El Paso students and artists turn trash into treasure

More than one hundred local artists got to show off their recycled art at El Paso’s International Museum of Art Saturday at the MEtamorphosis: Trash to Treasure art contest organized by El Dorado High School.

The dozens of borderland artists, from children to high school students and adults, took trash from around the region and turned it into art, showing how the worst that harms the environment can be taken and enjoyed.

It was a project that’s been one year in the making.

“So I proposed that we adopt a highway, clean up the trash, turn the trash into artwork, and do community service workshops to educate people about recycling and what you can do through arts,” said Candace Prince, El Dorado’s art teacher and main organizer.

Special guest Chelsea Clinton kicked off the project last year and returned to see the finished pieces.

Holding private one on one conversations with each artists, they spoke of what could be done to spread the message of protecting the environment,

“I just talked to her about the importance of raising awareness with sensitive topics such as this one. She completely agreed with me, she said it was important to raise awareness, starting with home and expanding to a broader audience,” said Kayla Holguin, a student and artist from Valle Verde Early College High School.

The artists, teachers and students hoped to remind everyone that trash can be turned into beauty, and that not everything should be just chucked away.

“There’s a lot of people who, if they have a tear in their clothing they won’t wear it again, and with that you could make something out of it instead of just throwing it away,” said Eveline Garcia from Bel Air.

“You hear artists always complaining about not having money for materials, well they’re everywhere!And I think because it’s a nontraditional material it pushed people to be more creative,” Prince said.

The contest winners will be displayed at the International Museum of Art at 1211 Montana until March 3.