Recycle Santa Fe: 2017 Is Biggest Show Yet

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Leila Pierpont, Author

Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival just celebrated its 18th year hosting artists from around the country to show off and sell their recycled-art creations.

The show, started by Joe Buffalo Nickels and Mark Dabelstein, has expanded tremendously from its small beginnings. The show’s coordinator, Sarah Pierpont, has greatly increased the size of the show and the number of attendees.

Many of the artists have been selling their art in the show for a long time. One returning artist, Mihwa Dawson, has been showing at the festival for approximately 15 years. She said her favorite thing about doing the show is “the connection, sharing and relationships with the other artists and customers.”

Many artists return each year because they love the experience. Lise Poulsen says her favorite thing is the show’s organization. She loves “the way that Sarah Pierpont looks after the artists.”

Her work partner Barbara Ann loves all the color, stating that it is “bright, vibrant and original.”

Pierpont has been coordinating the show since 2005. She took over when the show had fewer than 30 vendors and took place at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe. Now the show has over 80 vendors at the Santa Fe Convention Center downtown.

Pierpont is also in charge of the Recycled Fashion Show, which happens on the first night of the event. This is a fashion show where all of the clothing modeled is made out of recycled materials, putting to use the stuff that would otherwise be thrown away or recycled. “It is beautiful to see what the designers come up with in their clothing designs,” says Liza Hitt, one of the volunteers.

A student at Santa Fe High, Karina Bird, has been going to the show for as long as she can remember. She says that she enjoys “all of the art and creativity that goes into the work that the artists sell.”

The 2017 show was held from Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. Next year there the show is expected to grow even more.