A self-proclaimed "recycling evangelist," RethinkWaste area resident and artist Harriete Estel Berman started practicing what she preaches in 1989, by changing the style of her artwork to reflect her environmental values. "My work begins with post-consumer material diverted from a destiny as trash. Revitalized from the mundane, recycled tin containers are deconstructed, cut, folded and reassembled into the extraordinary."
Berman is 
inspired by the idea of reducing waste but also by showing the inherent beauty of objects that usually end up in landfills. She worked for years perfecting a technique to flatten and cut the tin cans to get the best material for her craft. Her eye for pattern and color creates a finished work of art that rises high above its humble beginnings.
Harriete's work includes exquisite teapots, teacups, jewelry, wall pieces and installations. Some of these items have found permanent homes at such noble institutions as the Smithsonian, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of the Arts and the Jewish Museum of New York. You can see samples of her work at www.harriete-estel-berman.info.
