Eco-friendly art project from a UVA organization comes to Scottsville

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Some new art is coming to Scottsville and one of the pieces was created by an organization at the University of Virginia. But surprisingly, it’s not from the art department.

Write Climate, Right Climate is an environmental group that takes what most would consider trash and turns it into art. The coming project will be their third piece of recycled art.

“Every material has some value,” said Amanda Nelsen, a lecturer and artist at Write Climate, Right Climate. “But also how problematic it is to continuing to produce material that cannot be fully recycled or is not something that can go full circle, in terms of environmental footprint?”

Nelsen, her class, and others in the Charlottesville area repurposed materials for the new piece she calls Crescendo. She says the design resembles a solar eclipse, or a moment to shine. Nelsen came up with the idea but she credits much of the help to her assistant Mia Villani and interns Katie Yared and Charlie Mooz.

“Each of the buns, these rolled pieces behind me, are rolled from plastic film that people have collected. UVA students, Charlottesville high school students, as well as community members,” Nelsen said.

This repurposing of materials is exactly what brought this art to Scottsville. It was selected by the Scottsville Center for the Arts in the Natural Environment (SCAN) to be displayed downtown.

“This piece by Amanda and Write Climate really adds to that conversation of how do we create without creating more waste,” SCAN Director Erin Root said. “So, how do we use the waste we already have and utilize that to create something beautiful?”

Crescendo will be displayed in downtown Scottsville, along with other pieces, in empty storefronts closed by the pandemic.

“It really impacted our economy here in Scottsville and the thought was, ‘you know, how do we, how do we reinvigorate our streetscape without, if we don’t have the businesses here?’ And we thought the way we would do that is through art,” Root said.

SCAN wants that art to be accessible to everyone. The new exhibit will resemble a gallery or museum, but instead it will be completely open to the public. The goal is to bring vibrancy back to Scottsville.

“The community behavior is really excited about the, you know, reclaiming the windows,’ Root said. “We’re getting rid of the cobwebs, we’re showing this work that has a lot of dimension to it, and that is contributing to the streetscape.”

Write Climate, Right Climate’s project will be open Saturday 9/25 in Scottsville at the Valley Street Exhibition. There will be art, drinks, and food trucks.

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