Art with a sustainable purpose

New College Lanarkshire (NCL) Art Club members are showing their work at the University of Glasgow this month, as part of a growing partnership between the two institutions around sustainability and creative education.

Art with Purpose, an exhibition by NCL's Art Club, opened to the public on 30 April at the St Andrews Building in Glasgow's West End, following a college launch on 20 April.

The project was developed in collaboration with the Waste Stories project and CR&DALL, the University of Glasgow's Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning, and was supported by the Leverhulme Trust.

Students were asked to explore how collecting practices connect to sustainability and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. What they produced wasn't what you'd call typical student work. The pieces, a mix of visual and audio, ask questions about what we keep, what we throw away, and why.

NCL student Lorna Benjamin built her piece almost entirely from materials that were heading for the bin. Bubble wrap from a classmate who'd just moved house, upholstery foam from a damaged old chair, plastic plants found on the pavement and a small bear made from tape she had to peel off to reuse.

"I thought I could use things that are problematic for the planet, the polystyrene, the plastics, and make them into something new," she said. "Get a point across about our waste, our impact, and the fact that we buy too much and throw away too much."

Fellow student Calvin Martin, who also designed the exhibition's booklet, posters, and flyer, spoke at the launch about what the collaboration had produced.

"Art with Purpose isn't just an exhibition; it's a space built on intention," he said. "Everything you see carries weight, perspective, and a voice that deserves to be heard."

Art lecturer Mia McGregor, who has led NCL's collaboration with Waste Stories since 2024, said the exhibition reflected something bigger than the finished work on the walls. She continued: "Not just for the final pieces you see on the walls, but for the sketchbooks, the conversations, the problem-solving, and the effort behind it all. It's been a joy to teach you."

Art with Purpose is on show at Level 5 Gallery, 11 Eldon Street, Glasgow, G3 6NH, until May 14. Entry is free.