valuable education on energy, waste, and circularity.
Day 2 Schedule
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, San José Environmental Innovation Center, 1608 Las Plumas Ave., San José, California
Free Art Supply Swap
11:00–3:00 [All day]
Art supply swaps are fantastic events where artists and creatives can exchange new and used art supplies for free. The goal of these gatherings of materials and people is to reduce the amount of art supplies that end up in landfills and to make art supplies more accessible to the community. During the symposium, attendees can donate and collect free art materials, tools, and supplies. All items are provided by and for the Bay Area arts community.
Resilient Artist Cohort Exhibition
11:00–3:00 [All day]
An installation featuring work by artists from the 2024 Resilient Artist Cohort Fellowship. Artists to be announced.
Workshops
Join Ian Garrett, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA), to explore available tools and methodologies available to evaluate the environmental impact of your art productions and exhibitions. This session will introduce key guidelines and best practices for measuring and reducing carbon footprints in the arts, cover elements from energy consumption to material usage, and offer examples of how these assessments have been used to drive change in artistic production, organizational operations, and cultural policy. Attendees will gain practical insights into integrating sustainability into creative workflows, empowering artists and arts organizations to make informed decisions that contribute to a greener, more environmentally responsible cultural sector.
11:00–12:00: Intro to MycoTechnique for Creative Use: A Demonstration of How to Grow Mushroom Materials presented by Open Fung
This workshop will demonstrate how to grow and process fungal materials for creative use. We’ll also explore how fungal materials might move into widespread adoption through accelerated open research. We’ll bring materials samples and answer questions.
11:00–12:00: Solid Waste Management and Reduction (Part 1) presented by GreenWaste
Join us for the first part of our Waste Management and Reduction series, presented with Greenwaste, a major Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Northern California that sorts, processes, and recycles materials within the waste stream. Led by April Menes, Environmental Outreach Coordinator, this presentation will share the fundamental aspects of waste management within our studios and workspaces, providing guidance on the effective sorting of materials and transition to impactful waste reduction.
12:00–1:00: Lunch Break
Discover how to empower communities and build solidarity through effective art supply mutual aid in this informative workshop. Learn strategies for organizing and maintaining art supply exchanges that support local creatives, promote a culture of sharing, and keep materials in circulation.
1:00–2:00: Natural Dyeing and Urban Foraging presented by Ocean Escalanti
In this workshop, artist Ocean Escalanti shares her expertise as a natural dye enthusiast and forager, adept at sourcing local plants for vibrant pigments. From plant identification to dye extraction and application, participants will learn the fundamentals of natural dyeing while gaining insight into sustainable practices and indigenous knowledge.
After the informative presentation on solid waste management and material recovery, participants will be equipped with in-depth knowledge about the various categories of household hazardous waste handled by local collection services. Led by Billy Puk, Hazardous Materials Program Manager, the session will delve into the specific materials that often pose challenges or confusion for artists and arts producers. This will underscore the significance of mindful material selection and offer practical guidance on responsibly managing commonly encountered hazardous art production items, from used batteries to printer cartridges and paint.
The program will be conducted entirely in English and recorded for future reference, with no translation or simultaneous streaming available. While full participation is encouraged, attendees also have the option to register for day one or individual workshops on day two.
Registration for individual workshops is now open. Click on the event to register.
Registration is one per person only.