JustArts & Sustainability

Grant Type

Strategic Investment

Project Status

Active

Award Period

FY2026

Awarded Amount

$10,000

Project Description

The College of Fine Arts JustArts (JA) Fellowship presents an opportunity for students to complete an art project that is individually meaningful, identifying social challenges, developing creative solutions, and bringing their projects to the U of A campus. The Campus Sustainability Fund will partner with JA to sponsor an additional fellow in the 2025-2026 cohort, Niko Sanchez, to support his sustainability-centered art project.

Niko’s project, PLAing with Trash, will examine the waste stream from U of A fabrication spaces, narrowing in on the excess of thermoplastic material (PLA) discarded from 3D printers. Using PLA collected from failed prints, prototypes, and printing waste from Catalyst Studios and the College of Engineering Design Center, Niko will host craft workshops for the campus community centered on creatively reusing this waste stream. The Campus Sustainability Fund will support Niko’s project as well as explore further ways to encourage the intersection of arts and sustainability work.

Project Outcomes

Niko established a collection system for 3D printer waste across multiple fabrication spaces. Throughout the year, he quantified 331 pounds of 3D printing waste and diverted 45 pounds of PLA into campus art projects. Twenty-one campus workshop participants repurposed PLA into art projects.

After documenting a greater-than-expected volume of waste, Niko pivoted to explore long-term waste reduction solutions through collaborations made from his project. In partnership with the College of Engineering, Niko supported the purchase of an extruder and sponsored the construction of a 3D print shredder, equipment that will allow PLA waste to be processed and reused for future 3D printing. These additions provide an ongoing and scalable solution for reducing 3D printing waste on campus.

Niko presented at the JustArts symposium, coordinated an art installation at Tucson conference, TenWest, and submitted a proposal to present at the Association for Creative Technology in Academic Libraries conference. Niko will continue to gather data and present applied solutions related to 3D printer waste produced in Maker’s Spaces.

Niko, project manager and campus sustainability fund facilitator pose with Nikos project

Department

College of Fine Arts

Project Manager

Niko Sanchez

Project Manager (secondary)

Amy Kraehe

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JustArts & Sustainability