"You Can Call me the Eco-Art Guru"

In high school, my art career consisted of painting and drawing—what some may consider the “finer arts.” When I first started making projects, I was basically drawing in a sketchbook with number two pencils that I found around my house. However, as my skills progressed and I got older, my materials transformed from loose sheets of printer paper and school pencils into thick canvas, Farber-Castel pencils, Prismacolor markers, and oil paint. Along with my greater materials came a greater price. The brushes alone I needed for one painting had the potential to run upwards of $50, while the simple canvas could be hundreds depending on the size and material. As a college student—fees as high as these are prohibitive when it comes to creating a project, especially when students have to balance numerous studio fees along with living fees and spending money.

The University of Michigan offers classes that use alternate materials such as found objects, but finding a surplus of one material to create a piece of work isn’t always the easiest matter. That’s why “Coffee Goes Green,” is a great experiment to help not only the environment but students as well. Aside from recycling paper that was once aimlessly thrown away—the collection of such stable and copious products is a prime way to gain a valuable resource to create a piece of artwork. We decided to use the found sugar packets, stirrers, and napkins to create a sign that is representative of our mission. On my last studio project—I spent nearly $100 on glue, foam board, spray paint, and cutting utensils. As for Coffee Goes Green? Priceless.