One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Which means there are tons of treasures downtown.
Take, for example, the little green (and non-biodegradable) plastic stirrers you get with your Starbucks coffee.
Daniel Lanzilotta says they cause havoc when they get into storm drains, and the nearby Saugatuck River.
So he makes them into sculptures.
That’s just one way he turns “street debris” into art. He’s got many other pieces — and they’re on view right now in the Westport Library Riverwalk (lower level) display case. Fittingly, it’s just a few steps from Starbucks.
Daniel Lanzilottsa wears one of his creations.
On Wednesday, May 31 (6:15 p.m., McManus Room) the library hosts a reception for Lanzilotta. He’ll give a talk on environmental issues at 7 p.m., followed by a discussion with Earthplace representatives.
The topic: How Westport can address and remedy some of the issues raised in his talk.
Lanzilotta is the right man for the job. An artist, environmentalist and chef, he’s seen this town from many different angles.
As a member of Celebrate Westport, he helped create the Farmers’ Market with Michel Nischan. Lanzilotta also helped design First Night Westport’s “Trashin’ Fashion” program for kids.
“My work brings consciousness into the waste stream,” Lanzilotta says.
In downtown Westport, he finds all the inspiration he needs.
(For more information, click here.)
Last New Year’s Eve’s wind and cold — along with advisories to stay off the road — sharply curtailed attendance at the 15th annual townwide celebration. Ticket sales were down a bit — but the terrible weather delivered the real devastating punch.
