Items once destined for a Wood County landfill are getting a second chance through a new artist-in-residence program at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts.
Winnsboro artist Chris Brown has been named the first artist-in-residence at WCA’s new Creative Learning Center. Through a partnership with Upper Sabine Valley Solid Waste Management, Brown will use discarded materials collected at Wood County transfer stations to create art.
“Everything you see here was headed to a landfill,” Dr. Todd Witt said while showing Brown’s first large installation during the Creative Learning Center’s recent grand opening.
The program is part of a larger conservation effort by USV to reduce the amount of material being sent to landfills.
In the past, USV primarily operated as a transfer point for discarded materials headed to the landfill. Now, materials that can be recycled or reused are being separated from the waste stream. Some of those materials generate revenue, which USV has committed to putting back into arts and recreation projects in Wood County.
The organization has adopted the slogan “Turning Waste into What Matters.”
Brown is a natural fit for the project. An assemblage artist, he uses found and unconventional objects to create three-dimensional pieces.
He also grew up around old things. Brown’s father was an antique dealer, and Brown spent years going to flea markets, antique shows and traveling to Round Top.
“I look at junk now with a different lens, so I can see something in something that no one else would be able to see, and that’s become my genius,” Brown said.
His first piece through the residency, “The Evolution of an Artist,” was created for the Creative Learning Center and unveiled during its Sept. 19 grand opening.
The sculpture begins with a school desk and includes objects representing the different types of art and instruction offered through WCA.
Not everything Brown wanted for the piece could be found at the transfer stations, so he put out a wish list asking the community for help.
“I got two guitars, a violin, a ukulele, an accordion, and an old banjo. People then started bringing more things, and I ended up getting two trombones and a trumpet. Next week, I’m getting a French horn,” Brown said.
Even though the sculpture has been unveiled, Brown doesn’t consider it finished.
“Every single one of them are going to be works in progress. As I find something that’ll go with that particular sculpture, I’ll go back and attach it somewhere and add it to the sculpture. So they’re always evolving,” Brown said.
That means someone who visits the Creative Learning Center today may see a slightly different piece when they return months from now.
Brown will spend about 25 hours a week working through the residency. Along with creating art, he will teach classes at WCA and help bring attention to ways discarded items can be reused instead of thrown away.
“I’m creating classes also at the WCA, that will raise awareness and provide information about how to recreate stuff or turn one man’s trash into another man’s art,” Brown said.
The goal is for Brown to eventually not be the only artist involved.
“What we want is for Wood County to be known for repurposed art,” Witt said.
Witt said the program could also fit into a larger effort to connect the arts throughout Wood County. More than 90 murals have already been created around the county, and the idea now is to add three-dimensional art and sculptures.
Brown said the vision includes creating an art corridor between Winnsboro and Mineola, with sculptures placed along the way and eventually in other locations around the county.
“Eventually, there will be more artists than just me creating these sculptures. But the fact that I’m doing this now, and I will be able to gather more artists and get more people on board, who want to go out to these trash stations and create art out of trash,” Brown said.
Materials recovered through the USV program will be made available to artists participating in the effort. The transfer stations will not be open to the public for scavenging.
Brown is originally from Paris and returned to East Texas in 2020, eventually making Winnsboro his home. He opened MODERN COUNTRY gallery in the Cultural Arts District in 2023 and created BLOOM, Winnsboro’s annual spring arts event.
His background also includes years in floral design. His Dallas floral design business was recognized by D Magazine and Better Homes & Gardens, and his work later took him to Portland and Los Angeles.
Brown is now preparing to move MODERN COUNTRY from its current Bowery location into the former Culture Club space. The larger location will give him room for both the gallery and a working studio.
His WCA residency is currently set for one year, but Brown said discussions are already underway about continuing the work with USV beyond that.
For Brown, the partnership benefits everyone involved.
“It’s a win-win situation for everybody. Less stuff is in the landfills. USV is protecting their investment with me because I’m making stuff happen. It also makes more people aware of who I am as an artist. It’s also great for the WCA because we’ll be doing classes at the WCA,” Brown said.
For USV, it means fewer usable items going into the landfill. For WCA, it brings a new artist and new classes to the Creative Learning Center. And for Brown, it provides plenty of material for the kind of art he already loves to make.
Now he gets to go looking for it.