Celine Waldmann, the Undergraduate Advisor for the Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies, has been awarded the second-place prize in the 3D art category of the University of Washington's 2023 Trash Art Contest. The contest, held by UW's Sustainability office, challenged participants to think about trash in a new way.
Waldmann’s art piece, titled "Reinvestment," was created entirely from discarded materials, including curtain fabric, elastic straps from surgical masks, repurposed textiles used for dye tests, the wire from an old spiral notebook, and dyes made from food waste such as avocado pits and onion skins. As Waldmann explained, “I'm interested in exploring the way that things that are typically destined for the landfill actually have more "life" left in them.”
Waldmann's background in the fashion industry and awareness of its environmental impact inspired her to create a piece that showcases the potential of discarded materials to create functional and beautiful items. "Reinvestment" is a testament to the importance of sustainable practices in the fashion industry and serves as an inspiration to others to explore their own creativity and find ways to repurpose and reuse materials to reduce waste and promote sustainability.