Clear trash and craft sculpture at First Friday Art March

Go to Source

 

The discarded gum packages, crushed soda cans and plastic bags peppering Savannah’s streets aren’t the Hostess City’s crowning glory.

 

But in the right hands, the litter is removed — and becomes art.

 

“Art can be found in unexpected places,” said Lauren Flotte, who has organized a cleanup event as the Art Rise Savannah board of directors’ president.

 

She invites locals to a neighborhood beautification project from 6-9 p.m. June 6, starting at Art Rise Savannah, 2427 DeSoto Ave.

 

In the Art of Trash event, tagged “An All Hands In Neighborhood Beautification Project,” participants both clean up and create.

 

They’ll receive gloves and trash bags to pick up litter in assigned areas between Forsyth Park and Victory Drive. Then they’ll create a large sculpture with their finds.

 

The city is really great about cleaning tourist spots, such as Forsyth Park and Broughton and River streets, according to Savannahian Emily Quintero.

 

“Not so much in the residential areas where the true Savannahians are actually living and walking every day,” she said.

 

Trash bothers Quintero “deeply.”

 

Her dad would encourage her to pick up litter when she was young.

 

Plus, as an artist, she cares about aesthetics and also wants to positively influence her community.

 

“If you see some trash, just pick some up and that will make a difference,” she said.

 

Quintero does. She picks up trash weekly.

 

Then friends joined her, and later, a Facebook page formed, announcing cleanup times.

 

Her grassroots toil became the Clean Up Savannah group, and Flotte is keen on their work.

 

When the Art Rise Savannah official was thinking of a project to help the neighborhood, she thought of Quintero.

 

“So many care really deeply about the community,” said Flotte, who wanted to give locals an outlet to help.

 

Quintero has since scouted out highly littered areas where cleanup is most needed for the Art of Trash event.

 

Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and visit Art Rise Savannah for cleanup tools.

 

Children, “probably the best trash picker-uppers,” according to Flotte, are also welcome.

 

“It shouldn’t be too messy,” she said.

 

And if the word “fun” can ever describe a cleanup event, it perhaps fits the June 6 gathering that includes camaraderie, discovery and a trash statue.

 

Cleaning is definitely more enjoyable with others helping, Flotte said.

 

People picking up trash closely look at things and discover parts of the community they might otherwise miss.

 

“So it’s good to have someone to share it with,” Flotte said.

 

And the beautification happens during First Friday Art March hours.

 

The monthly happening — with shopping, vendors, handmade goods, local artists, live music and children’s activities — involves businesses from Forsyth Park to Victory Drive.

 

It helps Art Rise Savannah help local artists and the creative economy.

 

After cleaning, people can ride the free trolley that visits Art March galleries and travels from DeSoto Avenue, which offers free parking.

 

“It’s definitely not exclusive,” Flotte said of the evening.

 

And all the while, participants may transform trash they find into art at Art Rise Savannah.

 

Organizers offer glue, wire, hammers and nails to build an open, outreached hand that they’ll display in front of The Sentient Bean for July’s Art March.

 

The sculptured hand was Quintero’s idea, a metaphor of beautification being “in your hands,” she said. “That’s the main thing … change is in your hand.”

 

“This has been our home base and our community,” Flotte said. “And if we can in any way give back, then that’s an amazing thing to do.”