Philadelphia Dumpster Divers transforming trash into art for more than 30 years

Philadelphia, Pa -- The Philadelphia Dumpster Divers use upcycled materials in their work. The group has been meeting monthly for 33 years.

"The group started in 1992," says Lenny Davidson, Co-Founder of the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers. "The guy who co-founded it with me, Neil Benson, he was famous for going into dumpsters." Davidson says the group was originally dubbed the "Dumpster Diners" because their first meeting took place at a diner. "There were about six of us there and we had a great time," he says. "And we said, 'well, we'll keep doing this.'" The group has grown over time. "And I love what it's become," he says. The name may have changed, but the Dumpster Divers meetings still include food, fellowship, and of course, finds. "We just bring boxes of stuff and at the meeting we go through it and take what we want," says Cole.

"Our newest member is eight years old, and you have to be invited," says Sally Willowbee, found object artist with the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers. "Everybody's so individual." Willowbee says the meetings are social, but they also "support each other." They often work together on group shows. She says she was invited to join about 20 years ago. "I am a woodworker. I made my living making kitchen cabinets and cabinetry, mostly built-ins with some furniture, so I've taken that and then added found objects to it," says Willowbee. She incorporated old sewing machine drawers on a TV stand and used glass bottles on a bookshelf she made. Willowbee says the support that people in the group have given her to "make whatever I wanted to make" has been "really important" to her. "I've met wonderful, weird people," she says.

Member, Carol Cole is one of 15 artists featured at the newly renovated Creative Philadelphia Art Gallery at City Hall. She has two works on display, including a piece called "to the point." "This is 'Made and Remade - The Art of the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers,' and this exhibition is really about imagination," says Tu Huynh, Curator of Exhibitions and Programs for Creative Philadelphia.

"Trash is stuff that people just get rid of," says Cole. "I just treat the found things as beautiful objects." She says she hopes her work, and the exhibition, "changes the way people see trash."