Final Grant Report: Minneapolis Public Works, Innovative Waste Reduction Grant

Grantee: Art to Change the World

Project: Artistic ReUse-A-Thon (ARAT)

Report Date: 11/21/2025

1. Summary

The nonprofit grantee, Art to Change the World successfully executed the Artistic ReUse-A-Thon, a community-focused project designed to remove waste from landfills by promoting creative reuse and artistic expression. The main event on November 1st featured a large Art Supply Swap, 8 separate interactive Make-and-Take stations, and the “Mystery Trash Remix” art exhibit that highlighted 20 artists. Art to Change the World created a community event that worked to raise awareness of how plastics and other materials can live on as art. This event was supported by extensive community outreach throughout Minneapolis, the project engaged over 250 residents, diverted 2,435 lbs of material from the landfill (an 89.29% diversion rate), and effectively raised awareness about sustainable practices through hands-on, creative activities.

1. Project Recap: Objectives, Partners and Activities

Primary Objectives:

1. Divert reusable and artistic materials from the landfill.
2. Educate the community on waste reduction through creative reuse.
3. Create community engagement and participation across Minneapolis neighborhoods.
4. Provide a platform for artists to showcase work made from reclaimed materials.

Key Partners, Collaborators & Communities:

• Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling
• Reuse MN
• Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA)
• Holland Neighborhood
• Folwell Park, Loring Park, and 40th Street Park
• Other outreach correspondences were initiated in EJ neighborhood communities including NE Sheridan, Bottineau and Marshall Terrace.
• Community organizations in zip codes 55403, 55404, 55407, 55412, 55414, 55418 and 55455.

Summer 2025 (August): Community outreach at summer events including the NE Farmer’s Market, community ice cream socials (Loring Park, Folwell Park, 40th Street Park), and neighborhood festivals (Fulton Street Festival, Van Cleve Cookout).

Fall 2025 (October):Promotion via community meetings (Folwell), The Story Garden’s Pumpkin Festival, and extensive digital marketing.

Promotional & Digital Outreach From August 10th To November 1st 2025:

• Distribution of 2,000 Artistic ReUse – A – Thon designed postcards.
• Extensive coverage on the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA) website and newsletter, Mill City Times, Racket, Women’s Press, and Minneapolis Arts.
• A comprehensive social media campaign, including boosted posts and community-generated content on Facebook and Instagram.
• A video was created by community member Cassidy Schnell, showcasing the event’s impact: [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQrrGAOEXpt/](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQrrGAOEXpt/)

III. Final outcome and schedule of completed objectives and activities:

• October 24 through to November 9th: The Mystery Trash Remax Exhibit was on display at the Flux Arts Building, 2505 NE Howard St, Minneapolis, MN 55418
• November 1, 2025: The Artistic ReUse-A-Thon’s main event began at 10AM to 5PM in the evening.
• Estimated: Using a hand held counter we estimated that over 250 people turned out for the combined events.
• Engagement Activities: We added to the overall excitement of the event with a 5 questionnaire, interactive survey-dropbox, using plastic knives as a voting tool.

1. I got ideas for creating ReUse – 27
2. I am inspired to make art from Trash – 20
3. I learned something about recycling – 7
4. I will think twice before throwing things away – 20
5. I will purchase items with less packaging – 26

• Our Mystery Trash Remix – People’s Choice Award: We invited the community to spend time looking at the various artworks, reading the artist statements and voting on their favorite art work. 120 individuals voted for their favorite artwork.
• Project Photo Gallery: [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ajYIbUxUD9XAg9KwwJUja4XNIPt4tQRa](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ajYIbUxUD9XAg9KwwJUja4XNIPt4tQRa)
• Volunteerism and Grant Paid Workers: Community was also created by our Art To Change The World Artist who came out in support before, during and after the big event. They contributed a total of 85 hours in support of the ARAT events.
  • 14 Grant paid workers with an accumulation of 34 hours.
  • 15 Volunteers with an accumulation of 51 hours.

Waste Diversion & Quantitative Results:

The combined Mystery Trash Remix Art Projects, Art Supply Swap, and Make and Take Projects were weighed using a scale and tallied.

• Total Material Diverted: 2,435 lbs
• Landfill Diversion Rate: 89.29%
• Only 261 lbs of materials remained post-event, much of which has since been claimed by artists.

Materials diverted included:

• Art Supply Swap: Paint, canvases, frames, paper, tools, tiles, clay, books, glazes, yarn, fabric and craft kits and other supplies.
• Mystery Trash Remix: Single-use plastics, cardboard, fabric, bubble wrap, buttons, styrofoam, dishes, games, bottles, figurines, banana holders, placemats, luggage and more.

Food Vendor and Foods:

• Savannah Food Truck used compostable food containers and cups.
• Art To Change The World provided snacks in compostable bags

1. Successes, Challenges and Recommendations:

We saw great interest in the Artistic, ReUse- A -Thon at all of the public outreach events we attended. Our main challenge was the outcome of all our outreach work. We were happy with the 250 plus attendees, but wondered if the competition with Halloween activities, sports games and other big events diverted people away. Our outreach using 2000 postcards was extensive and diverse. Each of the 20 artists were assigned to distribute 50 cards each. The near total distribution of our postcards indicates a strong foundation for delivering similar events in the future.

Successes:

• Exceptional artist engagement with a 100% project completion rate for the exhibit.
• Strong, positive community response to hands-on Make-and-Take activities at summer and November 1st events.
• Successful partnership with local solid waste experts, adding credibility and depth to the educational component.
• The “Mystery Trash Remix” exhibit has generated continued interest, with an invitation for a follow-up exhibit at the Dow Art Gallery in January 2026. Additional exhibition opportunities will be pursued. .

Outreach Model To Expand On:

• The most effective engagement occurred at the smaller, summer events at the NE Farmer’s Market where attendees made magic wands. This model should be expanded in the future.
• Make and Take activities at neighborhood summer events. The ones we did attend produced a lot of interest.
• We also have plans to list all the artworks and art work statements on the Art to Change the World Website.
• We wanted to connect more with teaching artists and school art teachers about the ARAT project and event. Although we did get connected to some teachers through our outreach initiative, we could expand our campaign in this area.

Recommendations for Future Projects:

1. Expand Pre-Event Outreach: Double down on the successful “pop-up” Make-and-Take model at neighborhood summer events to build broader awareness.
2. Schedule Strategically: Consider holding the main event on a date with less seasonal competition.
3. Continue the Momentum: Leverage the existing “Mystery Trash” art collection for future pop-up exhibits and workshops, inviting new artists to participate.
4. Enhance Digital Legacy: Publish the artist statements and artworks from the exhibit on the Art to Change the World website to serve as a permanent inspiration and resource.

1. Conclusion

The Artistic ReUse-A-Thon successfully met and exceeded its goals, demonstrating a powerful, creative approach to waste reduction. The project not only diverted a significant amount of waste but also tangibly shifted community perspectives on consumption and creativity. Art to Change the World is committed to building upon this success and continuing to serve as a catalyst for sustainable change in the Minneapolis community. We extend our sincere gratitude to Minneapolis Public Works for its support through the Innovative Waste Reduction Grant.

Art to Change the World Project managers:

Liisa Lê  liisaleart@gmail.com , Layl McDill layl@claysquared.com

Art to Change the World Directors:

Barbara Bridges info@arttochangetheworld.org

Kelly Frankenberg Kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com