In the May 2023 Local 20/20 Column in the Port Townsend Leader, Tracy Grisman describes the new Artist-in-Residence and Educational Program (A.I.R.E.) at the Jefferson County Transfer Station.
Not Out of Sight – Not Out of Mind
By Tracy Grisman
As a species who possesses the ability to reason, we humans still haven’t figured out how to stop creating so much non-compostable waste. In America, with a population of 330 million, people toss out an average of 5 lbs of garbage per day (hopefully 2 of those pounds being recycled.) You would think this concern would be headline news every evening. Sometimes artists take the role of the journalist to expose realities in ways that present the unexpected, leading to inquiries about processes normally taken for granted.
The new Artist-in-Residence and Educational Program (A.I.R.E.) at the Jefferson County Transfer Station is proud to announce the program’s first resident artist: Award winning, interdisciplinary artist extraordinaire and cultural innovator, Carol Rashawnna Williams. Williams will begin contemplating, mining, and manifesting art from what others have deemed “garbage” at the Jefferson County Transfer Station from June-August 2023.
Having just completed an artist-in-residence for Centrum, Carol Rashawnna Williams returns with a wealth of artistic experience of creating and exhibiting art, participating in community engaged art practices, and teaching and mentoring young artists. She noted that “A large body of my work deals with environmentalism, Pacific North West conifers, old growth trees, endangered animals and climate change”, stating she is excited about the A.I.R.E. residency as a time for experimentation. Learn more about her work at https://www.rashawnna-at-klove4art.com/.
Inspired by the AIR program in San Francisco, Recology and Glean in Portland, and the Recycling Education Center, Signal Mt, TN (Louis Mann), the A.I.R.E. program offers an opportunity for local artists to create and exhibit artworks using gleaned materials from the dumping floor or other mediums in order to bring to the forefront the issues of waste in a more creative and impactful way. The artist receives a stipend for the three-month period followed by a weekend show. For a win-win situation, the artist is encouraged to spend some of their time helping educate the public about our waste and recycling practices – whether it be by direct contact or through making educational signs, etc.
The program is currently funded by private business sponsorships and thanks to Jefferson County Solid Waste team who gave the green light for the program, provides safety vests, hard hats, two-way radios and allow the committee and artist the use of a small building on site for an art studio/office. The call for artist notification was posted on the Local 20/20 Announcements in February and March 2023 and Carol was selected and notified March 23rd 2023. The call for artist for next year’s term will be posted in February 2024.
The program also looks to develop collaboration between the artist and Transfer Station workers. How we work together and interact with each other as a community opens doors to positive change and innovative ideas. The Transfer Station team has been nothing short of kind, helpful and welcoming to the AIRE committee and we are amazed how such a small amount of front line workers handle the load of processing approximately 23,000 tons of discards per year: Not out of sight, not out of mind. Please thank them for the hard work they do. For more information about A.I.R.E., check out the website at aireatthetransferstation.com.
Tracy Grisman is an active member of the Local 20/20 Beyond Waste Action Group, serves on the Local 20/20 Council, and also is on the county SWAC (Solid Waste Advisory Committee). She also leads the A.I.R.E. program.
