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]

The Wellesley Cultural Council wants to hear from YOU!

The Wellesley Cultural Council (WCC), the local presence of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), is eager to learn what residents of Wellesley think of the state of their cultural lives in town. We on the WCC are conducting a survey of Wellesley residents to we can learn what sorts of programs and events in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences we might help fund that could possibly enrich the quality of your life in Wellesley. We would be very grateful if you would take just a few moments to complete this brief survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NLNM2VY. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

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

The idea behind it 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 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!).

To make it all happen, I applied to the WCC and asked for a couple hundred dollars for supplies. From there I got my approval, got the various permissions I needed from town agencies, and later turned in my receipts for reimbursement. It was easy and fun and just thinking about it again makes me want to cook up another idea. I highly recommend you unleash your inner artist, too.