Hillsborough County FL : Junk Reimagined as Yard Art

Give new life and pizzazz into those unwanted items and materials in your house or garage by participating in the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County 2018 Recycled Yard Art Project.

Twice each a year, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County sponsors a Recycled Yard Art Contest, one at the Hillsborough County Fair and one at the Florida State Fair in Tampa. Entries are now being accepted for the contest at the State Fair, which runs from Feb. 8 until Feb. 19.

The deadline to submit the entry form is Jan. 14.

See Contest RulesDownload Entry Form

The Recycled Yard Art Project features two- and three-dimensional art created from items already used for their original purpose. The goal of the competition is to increase environmental awareness and encourage reusing or recycling discarded materials into yard art.

The contest consists of four categories: Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and Adult. Entries can be submitted by individuals and groups. Under the rules, all Hillsborough County residents are eligible to compete, except members of the judging committee.

First-place awards will be given to individual and/or group entries. The winners will be formally announced on Feb. 19, and their work will be displayed at the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County office in Seffner for one month.

Past winners of the event include: the Minion Mermaid, a whimsical 4-by-2-foot sculpture fashioned from scrap metal, including a Freon tank (body), curly metal trimmings (hair), and thin sheet metal slivers (scales on the tail; and a birdhouse crafted from tree branches, paper and a Christmas ornament.

Interested contestants must meet several criteria, include submitting two- or three-dimensional art and kinetic sculptures that weigh no more than 40-pounds and are mostly made of recycled or recyclable materials. There also are rules regarding how entries are to be delivered and picked up.

For more information, contact Lisa Meredith, the Extension Service's Compost, School & Community Garden Program coordinator, at [phone], extension 54146; or at [e-mail].

Photo Information: Andy Hamilton won the People's Choice Award with his Minion Mermaid, fashioned with a Freon tank, pie pans, and pieces of metal.