Definition of Recycled Art

All work displayed must be original, at least 75% recycled/re-used, produced by the exhibitor, and the artist must be present during the entire market. Our criteria for recycled is using elements that were originally manufactured and would be thrown away or recycled, if it were not for your creativity to reformat it in a manner different from its intended original use. A good criterion is that the materials you use are considered junk, or would have ended up in the landfill or recycling center if you hadn’t rescued them for art. For our purposes, materials from nature such as rocks, sticks, leaves, bones, dirt, water, etc. are not recycled.

Art Market

The Art Market consists of 85-95 vendor booths with artists selling their original recycled art.  The 2022 booth fee is $395.  Shared booths are possible.  Application for the 2022 festival open in June! Be sure you add your email to our email list as we notify people via email when applications are open.  A completed Special Event License must be a part of your application, download the form at Special Event License - Artists.

Adult Juried Art Exhibition

We're excited to offer the adult juried art exhibit as part of the 2022 festival!  Applications for the exhibit open in June of 2022 and we will let people know via email.

Student Juried Art Exhibition

Calling All Student Artists!  The Student Juried Art Exhibit takes shows recycled art made by Santa Fe area pre-schoolers through high-schoolers and will be on exhibit in the main lobby of the Santa Fe Community Convention Center during the festival.   It is free to enter, but classrooms must register HERE. 

Trash Fashion & Costume Contest

We will not have the Trash Fashion & Costume Contest in 2021. This is our compromise to be able to host the event in person as many of the Trash Fashion Show attendees are under the age of 12 and not able to get vaccinated.  We will do something new and fun on Friday night...perhaps a special "pre-shopping" gala or documentary screening. Don't worry the Trash Fashion Show and Costume Contest will return in 2022!!

Recycled Art Waste Exchange

Please click here if you have discarded items that you think a recycled-material artist would be interested in or if you are a recycled-material artist and you are looking for source materials for your art.  We'll work to connect donors and artists and to keep items out of the landfill.