Dumpster Divers swimming into mainstream

It's been a while since we caught up with the latest goings-on of Philly's Dumpster Divers, the collective of artists who make cool stuff out of found objects and other throwaway elements. You may recall their previous awards banquets,  the first South Street gallery,  the second South Street gallery and other endeavors.

Partially, the lack of E2P coverage is because we just weren't posting as frequently in 2012. But another factor is that this "fringe" group of "offbeat" creative types has, over the past few years, been mainstreamed.

Not that the artists have changed their attitude or output - rather, society seems to finally be catching up with the Divers. This is evident in the title of their newest exhibition, which opens tomorrow and runs through Feb. 10th: "Upcycling Trash to Treasure." All along the Divers thought they were just creating fun and/or useful objets d'art out of trash - turns out they were "upcycling!"

To go along with the trendy term, the blurb on the site of the Main Line Unitarian Church (816 South Valley Forge Road, Devon) which is hosting the show, explains that "the environmental impact of reused materials is

'Ecologically Correct,' but it is through their diverse visions that the Dumpster Divers make a large impact. Transformation of society's trash to create meaning and beauty is achieved through the eyes of these artists. Their artwork is as diverse as the group and materials used, all of it engaging, often playful, sometimes political, ironic, and definitely captivating!"

Can't really argue with that. If you didn't get a chance to stroll through their previous galleries or shows, might be worth a jaunt out to Devon. There's a public reception tomorrow (Jan. 5) from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m featuring

talks from the artists. Regular gallery hours are 9:00 to 4:30 Mon thru Fri and 9:00 to 2:00 on Sunday. You can find more info at www.mluc.org.