Recycling to Create Art in Mexico: A Response to Aesthetic and Environmental Concerns By: Maria D. Leake, Ph.D.

An example of a pollution problem in the beautiful Sumidero Canyon in Mexico

Recycling materials to make accessories and to sell for profit.

An example of giving new life to old containers by a group of Mexican environmentalists.

Recycling seeds to make jewelry. This Mayan artist uses locally collected seeds to make his original creations.

Artist Alberto Ruiz’s installation of recycled and re-constructed bottle tops at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca

Click on image above to play video. Recycling used paper and leaves to make paper for printmaking and other purposes.

How could we use recycled paper and materials to create paper mache sculptures like these made in Mexico? What are your thoughts and ideas?

Creating our own example of recycled art. How do you think we can build our own custom designed piñatas using old milk cartons and used paper scraps that we have collected from our school cafeteria and classrooms? Share your ideas. Example of piñatas made by professional Mexican artists. Examples of raw materials collected on our campus.