Paul Schaumburg, Graves County Schools
Wednesday, May 15, 2013 10:17 am

Graves County High School’s Trash to Treasure Recycled Art Contest is an annual, school-wide competition inviting all high school students at all grade levels to make artistic creations from recycled or reused items.

The creators of the top three pieces are shown here, with their creations, in the Graves County Schools’ Performing Arts Center Gallery.

They are pictured, from left: juniors Lillie Garner and Kelsey Jackson teamed up to win the contest with "Owl." The artist-partners cut the handle off a shovel and welded on washers, cut a horseshoe in half and cut re-bar into sticks, welded on to the shovel and then welded onto a jack stand and torched the feet out. Finally, they welded on “feathers,” comprised of a cut-up metal rake.

Sophomore Ashlee Bailey finished as runner-up with "Polka-Dot Chair." She made a box and stuffed it with cardboard. She then made an extended long piece and stuck it in the back of the box for the back of the chair. Finally, she duct-taped the entire chair and painted it blue with white polka dots.

Junior Alex Bolin placed third with "Horned Mask." He took a plain, old plastic mask, covered it in aluminum, added texture with hot glue and made the teeth out of hot glue. He attached the teeth and the horns to the mask and then painted it. Finally, he added fabric over the eyes.

The event seeks to educate students and the community about the importance of creatively dealing with the planet's waste issues. The idea is to increase environmental awareness and to encourage recycling and sustainable practices at schools and throughout the community.