Bryant Holsenbeck majored in sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. However, she has dedicated her career to making art out of trash and discarded items. She also works to help others learn how to be mindful of the waste we are generating and she provides strategies to help reduce waste and to make art from it. In her left hand (on the right side of the photo), she has an example of her upcycled art. It is a chicken made entirely of garbage she found at the beach– jokingly called her chicken of the sea. In her other hand, she is holding a plastic container that is being used by 25 Durham restaurants for “to go” orders. Your order is placed in one of these containers and you bring it back next time to be swapped out for a clean one for your order. 

Bryant was one of the founders of the Scrap Exchange in Durham, the store that trained the founders of Greensboro’s recycling/upcycling store, Reconsidered Goods. Bryant has a bubbly, upbeat, optimistic attitude that makes her fun to be around and she has a way of bringing out the inner artist in everyone. She is a participating artist who will be at the Opening Exhibition of the Beauty and the Beast Exhibit at the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art. The opening will be held on May the 4th (First Friday), from 7-9 pm. It is free and open to the public and one that you won’t want to miss.

The above photo was taken at the FedEx Global Education Center on Saturday, where Bryant was one of the featured presenters at a workshop for North Carolina educators entitled, Environmental Issues in Latin America & the Middle East. If there were a prize for North Carolinians making a positive difference regarding the environment, she would certainly be a great contender. Happy Earth Day Week, Greensboro! Happy Earth Day, Bryant!