We don’t even see most of the stuff that’s thrown away – its on the periphery of our vision. All four of us picked up discarded items and gave them intention again. These items once had a purpose. We are now revitalizing them into forms that can be aesthetically appreciated. We hope that our intention will make an impression on viewers and help them see ways to consider and appreciate the potential of everyday throwaway bits and pieces.

Emily Cruz

Emily Cruz is an artist born and raised in Escondido, California but moved to the Bay Area in 2009 to pursue her degree in art at San Francisco State University. While she dabbles in sculptured fiber, you can find her perusing printmaking, photography and life.

Dierdre Weinberg

Dierdre Weinberg is a painter and muralist in San Francisco and uses recycled canvases to paint on. For this show, she scraped the bottom of paint cans and palletes  and attached them to used canvases, showing the colorful and and interesting patterns that the paint itself creates. The material is not seen at all, much less as a possible artistic venture, which is what she likes – to see the overlooked or unseen and it in a new way.

Andrea Allen

The insect invasion series combines technology, biology, and geography to stimulate an aerial view of the earth. The digital laser discs represent the ocean while the land is grid-like and abstract. This series reminds us of Pangea, how approximately 300 million years ago all land was one super continent. Maybe we need to be reminded that we all are one, and that everything was/is connected. Each piece is an island, similar yet different. The scale of the insects are much too large and invasive in comparison to their surroundings. Their wings are made from the internal programming of keyboards, both delicate and detailed. This body of work came about as a playful exploration inspired by Sci-Fi “B” movies. Technology has made insects mega powerful. We have underestimated them. Insects have bee on this planet way longer than we have and are taking it back!

My process begins with an object that intrigues me. I reconceptualize the intended purpose of that object by transforming it into another. Much could be said by the discovery of self by researching the materials we surround ourselves with. Growing up in the United States with its abundance of materials and tendencies toward wastefulness has influenced my fascination with being resourceful. Art is a part of my whole being, my raison d’être. Playful and conceptual sculptures take life.

I received my degree in Fiber Art and Combined Media Sculpture from the University of Arizona, which set the foundation for learning the importance evolving relationships. Like a tapestry, everything is connected to everything else. Patterns in nature, humanity, and technology inspire me. Color, line, form, and texture are prominent design elements in my creations. My bold and colorful sculptures incorporate many different materials and processes in order to get my ideas across.

Sophie Lee

Sophie Lee uses packaging and plastic and weaves them with the idea of using them as a canvas but they become works within themselves.

This show opens Friday, January 11th 2019 with an opening reception from 5-7pm and will be on view thru March 1st 2019.

Opening November 23rd, 2018, The Reclaimed Room Gallery presents Collage & FUSE, the art of Asher and Muse. It features the works of two Bayview based artists, Lani Asher and Jes Muse. Together, they bring the hard and soft in the juxtaposition of mediums. From paper to metal and vinyl to glass, Asher and Muse find whatever materials they can use and reuse to create two and three-dimensional works of art. The Opening Reception will be Thursday, November 29th from 5-7pm. This exhibit will be on view daily through January 4th with the exception of December 25th and New Year’s Day.

Untitled, by Lani Asher

Lani Asher lives and works in San Francisco. She maintains a studio in a San Francisco industrial park alongside motorcycle and classic car repair shops and Chinese food wholesalers. Born in Los Angeles, Lani Asher attended the University of California Santa Barbara where she studied with Charles Garabedian, John McCracken, and James Turrel at the College of Creative Studies. Afterwards she moved to New York City and taught art, worked at an erotic bakery, and attended film classes at NYU and Columbia. She spent a year studying video, photography, book making, and film at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York. After living in Madrid, Spain, she landed at the San Francisco Art   Institute in the New Genres Department for graduate school. During her independent study project in Brazil she created a video examining the relationship of Brazilian Baroque art and architecture to the beauty of imperfect pearls, and transgendered Brazilian sex symbol Roberta Close. Over the years she has taught art for numerous Bay Area non profits, including teaching art to prisoners, elders, artists with disabilities, and is an online arts writer. Find her online thru laniasherart.com .

City, by Jes Muse

Jes Muse, a resident of the Bayview here in San Francisco, is a native New Yorker with BFA from the State University of New York at Purchase. Jes is a third generation artist following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Jean Cobean, and her mother, Lisa Muse. Having found a balance between the aspects of the mid-century modern shapes and forms of Jean’s sculptural stone work and the figurative forms of Lisa’s two-dimensional works, Jes creates work ranging from mid-century inspired, brutalist works to figurative three-dimensional constructions. Jes enjoys reclaiming industrial refuse like railroad spikes, horseshoes, horseshoe nails and live-edge wood from the forest floors and northern California rivers. Jes’s incorporation of railroad spikes is a tribute to her father’s work as a Track Supervisor for the commuter railroad in New York.

The main body of Jes’s work is in steel and glass. Having different cooling and heating points, steel and glass are not the most compatible mediums. The glass becomes marred by the sparks created in the act of welding and if heated too much will crack and split apart, so it is a challenge to secure the glass well enough without overheating it. Jes dabbles in many mediums and was recently inspired by the work of Bay Area duo, t.w. five, to create pieces with adhesive vinyl, in fact, you may have seen her cruising around in the Mondrian Volvo Recently.

Opening March 16th, 2018 The Reclaimed Room is excited to present WHAT IF? a group exhibition featuring the puzzling creations of three Bay Area artists whose process-based work draw attention to societal chaos and conflict. WHAT IF? artists Clint Imboden, James Shefik and Jamie Banes provoke viewers to question the reality and truths of the structures displayed before them. Although recognized for their use of everyday materials in unexpected and unusual ways, these artists’ sculptures and installations also stimulate and challenge their audiences’ preconceptions of material, purpose, and intent. This exhibition will be on view through May 11th 2018.

Crutches, by Clint Imboden

“I come to making art with the perspective of a therapist. Just as a good therapist can act as a catalyst for change in a client, good art should elicit a strong reaction from the audience, provoking them to explore the reasons why they’ve been affected.”

“I find my materials at local flea markets and estate sales. I start with the artifacts of daily living, things that most people overlook: battered globes, worn shoes, and dilapidated tools. I’m drawn to old materials because they foster purposeful imperfection in my art, an attribute that’s connected to their previous lives. I use them for their connotative, associative or narrative possibilities. My installation work is tactile and handmade; as an artist, I focus on process and on topical, issue-based content.”

“Viewing my artwork is not meant to be a passive experience; it involves reading, deciphering, taking the initiative to engage physically and psychically with text and objects. I use materials that challenge my audience to consider multiple references in order to understand the full meaning of a piece. I want people to be caught up in the experience of my work, just as I am, in making it. My goal is to have them come away from an encounter with the work knowing something new about themselves.”

Insomnia, by James Shefik

Conceptual, multidisciplinary artist James Shefik lives in Oakland. Along with making art in his studio, he is a scenic artist and scenic foreman on movie and television sets (Sense8, Thirteen Reasons Why, Steve Jobs, Big Eyes, Chasing Mavericks, and Milk, to name a few).

Primarily a sculptor, Shefik creates artwork that reveals his strong concern for the environment, for the government’s tyranny of purposeful invasion of our privacy, and social political absurdity that often accompanies concentrations of power.

His latest work employs photographic prints to mutate small transient into an almost theatrical experience. His work has been exhibited at the Aqua Art Fair in Miami, the Richmond Art Center in Richmond, CA, Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, CA, and Autobody Fine Art in Alameda, CA. Shefik was a recipient of a SF Weekly Mastermind Grant in 2011.

Nominative Determinant, by Jamie Banes

“Growing up in a blue-collar construction family, I connected with tools and materials at an early age. Exposure to the job site as a youth helped shape my interest in architecture and the ever-changing organism of the built environment. These early experiences continue to inform my work and contribute to my own sense of place and identity.”

“The built environment serves as a multilayered record of human activity, mirroring the effects of society’s needs and motives over time. The concept of structures as living entities is a natural starting point for my experiments, often stemming from themes of origin and decay within the urban landscape. The breakneck speed at which this life cycle revolves in the Bay Area underscores the socioeconomic and political issues of our time and further influences my work.”

“My process results in quirky assemblages reminiscent of childhood forts or tree house constructions in miniature. My most current work presents as a collection of eccentric architectural models and maps, wryly alluding to the seriousness of many ominous societal issues on our collective horizon. The materials I collect are typically found, bartered or bargained for in keeping with my inclination to reuse when possible.”

This upcoming show, opening Friday January 12th 2018, will feature puppets, sculpture, jewelry and furniture, all deeply crafted from 100% salvaged material. The three artists, Francesca Borgatta, Charles Foss, and Miles Epstein, each bring work with personality, humor, and a recognition that a long studio practice will always reveal new surprises. Especially when the work is assembled in a new context and new configurations.

Blue Monkey, by Francesca Borgotta

Francesca Borgotta has been building puppets since the 1970’s, having been apprenticed with Bread and Puppet Theater in New York.  Since then, she has lived a full life of dance, drama and puppetry.  She comes to the Reclaimed Room from the East Bay, where she works at the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse.

“To make my artwork, I look for recycled materials. I bind random things together, say a crab’s shell and an insect husk. Then I add new things until they appear as a single configuration, a form which needs completion. I like puppets because each one has a name and a story, and is meant to be manipulated.”

Wooden Tablet, by Francesca Borgata

“At the Reclaimed Room, I will present each puppet with bits of dialogue to indicate the story. The wall hangings include a set of tablets describing these five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. I started these in 2015 when I was studying Chinese traditional medicine where each element is assigned a color, a season, an emotion, and other qualities. To understand this interaction, I gathered objects in that material and arranged them on a plywood panel.”

“I am very happy to be showing my work in the Reclaimed Room. This wide open space celebrates both the aesthetic beauty and practical value of recycled materials. Artists are encouraged to work together to plan their show, and explore possibilities for collaboration, to generate a much-needed sense of community. Hopefully, through our artwork, we can encourage a sense of ecological awareness.”  fborgotta@puppetfigures.com

Crystalline Spheres, by Charles Foss, aka c.H.u.K.

Charles Foss, also known as c.H.u.K, brings to the gallery work from his “Landfill Interception Project”, specifically his “Fauna” series. From his website freektures.com: “..an exploration of inanimate evolutionary improbabilities, using common everyday items which have been deemed useless, cast aside, and abandoned.” Originally from Maine, Charles has been a toy maker, prop fabricator, performance artist, part of a circus crew, a magicians assistant and a scary clown pie maker (among other things!) Currently he is creating “Funky Found Flora” and “Decolletorations ~ talismans created with magical parts and pieces we step on every day.”

Miles Epstein

Miles Epstein uses salvage materials and simple tooling to design and build art and other useful objects. His work ranges from furniture, sculpture and installation and uses paper, metal, cork and concrete. By allowing the qualities of his materials to drive many design decisions, Miles’ work is sometimes unpredictable and often quirky. The work is often very labor intensive but strives to appear natural, even relaxed.

For this show he says: “I’m revisiting the west-facing windows in the gallery, working with two new materials for me: clear acrylic sheets and colored, tumbled glass. By gluing the glass to the sheets with two-part epoxy I hope to create a hybrid visual experience, combining elements of graphic design, stained glass and painting. The process is exacting and fussy but has great potential for beauty. I am also bringing to the floor of the gallery a new collection of cafe style tables built primarily from cardboard and cork. The cardboard comes from salvaged bicycle boxes, and the cork is a mixture of reused  rolled cork sheeting and recycled wine corks. These materials are very familiar to me and I’ve been using them in furniture work for over 12 years. But they still amaze me with their resilience, strength-to-weight ratio, and their subtle color palette.

Cork Cafe Tables, by Miles Epstein

This is a group show honoring the tradition of gathering around the table among friends and socially producing art for pleasure. It will feature multiple mosaic artists, metal sculptures, craft jewelry, knitted critters, crochet, cast paper, glass tableware and original lighting designs, all sourced from reused materials. We open this show on November 17th from 5-7pm and it will run through January 5th 2018.

Dana Albany

“From the very grandest scale to the very minute, my artwork is a medley of recycled and discarded materials. I enjoy working alone, as well as collaborating amongst many! Gathering together with fellow artists has been a meeting ground of genuine support and swirling creativity. It has taken me out of my darkest moments, inspired me, and brought depth to my art, that left alone would not have arisen.”

Haideen Anderson

Haideen Anderson works with a variety of materials in her sculptures but focuses mainly on paper-casting for mask-making and mild steel for nature and dream influenced sculptures. With both the masks and the metal, she is interested on exploring pairs of opposites and the healing potential in art.

The masks that she makes are from reused materials – paper grocery bags for the casting with the surface collaged on with out-of-date calendars, old magazines, cigarette packages, etc. Much of the metal she uses is also made from scraps. In a few sculptures this is obvious. They are constructed from car parts, door knobs, cake pans and other recognizable objects.

She is glad to be part of Reclaimed Room’s exhibit “for the LOVE of ART” with so many artists who are a part of the Art Nite gatherings. Making art is often such a solitary activity. Coming together, each person with their own project to work on, balances the lone time. Old friendships are strengthened and new ones are formed on Art Nite. The atmosphere is warm and supportive. Love of creativity is the unifying force.

Art Nite participants,clockwise starting from the top left corner: Angel Gurgovits, Chula Camp,         Haideen Anderson, Dana Albany, Aaron Harlan, Dave Hasse and his mother, Kathleen Hasse.

Chicken Wire-Glass Platter by Lauren Becker of Recycled Glassworks

Lauren Becker can occasionally be found at the yard (B R) sorting re-usable window glass and shelves for her work. The up cycling process involves cutting the glass to size and a kiln firing that softens the glass just enough to render it flexible. In this state it can be embossed with design from below, enhancing the aquatic virtues of glass and the natural aqua tint present in plate-glass. An extensive line of functional tableware with dishes, bowls and serving pieces has evolved in a wide variety of sizes. Currently working through a pile of glass display shelves from See’s Candy warehouse in Daly City, Recycled Glassworks has been diverting plate glass from Bay Area landfill since 1996. More info on her work can be found at recycledglassworks.com

Chula Camp

“I am a self-taught jewelry designer and work with traditional and uncommon materials. Every collection is designed and hand-made be me one at a time. I work in a tiny art studio in the historic Dogpatch District near the central waterfront in San Francisco. I have been designing wire and glass jewelry since 2003. In 2010 I entered my first competition in the recycled category and won. The excitement of winning inspired me to explore more options of designing jewelry with broken, found or discarded trash.”

“It’s been almost a decade since the recycling design challenge. Since then I have rescued over 48 different waste items and made many pieces into reclaimed and wearable art. Some of these rescued items have included chop stick rests, retired traffic signal lenses, key hole covers, chandelier crystals, bullet casings, champagne boxes, calendars, credit card tape cores, buttons, quilter’s scraps and vintage spools..”

“I love sketching new ideas and discovering the value in what others may consider junk. Creating new jewelry from broken, found and discarded objects fulfills my current creative instinct. There is no such thing as away. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.”

Kat Pk Delurgio

“When I rediscovered crochet in 2013 there was an ‘A-ha’ moment. I was bed ridden in post-trauma-recovery, and this act of crocheting was Good Medicine. It tickles both sides of my brain as the process blends the sensual aspects (texture, color, visual aesthetics) and thinky-thinky (math & structural engineering.) The first hook I used was MacGuyver’ed from a chopstick, duct tape and a paper clip. About 95% of my materials are secondhand scores. I enjoy experimenting with non-conventional materials and find great inspiration while Crafternooning with friends!”

Sconce designed by Michael Donnelly

Mike was drawn to shadows and light, natural forms, and dumpster diving at an early age. These influences are ever present in his work with lamps and light fixtures.

Michael Donnelly with Dana Albany at Burning Man 2017

Angel Gurgovits

Angel Gurgovits has been a recycler her whole life.  She has worked at Building REsources for 13 years and counting, the last two years also curating the Reclaimed Room Gallery as well. She began to make mosaic art with Dana Albany back in 2010 and the advent of Art Nite was born. The duo was joined by others and they collaborated on many great projects together, including the Youth Educational Spacecraft which toured Maker’s Fair , Burning Man and Las Vegas in 2013.

Youth Educational Spacecraft, designed by Dana Albany

“Learning how to mosaic really changed and enriched my life. I feel like I can recycle anything into something beautiful with just a little glass and glue. My favorite projects now also include functional light fixtures,  and each day I am inspired to make more!”

Marble Lamp, by Angel Gurgovits

Anne Jatta

“I love knitting. Since I learned to knit in 1st grade (in Denmark), knitting has been a big part of my life. I can never just sit, must have needles in my hands. These creatures, composed of re-used materials, have been so much fun to make.”

Ady Larsen

“I think of mosaic as life! When life falls apart (and our dishes) we have the option to transform the results. We pick up the pieces and glue them back together, allowing the unlimited possibility of fun colors to reflect the beauty in our world.”

Pauline Tolman, adding some touches to Dana Albany’s Tara Mechani

Pauline Tolman is a San Francisco artist best known for her large scale sculpture and architectural installations. She has achieved three major public commissions as well as a number of site specific commissions. She also enjoys figurative bronze work. During the pour for one such sculpture she was fascinated by the “splash,” the over pour of bronze into the surrounding sand. The very raw, primal forms created by this splash are the core and inspiration for the wall charms displayed here.

Bronze “Splash” Wall Charm by Pauline Tolman

“All of us who are in this show have spent time at the table, collaborating on something together and enjoying each others company whilst doing so. We have formed a strong bond with one another and continue to work together as often as we can. It is with great pleasure that we present this show, for the LOVE of ART.”