One person’s trash is an artist’s next masterpiece.

Recycling gets center stage at Truckee art galleries.  Not that using recycled materials is a new concept for artists.  For years, artists have been using reclaimed wood and all kinds of discarded scraps in their creations.

Many of the old, retired materials add immeasurable value to both the artist and buyer. The integration of an area’s culture and history into an artistic composition creates an enduring and authentic “green piece of art”.

To draw attention to the importance of recycling, re-using and re-purposing, you can find several pieces of art created by Truckee artisans such as Greg Von Loon at Riverside Studios in downtown Truckee.

Born in 1963 in Duluth, Minnesota, and raised in the Philadelphia area, Greg Van Loon started drawing when he was 4 years old. Greg continued his art through middle and high school and was blessed with great art teachers who inspired him to follow his passion to the Art Institute of Philadelphia where he studied graphic design. There, he fell in love with painting and developed his own style that still influences his work today. Greg moved to San Francisco in 1989 to pursue his career in art and in 1999 moved to Truckee.

Greg’s work has been featured in Moonshine Ink, the Sierra Sun, and he has participated in numerous art shows including exhibits at the Truckee Community Center, Riverside Studios, Squaw Valley and Reno. Greg continues to thrive as an artist and a father, soaks in the daily beauty of the Sierra mountains, and this is reflected in his art today.

Greg discusses his latest Music Series artwork –

“I wanted to combine my love of music with my love of art. Someone once asked Jerry Garcia about his musical influences, and he replied ‘You got a couple hours?’ I feel the same way about music. I continue to make music a part of my life by bringing it into my art, my other passion- the other woman.”  Greg Van Loon