Winners from ACUA’s 10th Annual Recycled Art Contest are currently being featured in a pop-up exhibit at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University in Atlantic City through February 12, with a reception on February 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. including free admission, live music, and refreshments.
“We’re so pleased Stockton’s Noyes Arts Garage will highlight some of the amazing artwork that was entered in the 2024 Atlantic County Recycled Art Contest,” ACUA President Matt DeNafo stated. “This pop-up show in Atlantic City provides an additional opportunity for people to see the work and think about ways to reduce, reuse and recycle,” DeNafo added.
The annual contest invites the community to think about the waste that we create as a society and encourages the creative reuse of items typically thrown away in the trash or recycling bin. Held in the fall, the contest is open to all residents of Atlantic County, with winners chosen in four age categories: 8 and under, 9 to 13, 14 to 17 and 18 and up, as well as a group category. The contest is held in partnership with participating libraries which accept and display the artwork before it is exhibited at ACUA.
For the 2024 contest, Noyes Director Michael Cagno and staff member Sarah Lacey, along with local artist Eduardo Jimenez, volunteered for the challenging task of selecting winners from each category of submissions. Cagno and Lacey, impressed with art, worked with ACUA staff to bring additional attention to the creative work and the often-overlooked potential of discarded items.
“What inspired me the most was how they took a simple idea and recycled materials and created something extraordinary, full of color and texture,” said Cagno.
Visitors can check out the exhibit that is now on display at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University located at 2200 Fairmount Avenue in Atlantic City during normal business hours.
For learn more about the Recycled Art Contest, visit www.acua.com/artcontest.
For more information about the Noyes Arts Garage, visit www.artsgarageac.com.
