Looking for a way to get crafty with your trash? Search no further! Here’s a chance for you to create and display a piece of art made from reused and recycled objects around your home.
To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, local organizations are hosting an exhibition of recycled art from up to 50 artists, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 7410 Madison St.
Art submissions must be no larger than 10 inches long, tall or wide and made from at least 75% recyclable or trash materials. Art cannot include any sharp, toxic or perishable pieces and must be labeled on the back with the artist’s first and last name. Artists can be any age, but must be Forest Park residents, and can drop off submissions at the Forest Park Public Library between April 13 and 19.
The first local recycled art exhibition for Earth Day is put on by the Village of Forest Park, Forest Park Arts Alliance, Environmental Control Commission, Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) and the Forest Park Public Library.
Commissioner Michelle Melin-Rogovin, the village liaison for the art exhibit, proposed the project after becoming a certified sustainability leader through last year’s C3 program. After participating, certified leaders must host a local program to engage their communities in what they learned. For Melin-Rogovin, that was creating the recycled art exhibit, so she brought together the village’s Arts Alliance and Environmental Control Commission for advice on how to engage Forest Parkers in participating.
“What I learned in this program is that, as a society, we need to reduce and reuse items before choosing recycling because very few items advertised as recyclable actually are, or they need to be sent to a special facility to be recycled effectively,” Melin-Rogovin said. “If you’d like to learn more about this, come to the art show!”
Melin-Rogovin added that, as commissioner of Streets and Public Improvements, she’s the one on the village council who oversees recycling in Forest Park.
“I hope this program helps residents think creatively about reusing and reducing their use of recycled materials,” she said.
Learn more about contributing to the recycled art exhibit at tinyurl.com/earthdayart2026
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the size requirements for art submissions. Art must be no larger than 10 inches long, wide or tall. We apologize for the error.