This 2020 contest has now ended. See the winners or learn about the 2021 contest.
UW Recycling is holding a Trash Art Contest in March, with $150 in gift cards to be awarded to the winners.
The contest, part of this year's RecycleMania effort, is open to all UW students and staff. Participants must create an art piece primarily composted of recycled, salvaged or collected litter materials which can fit in a 2-foot footprint and submit a photo of the submission by March 25 at 4 p.m.
Full contest details
How to Submit
Participants must fill out the following form for submission by March 25, 2020 at 4 p.m.: https://bit.ly/3bx2Czi
Submission must include: artist name, medium, piece name, and a brief description of the art piece.
UPDATE: Due to classes being moved to an online format, art pieces no longer need to be brought to the UW Recycling office by March 25, 2020. Art pieces only need to be submitted online at the form submission link by 4 p.m. on March 25, 2020.
Art piece must be brought to the UW Recycling office (in the Publication Services building, 3900 7th AVE NE, Seattle, WA, 98195) by 4 p.m., March 25, 2020.
Contest Rules
Submissions that do not meet these requirements will not be considered.
- Artist must be a current UW student or staff member.
- The art piece must be composed of a majority of recycled, salvaged or collected litter materials.
- The art piece can be an individual or group project.
- Each participant may contribute to only one art project submission, whether it is a group project or individual submission.
- The piece must fit within a 2 ft footprint (2’x2’x2’).
- The piece may be smaller than this, but not larger.
- All projects should be safe to handle (no sharp objects, hazards, etc.) along with being socially and culturally appropriate.
Prizes
Out of all submissions there will be an opportunity for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winning art piece. Winners will receive gift cards to Artist & Craftsman Supply.
- 1st place will receive a $75 gift card.
- 2nd place will receive a $50 gift card.
- 3rd place will receive a $25 gift card.
All three winners will have their art pieces, artist bios, and piece descriptions displayed at the UW Surplus Store from March 30 - April 8, 2020.
Winners will also have their art pieces, artist bios, and piece descriptions displayed during EarthFest, the UW's central Earth Day event on April 22 in Red Square. If desired, artists can accompany their pieces at the event and discuss the artwork with attendees.
Judging Criteria
Winning submissions will be scored based on the following criteria:
- Originality/creativity
- Sustainability theme
- Material usage
- Relevance to personal and/or UW campus waste