Sustainable Arts

Sustainability has become an increasing interest for consumers, manufacturers and businesses of all kinds. Artists, educators, students and consumers will find information here about sustainability, methods and products that are progressive in their approaches to preservation of the environment, the alleviation of poverty and more. We hope that you will enjoy the information provided here and it inspires you to find new and innovative ways to engage in and support the arts through progressive, sustainable practices and choices.

What is Sustainability?

The Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S.A (E.P.A.) defines sustainability as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Why Sustainability?

In this multi-media age we are increasingly aware that the choices we make every day affect not only our own environment and well-being but those of people around the world. Increased awareness of environmental concerns, pollution and poverty have brought about a renaissance of back-to-the-earth awareness as well as an increasing consumer conscience about everything from organics and animal rights to labor conditions.

"We have a responsibility to sustain - if not enhance - our natural environment and our nation's economy for future generations." -Steve Johnson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

How to Participate

Sustainability engages the consumer and parties all along the supply chain from raw material to delivery in a dialogue spoken through supply and demand and driven by common concerns for the future of the planet and it's people. As we become more aware of the impact of our choices on future generations we are better able to make choices that support sustainable practices and products. This means that we all already participate in the shaping of the present and future planet through the many little choices that we make every day. This does not always mean that we need to make painful sacrifices in order to help. In many instances, sustainable products that support fair employment practices and the environment are in fact superior to the products and materials that you may already be using. Make sacrifices or indulge yourself in better, healthier art, more sustainable art. Either way you can be helping to bring about a more sustainable world.

The EPA goes on to provide this public resource of information that answers the question How can I help?

At Artinua.Org, sustainable art is any art that engages in proactive measures as an improvement upon previously acceptible materials or practices. The arts and artists can be more proactive in achieving sustainability through the reduction or elimination of negative impacts on the environment and / or people. Other progressive measures in sustainability include any art or art business choices that afford improvements in living conditions, accessibility and opportunities for previously challenged artists and their communities.

To these ends you will find that the Artinua.Org website is advertiser-supported and does not solicit or accept donations. Artinua.Org artists pay nothing for participation or publicity provided by this website and this website is hosted entirely on servers Powered by Wind and Sun.

Every adventure starts with a single forward motion. We hope that you will join us in venturing forth into the world of sustainability in the arts. You can start by making even slight changes to conserve and reduce your own use of toxic art and art business related supplies. You can join us in supporting the artistic products of challenged, emerging or underpriveleged artists. You can donate artwork for good causes (Learn More.)

Materials and Toxins in Art

Traditional fine arts pigments used by painters are often highly toxic. Despite centuries of pigment-induced toxicities that have resulted in madness and even death, these pigments continue to be in widespread use for many reasons, from color to archival quality. In addition to these better-known toxins, a host of new products are raising concerns about health impacts, especially among school children.

Here the Illinois Department of Public Health endeavors to provide a legal definition of toxic and nontoxic art supplies for use in public schools.

Here the Tennessee Department of Agriculture provides a downloadable Certified List of the Art and Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI), along with the supply designations that indicate which products are considered safe, and therefore legal, for use by students in kindergarten and grades one through six.

Tucson Arizona provides Health & Safety in the Arts, a "searchable database of health and safety information for artists."

The Chicago Artists Resource provides this helpful guide to hazards and precautions for artists involved in Intalio printmaking Intaglio Health and Safety: Overview

Visual Arts Hazards Chart. In this brief, concise pdf file (requires download and Acrobat or similar reader), the Ohio Department of Health provides a quick reference of health hazards associated with different types of art and precautions to take to avoid them.

A little planning can go a long way toward conserving existing art supplies and keeping unused art supplies out of landfills. Less toxic supplies, like some acrylic house paints, can often be donated to locations that make them available to others for use in their own renovation, art and craft projects. There are also swap and giveaway groups that allow people to share things that they would ordinarily throw away. Non toxic items may be sold on the internet or given away to neighbors, friends, workers, group homes, religious organizations, thrift stores or others. In some instances, your donation may also be tax-deductible.

A few resources:

Check with your local Habitat for Humanity Restore (in U.S. and Canada) to see if they are accepting these types of donations. Also... shop there for great ideas and values.

You can also use Earth 911's search feature to locate a paint recycling location near you (U.S.)

Additional information about paint hazards and proper disposal methods are available here.

You may also want to do a search using any search engine for a paint exchange program in your area. If you fail to find one locally there are some excellent examples of these on the internet that you could use as examples for setting up your own.

Reduce, Reuse and Recyle is now being applied to a great deal more than plastic bottles. Artists around the world have embraced these practices for centuries out of necessity. Now more artists are joining them out of a common concern for the planet and it's future. Artistic sculptures made from recycled metals and an almost infinite number of other items have become more common and afford the artista broad palette of often-free materials as well as bountiful helpings of inspiration. In addition to these more visible trends in artistic expression which often take the form of sculpture, there are many more sources being made available for unused art supplies.

Alternative Art Supplies

In addition to education about hazards, stricter laws to protect child-artists and standardized labeling, a great many innovations have been made that allow fine artists to continue to paint without the use of supplies that are highly toxic to them and others. From orange-oil based brush cleaning solvents to new resin-based mediums, there are a number of less toxic alternatives available to today's artist.
Alternative Fine Arts Supplies