A little trashy? You bet!
Nehalem’s Trashion Show headlines annual Trash Bash
Story by Chelsea Yarnell
For the TODAY
Photos by Trav Williams, Broken Banjo Photography
Before ditching anything in the trash, think, what else could it be? Art? Decor? Statement fashion piece?
At Heart of CARTM, the organization believes the dumpster should be the last resort for waste.
Instead, it should be viewed as a valuable resource.
To inspire others to think creatively about their trash, Heart of CARTM is hosting the Trash Bash Art Festival. The festival features a Trash Tales storytelling night, Trash Art Gallery and a Trashion Show. All events will be hosted at the White Clover Grange in Nehalem from Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19.
“Heart of CARTM has over 25 years in zero waste work in Tillamook County,” said Executive Director Jessi Just. “The work that we do not only benefits our little pocket of the world, but it ripples outward with inspiration for other communities with fun and excitement about looking at waste in different ways.”
The events will kick off with the Trash Art Show opening at 5 pm on Thursday, May 16.
“We have fabulous entertainment lined up,” Just said. “We have invited some local artists who will be participating in an art slam. They will be making art, live, in front of attendees. They’ll choose material right then and there and build something awesome from waste products.”
Artwork created in the art slam will be listed in the weekend-long silent auction. Pre-made artwork on display in the gallery will also be available for purchase. A portion of sales will be donated back to Heart of CARTM. The silent auction and art gallery will be open Friday, May 17, through Sunday, May 19, from 11 am to 5 pm.
On Friday night, stories about the emotional connection between humans and their “stuff” will be told at the Trash Tales, beginning at 5 pm. Appetizers and drinks will be served.
“We all come into this world and begin producing waste at the very beginning,” Just said. “We continue to acquire waste until we go. We’ll have potentially 100 years of stuff in our lives, from clothing to furniture, and there’s an important emotional connection that comes with that.
Sometimes it’s a funny tale and sometimes it’s a heart-wrenching one.”
Capping off the festival is the Trashion Show showcasing creations made entirely from discarded material.
“It’s incredible that you can walk, move and be totally covered wearing garbage,” Just said. “It’s an effort to inspire people to think differently about waste.”
Doors for the show will open at 4 pm. A limited number of inside seats with close proximity to the runway are available for pre-purchase. Models will also walk the runway outside of the Grange Hall where no chairs will be provided.
“I really would like people to walk away from the festival inspired and hopeful,” Just said. “The larger global problem of waste can be addressed locally and in your community. We’re showing many examples of how to do that.”
The Trash Bash Art Festival is the organization’s major yearly fund-raiser, but outside of the event supporters can contribute to the group’s mission by visiting its creative reuse store in downtown Wheeler.
“The thing that sets our store apart from a regular thrift store is our attention to detail,” Just said.
“We clean and repair things, and often go one step further to reimagine the item. This means we take things apart and put things together in new ways. A lot of what you’ll see in our shop is inspiration.”
Averill Recycling and Tillamook County Solid Waste are the major sponsors of this year’s Trash Bash Art Festival. Monetary donations are also accepted on Heart of CARTM’s website:
heartofcartm.org/support.
Festival buttons are $20 and provide admission to all three festival events.
Tokens for inside seating at the Trashion Show are an additional charge. Buttons can be purchased in advance at Heart of CARTM’s Reuse store at 395C Nehalem Blvd. in Wheeler or at the door for each event. Children 12 years and younger get in free. The White Clover Grange is located at 36585 OR-53 in Nehalem. For more information, go to heartofcartm.org.