Going Green for St. Patrick’s Day

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! The day when people frolic and drink Guinness in happy green attire. The day when it’s somehow okay for people to pinch you for not wearing green (consent!) and it’s acceptable to wear every single one of your giant four leaf clover good luck charms. Oh, and it’s the day to celebrate St. Patrick if you’re Irish and/or Catholic.

In honor of this joyous occasion, I thought it would be particularly apropos to talk about going green. Don’t worry, this isn’t about to get political. I’m talking about green art, or environmentally friendly art! You might ask yourself, what is green or environmental art? Well, it all boils down to one thing. Environmental art has to somehow better the relationship and connection people have with our planet. It’s not that hard to do either!

Some people choose to make environmental art that teaches a lesson about how to treat the natural world. Think of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax or Disney and Pixar’s Wall-E. Like it or not, these two have strong lessons about saving the planet inside beautifully written and illustrated/animated books and movies. The Lorax, Wall-E, and other educational modes of art have helped many people understand the environment in new, fun, and beautiful ways. And, Wall-E has even helped to persuade a few people to use their old boots as flower pots instead of throwing them away! Hint: That’s upcycling. We’ll get to that.

Other people create art that directly helps the environment in some way. This may sound difficult, but it can be done with a lot of success, too. One artist, Jason deCaires Taylor, is a great example of someone whose art benefits the environment. He created those underwater sculptures you may have seen to help coral reef habitats thrive, an especially important task during this time when natural coral reefs are disappearing around the world. His work has even inspired other artists to look at how their art can benefit the environment, creating more environmental artists all the time.

One of the easiest ways for an artist to go green is to reuse materials so they don’t end up in landfills. When an artist repurposes old materials for new pieces, that’s called upcycling. Remember that boot planter inspired by Wall-E? Well, that’s not all you can do with your old and unwanted materials. Need ideas? An old tennis racket becomes a great embroidery board. Bottle caps turn into decorative and waterproof tabletops. Old scrap metal transforms into fantastic sculptures. Toilet paper rolls are painted and turned into bracelets. There are endlessly possibilities for these old items, and each one can help protect the environment in a small, yet substantial, way.

But that’s not all green art is. Some artists paint pictures or take photographs showing the environment in artistically beautiful ways to help people understand the importance of it. Others create dances or sing songs. More use specifically environmentally friendly materials like paints and glues. There are actually hundreds of ways people have been making green art. And the best part? It’s never too late to start making your own.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! Stay safe and stay green!