Bringing renewal to our marginalized
neighbors and caring for the Earth through Art.
Here at the Gleaning Project, we empower our disenfranchised neighbors while caring for the environment. By using discarded objects as the raw material for intricate and evocative artwork, we bring new life to what was once deemed old and useless.
Why “Gleaning”?
Gleaning means gathering leftover crops after the hired harvesters have passed through the fields. It is a slow process in which people on the margins collect and take home whatever they can find.
The word encompasses a denial of extractive systems that leave the earth bare in their wake, a desire to help the marginalized, and the thrifty mindset at play when utilizing and making the most of every last bit of a precious resource—all concepts at the heart of what we do.
‘Lights’ - Installation commissioned by the Chelsea Music Festival, 2014; discarded plastic containers, nylon cord; 12 × 6 ft
What We Do
Gather
We gather discarded materials (used plastic bags, tea bags, aluminum foil, and the like) to make art, hiring and training underserved individuals as artist assistants.
Transform
As the discarded materials are cleaned, cut, crocheted, sewn, tied together, and transformed into art pieces, our neighbors find community, purpose, and healing.
Reinvest
All finished pieces are exhibited in a year-end art show. They’re then marketed and sold, and the proceeds are reinvested into the project, funding a new cycle of work.
Used tea bags transformed into collages
‘Collage #1’ 2019 discarded milk carton, tissue paper, tea bags, neutral ph adhesive 9 × 12 in
‘Collage #3’ 2019 discarded milk carton, tissue paper, tea bags, neutral ph adhesive 15 × 30 in
Used plastic bag as raw material
‘Rabiscos’, 2017; discarded plastic bags, 20×25 in
STAY CONNECTED
How You Can Help:
Serve as a volunteer and support various areas of execution of this project.
Bring our art into your home by purchasing our pieces.
Make a donation to help fund our next cycle.
Help promote the Gleaning Project via your networks and social media.
Our supporters:
With thanks to
Bestudio Design The Gleaning Project logo was designed by Beatriz Salvatierra
Carmita Sanchez-Fong Professor and Chairperson, Interior Design Department, Fashion Institute of Technology
Ian Torres Photographer