Art from Scrap, Santa Barbara, CA

AFS Gallery
302 East Cota St.
Santa Barbara , CA
(805) 884-0459
artfromscrap.org

Hours vary, check website for art workshops (held most weekends), gallery, and store hours. Store is usually open Tues-Sat at 10 a.m.

Art from Scrap is a unique institution in Santa Barbara that utilizes trash, turning it into art and useful items to enhance people's lives. In addition to offering special art days for schools and the public, recycling and gardening seminars and other related events, Art from Scrap (AFS) features an art gallery with regularly featured and rotating art works. Of course there's a catch-- all the art must be made from recycled materials. Known and emerging artists have taken the challenge to become leaders in the genre, and you'll be amazed by what the imagination can create with scraps of recyclables. Art From Scrap is Santa Barbara's Environmental Education and Art Center.

Shown in photo is Nacho, an art piece created from used skateboards. The work was designed by Inga Romualdo Guzyte. "I choose old, used skateboards because I see their use as one way to recycle design or art; old skateboard designs give my sculptures character and I give them a personality," she says.

AFS Gallery is located on the 2nd Floor. Rotating shows throughout the year bring together art lovers, collectors and local artists.

Art Center is open to the public and is the place where art exploration occurs. Workshops are held and the facility is available for rent.

The Art from Scrap Reuse Store sells thousands of pounds of clean, reusable materials annually, keeping them from ending up in the Santa Barbara County landfill each year. All kinds of treasures are donated by local businesses and individuals. Items you may find for sale include paper, tape, tiles, picture frames, fabric, beads, burlap and more.

Watershed Resource Center is a facility built over the growing concerns of water quality. The center performs research and educates the local population through a variety of programs.

Santa Barbara is an art mecca in California. Art to see includes Santa Barbara Art Museum, and the colorful Chromatic Gate.