Moab Arts Reuse Residency
About the Reuse Residency
Our Reuse Residency mission is to challenge today's waste-making culture by providing a unique platform for artists at the intersection of art, community, and waste systems. The Moab area is highly impacted by the tourism industry and, as a result, waste management. By facilitating artists’ direct engagement with the waste stream, our Reuse Residency encourages artists to consider their studio practice through the lens of sustainability and to thoughtfully re-assess their processes of material sourcing and waste disposal.
Through a 4 or 6 week residency, the program offers housing for visiting artists, studio space, project and community facilitation, a stipend, and access to materials at local waste disposal sites. As a component of each residency, artists provide opportunities for learning, dialog and community engagement.
Materials are provided by Canyonlands Solid Waste Authority and WabiSabi Thrift Store. The residency program is generously supported by the NEA's Grants for Arts Projects program and general operating support funding from the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. Thank you to the Moab Museum for donating admission to resident artists.
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Local Artist In Residence: Ginger Cyan
We are excited to announce that Ginger Cyan will be our Local Artist in Residence this March. Ginger is excited to bring reuse art in the form of Sidewalk Joy and Miniature Art Museums!
Ginger is deeply inspired by the potential for creativity to transform not only the materials we discard but also the spaces we walk through every day. This project of Sidewalk Joy is an exploration of this transformation: turning overlooked public spaces and discarded objects into moments of surprise, beauty, and connection. These tiny installations are meant to inspire whimsy and wonder while inviting people to pause and experience a moment of unexpected beauty in their everyday lives. This work is rooted in the belief that art can be accessible to all. In a town like Moab, where the natural landscape is the star; hope to introduce a playful counterpoint: a reminder that beauty and wonder can be found in the smallest and most unexpected places. In this project, Ginger is not just making art; she is inviting the community to see the world through a new lens: one that values sustainability, creativity, and the joy of discovery. Ginger hopes to ignite a conversation about the power of reuse and the endless possibilities for creative expression in a world full of waste.
@zeldaboden @forthelibraryof
Workshops & Events
Friday, March 7 from 4-6 p.m. - Sidewalk Joy Scavenger Hunt
Join Ginger to walk around downtown Moab and surrounding neighborhoods to locate existing Sidewalk Joy (art installations on fences, light poles, etc) and add it to a collection on a map. Meet and end at the Moab Arts Center, and after view the work of Lizzie Jones, reception starts at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 11 from 6-8 p.m. - Miniature Art Making Workshop
Ginger has been making miniature art her whole life and is excited to make some with you! Materials will be provided, some from the Recycling Center and WabiSabi to encourage reuse in our art practices.
Friday, April 4 from 5-8 p.m. - ArtWalk and Sidewalk Joy Celebration
During this month's ArtWalk, be sure to check out the map that was created in early March to see what kind of art we found and catalogued around town.
Past Artists in Residence
Each artists brings something to our community through their lens of artistic background and skills. Learn about each artist, explore their work during their residency and see some of their past work below.
Thank you to our program partners:
