Vancouver, WA – The 2015 Recycled Arts Festival celebrated its 10th, or “tinth,” year with more than 150 artists last weekend in Esther Short Park. To celebrate this milestone, event organizers selected a Tin Man as the official mascot of the year. However, just like in The Wizard of Oz, the festival’s Tin Man needed a heart, so artists were asked to make hearts as part of a people’s choice competition. Don La Pierre and Preston Kimsey of Vissual Stimulation in Vancouver made the favorite heart, as voted by festival-goers. Their heart was fashioned with bicycle parts and included a flashing red bike light in the center. Second place went to Craig Gurney of Bob Wahr Creations in Belfair, WA and third place was awarded to Ariel Young of Allotropy Designs in Vancouver. Another interactive feature was the Sculpture Garden. Twelve artists submitted their sculptures, and more than 1,600 visitors voted for their favorite. The top sculpture was a metal fisherman reeling in a big fish, aptly named “Steely Dan.” Tom Jackson of Real Mechanical Inc. in Portland crafted the sculpture. He also received top honors for sculpture at last year’s festival. Other top vote-getters were: • Second place: Pup Tractor, Terry Powers, Terry Powers Recycled Metal Art, Sandy, OR • Third place: Big Oily, Tom Schell, Schell & Son Metalworks, Vancouver An estimated 30,000 people attended the two-day festival, including visitors from as far away as Boston. Attendees were able to view and purchase items produced using reused and reclaimed materials. The event also featured 18 educational booths promoting recycling and reuse, plus music and other entertainment. Other attractions included the Art Car, which was painted by students from Columbia River High School and Arts of Clark County. Team Mean Machine Robotics’ engineering and designing skills captured the attention of kids and adults alike. Clark County Environmental Services organized the Recycled Arts Festival, an official event of the Portland Rose Festival, in cooperation with the city of Vancouver and Waste Connections, Inc. “We are already thinking of ways to make next year’s festival even more engaging,” said Don Benton, Environmental Services director. “It will also help reduce waste headed for landfills by showing innovative ways to recycle and reuse many ordinary products that have outlived their original uses.”