Search Results for: wellesley dump art

Creative spirit recycled at Wellesley Dump Art day

September 12, 2016 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

Sometimes a trip to the dump is just a trip to the dump. And sometimes there’s an art project titled “Wellesley Dump Art” going on in the Give and Take area. With permission from the RDF, I got all artsy over the weekend and had great luck in getting the dump-going community to join in on my flight of fancy.

The idea behind “Wellesley Dump Art” was simple: to create still-life arrangements on-site at the RDF using exclusively items that came into the Give-and-Take area and flowers from my yard. I then photographed the completed arrangements. The next part of “Wellesley Dump Art” is to frame and exhibit some of the photos in a to-be-determined space in town. The project was part temporary installation, part performance art, and part photography shoot. It was community participation, cool tunes in the air, and a sense of fun. There were strange looks, some nervous laughter, and requests to take some of the props home (the answer: but of course!).

#Wellesley MA dump #art day #recycling #creativity

A video posted by theswellesleyreport (@theswellesleyreport) on Sep 12, 2016 at 12:01pm PDT

The next part of the project is to frame and exhibit some of the photos in a to-be-determined space in town.

Thanks, Wellesley, for not only encouraging my eccentricities, but allowing me space to indulge them. And thanks to the Wellesley Cultural Council for funding this effort.

Here are some pics of what came of it all:

Wellesley Dump Art day — “Alcohol is the root of all evil,” by Tom Ankermann.

"Simplicity," by artist who wished to remain anonymous. — “Simplicity,” by artist who wished to remain anonymous.

"The hangover," by Deborah Brown — “A Bit Disheveled,” by Deborah Brown

The Kiss and Cry area, where artists unwound after the hard work of creating.

The WHS football team stopped by to help out the RDF volunteers with some heavy work. They weren't too busy to pose for a pic. I handed out a zinnia to each. Some wore them in their hair, some held them in their hands, or their teeth. — The WHS football team stopped by to help out the RDF volunteers with some heavy work. They weren’t too busy to pose for a pic. I handed out a zinnia to each. Some wore them in their hair, some held them in their hands, or their teeth.

Thanks, RDF volunteers, for all your help.

Wellesley Dump Art installation coming to RDF on Saturday

September 9, 2016 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

After you deal with your recyclables, stop by the RDF’s Give and Take area and check out Wellesley Dump Art, a one-day installation project put together as a bit of fun by Deborah Brown, co-blogger at The Swellesley Report, with permission from the RDF.

The idea is simple: to create still-life arrangements on-site at the RDF using exclusively items that come into the Give-and-Take area and plant material found at the RDF (and maybe some flowers from my yard). The arrangements will be photographed and later framed and exhibited in a to-be-determined space in town.

I’ll be there 8:00am – 11:00am, doing my thing. The curious and willing of all ages are encouraged to participate. It will be easy and fun. Just grab a few things you see that catch your eye, arrange them on a table, still-life style, and I’ll snap a photo. Can’t wait to see what the kids who stop by will come up with.

Here are a couple shots of what I’ve come up with lately:

Wellesley gardens, still life — Still life with hosta, false indigo, garlic, and greeting card. The vase, card, and table covering are from the Wellesley dump Give and Take area.

Wellesley Dump, Work hard — A found still life, outside the Give and Take shed.

All rustic beauty, arranged just so. I stalked the sunlight all day to get the right shot with no shadow interplay nonsense. — Vase, table, and picture from the dump. Flowers from my yard.

Art supplies being collected at Wellesley dump for homeless/low income artists

September 27, 2018 by admin Leave a Comment

Art supplies will be collected over the weekend of Sept. 29-30 at the Wellesley Recycling & Disposal Facility’s give-and-take area to support artists who are homeless or living on a low income.

The supplies will be collected on behalf of non-profit Common Art, which is part of a Boston-based non-denominational street ministry begun in 1999. Every Wednesday, Emmanuel Church on Newbury Street in the Back Bay donates its parish hall to provide studio space and materials for indigent artists. The artists are encouraged to put a price on their work and Common Art tries to sell it, with all proceeds going to the artist.

Needed are canvases, professional quality brushes, mats and professional frames with our without glass (9×12 or larger), acrylic and watercolor paints (no oil), watercolor and sketching paper, yarn, fabric, beads, costume jewelry, and stained glass.

Please inform the Friends of Recycling volunteer on duty at the RDF that your donation is designated for this drive.

More info: Tim Green at 781-413-1793, [email protected]

Wellesley dump’s Reusables Area to reopen

October 19, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley RDF reusables — Wellesley Reusables Area

Good news: the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility‘s Reusables Area will reopen Wed., Oct, 21, 8am – noon, for drop-off only.

Better news: starting Wed., Oct. 28, 8am – noon, the Reusables Area will reopen for “shopping.”

These are COVID times, so there are a lot of rules. Here’s the lowdown:

Step 1: Reusables Area’s hours:

The Reusables Area will be open three three days per week:
Wednesday: 8am – noon
Thursday: 8am – 3:45pm
Friday: 8am – 3:45pm

Step 2: Drop-off only at first

To start, the Reusables Area will be open only for dropping off items:
Wed., 10/21, 8am – noon
Thur., 10/22, 8am – 3:45pm
Fri., 10/23, 8am – 3:45pm
There will be no shopping (also referred to as “pick-up”) on these days.

Step 3: “Shopping” begins

Next, the Reusables Area will be open only for shopping:
Wed., 10/28, 8am – noon
Thur., 10/29, 8am – 3:45pm
Fri., 10/30, 8am – 3:45pm
There will be no drop-off on these days.

Step 4: Rotation system

Dropping off and picking up of items will be rotated each week. You can see the weekly schedule under the READ MORE tag of this post.

Step 5: Know the rules

The Reusables Area will be closed to residents on Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
A limit of 20 residents will be allowed at any time. This rule will be strictly enforced by the RDF.
Residents and volunteers must wear masks at all times.
One entrance and exit into the site will be allowed: RDF will monitor all activity.
Limited parking will be available.
A new shortened 10-minute per day shopping rule will be strictly enforced by the RDF. The area is not meant for socializing,
Acceptance of large items will be limited and the decision to accept/reject large items will be made by the volunteer captain on duty.
The drive thru ‘drop-off’ zone will be available for dropping off items only—no browsing allowed while parked in the drop-off zone
The area will likely stay open until the end of Nov./early Dec., depending on the weather.

Volunteers needed

Please contact the RDF office if you are interested in volunteering with the Wellesley Friends of Recycling: 781-235-7600 x3345.

We hear the group’s annual Yankee Swap and potluck is a great time.

Despite the rules and regs, we’re feeling joyful

Those dark corners of our garage and basement have been filling up with stuff we don’t need anymore but that is too good to throw away. Back in pre-pandemic times, that is to say 2019, we would simply bring that old side table or cast-off area rug to the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility’s Reusables Area. It was easy, there was no planning required, and we didn’t have to fuss around on Facebook and arrange a meeting with a stranger to unload our old stuff.

The Reusables Area closed for the winter last December, so our stuff has been piling up for close to a year. Now we can finally get rid of it all. And maybe pick up one or two things that catch our eye during shopping week. We admit it, there’s not a room in our house that hasn’t been “touched by the dump”. Here are a couple gems we picked up awhile back:

Wellesley RDF hours

Keep in mind that the Reusables Area’s schedule has no bearing on the rest of the RDF’s doings. You can drop off your recycling, trash, yard waste, and more at these times:

Mon. – Wed.: 7am – noon
Thur., Fri., Sat.: 7am – 3:45pm
Sun., (July 12 – November 29, 2020): 10am – 3pm

Here’s the Reusables Area’s weekly schedule:

[Read more…]

Wellesley Cultural Council grant applicants will really need to be creative this time around

October 1, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Cultural Council’s grant application process opens Oct. 1 for those who need funds to present “programs in the arts, humanities, or sciences for the cultural benefit of the people of Wellesley.” are encouraged to apply to the Wellesley Cultural Council for funding support. The deadline is Monday, Nov. 16, 2020.

The twist this year is that those applying will need to think of how to engage the public without necessarily bringing them together physically due to COVID-19 restrictions. More guidance on COVID-19 related considerations.

The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, which allocates funds to community cultural programs like the Wellesley Cultural Council.

Fun fact: Mrs. Swellesley was a 2016 recipient of a Wellesley Cultural Council grant. I called my project “Wellesley Dump Art.”

The things you hear on a yes, Wellesley front porch

September 22, 2020 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

Wellesley Historical Society plaque We de-cluttered our front porch over the summr so that we could sit out there to read and work. It’s always been a cut-through area for us, a spot where we kick off our shoes and heavy coats on our way into the house. But with all four of us at home over the summer, using the large and sunny screened-in area as a real room seemed a smart way to add living space without all the mess and expense of an actual renovation project.

What we didn’t anticipate was the choice eavesdropping opportunity this would present, not to say we’re trying to be snoops.

The porch is screened in and we’re right there, in plain sight.

Yet two people who walked by had this exchange in front of the house, taking note of the Wellesley Historical Commission plaque on the front that indicates our house is a zillion years old.

First person: “I don’t know why they have a Wellesley plaque on their house… this is NOT Wellesley.”

Second person: “They probably found it at the dump.”

OK, not a bad guess if you know the high quality of the Recycling & Disposal Facility. But yes, even though we live on the town line we are in Wellesley. Or if not, I’d be happy to pass along our escalating Wellesley tax bill to someone else four times a year.

Another expert commented: “There’s no way that house has been around since 1863” as the plaque says.

Really? Guess you didn’t see what was under the shingles when we had our roof replaced recently. Thanks, Connell Roofing, for literally keeping a roof over our heads.

The mailman drives up, and we get a good listen to the tunes he has going in his truck. Bach, Orchestral Suite No. 2 In B Minor, as it turns out, according to our Shazam music-capturing app. Later, we listen to our mailman’s work-a-day music at dinner.

Who knew we’d get such good Swellesley fodder from sitting on the front porch?

Our favorite comments, though, were of the chirp, chirp variety.

These dark-eyed junco chicks, just outside the porch above our front steps, had quite a bit to say about whether they’d be ready to fly the nest. They were.

junco chicks

How long we last on the porch into fall will largely be weather dependent given that it’s unheated. It’s going to be tough though to give up the space, and the chatter.

Wellesley gets rid of its unsavory elements

September 14, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

It was Hazardous Materials Day in Wellesley over the weekend, one of the town’s most-loved holidays. Tradition tells us that Haz Mat Day is a joyful time when residents all over town peer into the deep corners of their basements, garages, and sheds and finally get rid of all the sketchy chemical stuff that somehow ended up there.

We chose to gift the RDF with two gigantic plastic jugs of antifreeze and a couple of cans of malthion, a powerful bug killer that we reasoned could do the same to us. The malthion was an inheritance of sorts, the kind of bequest we seem to attract rather than, say, lots and lots of money. It was passed down to us from a relative whose shed we were tasked with cleaning out. From there the ancestral malthion lived in our shed for over a year until we finally felt ready to part with our share of the estate.

Here a few pics from the big day.

Wellesley RDF, Hazardous Materials Day — I joined the queue that snaked around behind the RDF office. One of the most exciting parts of Haz Mat Day is the opportunity to visit that little-known back-of-beyond part of the dump.