If you come out to the gallery in the next two weeks, in addition to the special exhibit we have running in conjecture with Claytopia, you’ll also notice a few other pieces of new art in the gallery from PoCo Paper. The name PoCo Paper comes from the word “post-consumer”, as in post-consumer waste. This type of waste is produced by the end consumer of a material stream. Put another way, it is anything you as a consumer would throw out, not what a producer or manufacturer would.

The use of post-consumer waste in art is a great way to create value out of something that has little in its current state, and to prevent the negative environmental impacts that come with using only newly created materials. PoCo Paper joins the gallery as another example of art created through the “upcycling” process. It is in good company with Yardbirds, which I have written about before.

PoCo Paper is the artistic endeavor of Anita Tosten, who creates each piece through a painstaking creative process. Living on the edge of the Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania, Anita has plenty of inspiration around for the art she creates. She sketches real trees from the forest around her home, assigns them numbers, and hand cuts and layers paper and fabric to create each tile. They are then floated in a rough-cut lumber frame. Each piece has a rustic feel to it, and her creative process guarantees the end result is a unique piece while conforming to a uniform style.

We have several shapes and colors available. Stop in and check them out soon!