The ARTx3 Campus is launching its 2025 Delta Upcycle Challenge (D.U.C.) Project, which challenges students in grades three through 12 to create artwork from materials that would ordinarily head to the landfill.
The D.U.C. Project is a regional initiative to bring awareness to humans’ impact on the environment, tactics to minimize that impact, and share through artistic expression how communities can collaborate to create a beautiful tomorrow.
The goal of the Delta Upcycle Challenge is to encourage the younger generation to develop innovative solutions to reduce waste going to landfills and being littered, and promote a cleaner environment through an artistic lens.
“We want to encourage everyone to be mindful of the waste we produce and find creative and innovative ways to make art,” said Bethany Gere, public programs coordinator at the ARTx3 Campus. “This program is perfect for young artists who want to challenge themselves to make something beautiful and be a part of this amazing experience.”
Each creation must be made up of at least 75 percent recycled or reused materials that would be thrown into landfills.
All D.U.C. participants are invited to display their creations in a public showcase at the ARTx3 Campus on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, to coincide with Earth Day. Judges will be on hand to evaluate the entries. Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places in three categories, up to $100 for the first-place winner in the high school category.
This year’s D.U.C. Project theme is “Re-Imagined Creations.” Project prompts for the following grades are:
Third through Fifth Grade — Creature Creations: Unleash your creativity by crafting unique animal sculptures using only recycled materials. Show us your wildest, most imaginative animals, and help protect the planet by giving old objects a new purpose. Make a creature that’s fun, fierce or fantastical—let’s see what amazing animals you can create while recycling.
Sixth through Eighth Grade — A Guiding Light: Students are invited to use recycled materials to craft sculptures and artwork that shine a light on creativity and sustainability. By making good choices like recycling we can showcase how art can illuminate new ways of thinking and inspire change. Let your imagination guide you to create pieces that reflect beauty, purpose, and innovation — because through art, we can light the way to a brighter, greener future.
9th-12th Grade — Bags of Imagination: Students are invited to transform trash bags and recycled materials into striking sculptures and artwork. This contest challenges participants to see beyond the ordinary, using discarded items as tools of creativity and expression. With nothing but imagination and recycled resources, artists will bring unique visions to life, proving that even the simplest materials can inspire powerful works of art. Let your creativity soar and show us the beauty hidden within the everyday.
Registration is due by April 1, 2025. Details, rules and registration form are at on the D.U.C. page.
For more information, contact Gere at bgere@artx3.org or (870) 395-7009.
