By Lookout Staff

June 25, 2021 -- In a fitting match, one of the most recycled materials -- cardboard -- will find a pop-up home next month on the Third Street Promenade, where it will be showcased as a medium for art.

Cardboard City rocket costume (Courtesy reDiscover

“Cardboard City,” an innovative, pop-up community art center, will turn a 10,000 square foot space into a showcase for large scale cardboard sculptures and architectural models. Between July 8 and August 29, as many as 102,000 visitors can take in shows by artists-in-residence who specialize a medium gaining widespread popularity. The venue will offer free family art activities that introduce youth and adults to cardboard crafting techniques, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) one of the center's sponsors announced ths week. The center also will offer a schedule of fee-based classes for youth and adults and a Cardboard City Shop "selling tools and materials so families can make cardboard art at home."

"The space will highlight fun, unique, family-friendly cardboard sculptures including a 'wow factor' installation facing onto the Promenade," Downtown officials said.

Co-sponsored by reDiscover Center and Starpoint Properties, the free public art gallery "will present inspirational cardboard sculptures by local artists and sponsoring architecture and design firms."

reDiscover will sponsor between eight and 25 artists’ residencies that support "local and nationally prominent artists working in cardboard."

The fee-based classes --which teach youth advanced cardboard forming skills -- can accommodate 1,500 students ages eight and older.

reDiscover is also partnering with P.S. Arts, a leading art education non-profit, to create a 10-week curriculum for 4th and 5th graders on cardboard art and engineering.

Cardboard City is available for private daytime and evening events of up to 200 people.

Cardboard City will be open Thursday through Sunday noon to 6 p.m. There will be a grand opening ceremony on Thursday, July 8 at noon.