UpCycle teamed up with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria to offer a First Night Alexandria activity at the Torpedo Factory. Kids met four shelter animals that were available for adoption: Spike the guinea pig, Pinky the ferret, parakeets Tweet and Flake, and Moe the dog. The kids then made artwork to help get the animals adopted by drawing, painting and collaging with UpCycle's unique collection of materials. 

One winning piece of artwork has been chosen for each animal and posted on UpCycle's Facebook page. An overall winner will be determined by the picture that has the most "Likes" by January 8th.  The winning artist receives a shelter party and a $50 gift certificate from UpCycle.  The winners from the animal categories receive a shelter tour, and the artists recognized for their creative use of materials receive a $5 gift certificate to UpCycle.

Deciding the winners of each animal category was not easy.  The following artists receive honorable mentions for their creative work and receive a $5 gift certificate to UpCycle.

Spike Honorable Mentions

Pinky Honorable Mentions

Tweet & Flake Honorable Mentions

Moe Honorable Mentions

The following artists are recognized for their creative use of UpCycle's materials.  The overall winner is Nyla, who made a collage of Tweety & Flake.  Nyla wins a $25 gift certificate to UpCycle.  

Honorable Mentions for Creative Use of UpCycle's Materials

We've enjoyed our time together in playgroup over the past few weeks!  We have been using clay, exploring and painting huge chunks of ice, painting with water color, painting with tempera paint on packing material, cutting, stringing, taping, weaving, and exploring light and shadow on the projector.  Our playgroup friends have created a garland for UpCycle's holiday tree.  Look for it as you stroll the Ave., and please vote for it!

On December 3rd, we created our mandala designs with all of the materials we had prepped over the past few weeks.  We also explored light and shadow and did some gesture drawings to capture the human form and its shadow.

On December 10th, we prepped and strung materials for UpCycle's holiday tree garland.  In small groups, we continued our shadow studies and crafted upcycled ornaments.

As part of our Fur-Vor project, UpCycle is bringing creative reuse art experiences to ten City of Alexandria Recreation Centers from November 2014 - March 2015.  This outreach involves almost 500 children enrolled in the Out of School Time program, who through UpCycle's Fur-Vor project meet with a dog and then create art featuring dogs.  

UpCycle directors Susan Miranda and Kelley Organek talk with the children about meeting the dog before he or she visits the group.  While many children readily share their wonder for dogs and positive experiences with dogs, some children also share tentative feelings about meeting the dog during UpCycle's visit.  

Most of the dogs involved in the project are brought by volunteers from P.A.L., People.Animals.Love., a local therapy dog group and others will be from the City of Alexandria's K-9 unit.  The children learn how to properly greet a dog for the first time, and they test out their new skills by approaching the dog quietly, asking the owner for permission to pet the dog, offering a closed fist for the dog to sniff, and then if all goes well, petting the dog on its back.

During UpCycle's visits, children paint reclaimed boards for their artwork and use many unique materials to create images of dogs.  As the children work, they reveal more about their thoughts and feelings about dogs.       

To date, UpCycle has engaged children from the Mt. Vernon, Nannie J. Lee, MacArthur and Charles Houston Recreation centers in creative reuse art featuring dogs.  

UpCycle will be marching in the Scottish Walk Parade on December 6th, wearing the dog masks and pulling the papier-mâché dog from Art Safari.  On December 14th, we'll be at the AWLA with Sediment Press, screen printing dog themed gift wrap.  For more information about UpCycle and future community events related to our Fur-Vor project, see UpCycle's website at www.UpCycleCRC.org or contact Kelley Organek at [email protected] or 703-761-8705.