Debra Marqusee, education coordinator at the Sioux City Art Museum, explains the steps in making a piece of art using repurposed and recycled material.
Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal
A piece of cardboard is painted to serve as the backgroud, then a design is laid out using various items. When the design is finalized, the items are then glued to the background.
SIOUX CITY | Sioux City Art Center education coordinator Debra Marqusee and education assistant Noelle Vondrak learned that owls are a hoot with children.
Marqusee and Vondrak devised a craft for last year's art camp that made use of re-purposed and recycled tin and metal materials.
"We're always doing robots with recycled materials. We wanted to do something fall-related and it just turned into an owl," Marqusee explained.
Got an old computer keyboard or cellphone lying around? Let your child take it apart to harvest pieces, which Vondrak said makes the project more fun and challenging.
"They always enjoy finding that one piece that works," she said as she sorted through a box of hooks, brackets, soup can lids and washers to find a leg for an owl. Vondrak said washers work great for the eyes.
"I think if they don't match it's even more fun," said Marqusee of the owl's body parts.
Soup can lids, nuts and bolts are some of the items used to make recycled art projects.
Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal
Step 1: Collect the following:
A piece of cardboard
Acrylic paint
Paint brush
Metallic markers
Recycled materials -- old CDs, can lids, computer parts, screws, nuts, jewelry, washers etc.
Twigs
Hot glue gun
Step 2: Paint a piece of cardboard to resemble the sky.
Step 3: Once the background is dry, add stars to the sky if you wish with a paint brush or metallic marker.
A piece of cardboard is painted to serve as the backgroud, then a design is laid out using various items.
Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal
Step 4: Practice arranging recyclable material into an owl.
Debra Marqusee, education coordinator at the Sioux City Art Museum, explains the steps in making a piece of art using repurposed and recycled material.
Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal
Step 5: Glue a twig onto the cardboard, which should be dry. This serves as a perch for your owl.
Step 6: Glue the recycled materials onto the cardboard. Start with the owl's body and then move on to the eyes, feet and beak.
The finished project -- and owl sitting on a branch, made entirely of recycled and repurposed items that normally might be thrown away.
Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal
If you go
WHAT: A wide variety of art classes for all ages and skill levels. Classes range from one-day workshops to comprehensive eight-week courses.
WHERE: Sioux City Art Center, 225 Nebraska St.
WHEN: On Saturday mornings the Art Center offers children 6-12 $5 art lessons beginning at 10:30 a.m. On Sundays families can create art and crafts together from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuition varies by project. No registration is required.
SIOUX CITY | Colors of fall generally reach their zenith this time of year in Siouxland, around the first couple of weeks of October.
Debra Marqusee, education coordinator at the Sioux City Art Museum, explains the steps in making a piece of art using repurposed and recycled material.
A piece of cardboard is painted to serve as the backgroud, then a design is laid out using various items. When the design is finalized, the items are then glued to the background.
Debra Marqusee, education coordinator at the Sioux City Art Museum, explains the steps in making a piece of art using repurposed and recycled material.
