Leah Korican is a visual artist who has been creating art in Oakland for many years. She has an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her work has been shown in venues around the bay including the Bedford Gallery, the Thoreau Center, and the Green City Gallery. Recently she was commissioned by Rumsey Engineers to create a site specific solar sculpture for their office.

I make solar powered sculpture out of the containers, packaging and other materials, the forgotten stuff that is so easy to find.  I was thinking of what would still be sprouting when the catastrophe of climate change hits full force. I don’t want to buy stuff to make stuff and I don’t want to trash stuff to make stuff that will become trash.  I've made a large piece for a green engineering firm out of drafting tubes and plastic cups and small ones out of pill bottles and plates. The study of nature informs my work and I make painted and drawn pieces to prepare for and better understand my sculptures.  “Why are you making sculptures out of garbage?” asks my four-year old daughter. Take instruction from bumper stickers, top ten ways, reduce, reuse .…go solar etc. They are more cheerful than I often feel. I read that hope is not a consumer product; we must create our own hope. Here’s mine; out of garbage make meaning, disposable bowls whirl into roses and spin in the sun. Something green, something petaled still growing when my kids and their kids take their turn.