Each year, the Kenmore Arts Show gives artists the opportunity to shine. Allied Waste Services supported the show as a 2011 Business Contributor, and sponsored a special award for artists who repurposed at least 70 percent of the materials used to create their entries.

This year, the company’s donation created a new award category called “Recycling is Beautiful.”

“Artists have long been leaders in recycling and re-purposing materials,” said Janet Prichard with Allied Waste Services. “They have mastered the art of recycling, which was the idea behind this award.”

The award was presented to local artist Kim Weers for her work “How Does Your Garden Grow?” a collage made of recycled paper.

Weers has what she calls a “backlog of ideas.” Her motivation to use re-purposed materials in art comes from multiple sources such as spending time outdoors and a childhood growing up on a farm where her parents inspired her to recycle.

“My mother was a recycler. She instilled in me an appreciation for the environment,” said Weers. Her father was a landscape architect and together, her parents’ life lessons are woven into her artwork.

The Kenmore Art Show is one of about 12 shows that Weers enters every year. Her use of recycled paper, mostly catalogs, gives her a chance to open a dialogue with others about the importance of preserving the environment.

“Using recycled material is a way of celebrating things that other people don’t want,” added Weers.

According to Allied Waste Services, the award given to Weers “helps draw attention to the fact that some of us throw away what may be another person’s inspiration.” The company believes in looking at materials in a new way. “No one group does that more beautifully than our artistic community,” added Prichard.

Allied Waste Services said that its “Recycling is Beautiful” award aligns with the mission of the nonprofit organization, the Arts of Kenmore, which coordinates the show.

“Like the Arts of Kenmore organization, Allied Waste seeks ways to enrich the local community. As Kenmore’s environmental partner, we are making a difference every day,” said Prichard. “We are pleased to acknowledge people like Kim Weers, who share our passion for preserving the environment. We encourage ways to express that environmental stewardship through art.”

The company said it will fund the award again in 2012.