Adam Manley

Sustainability and art can go hand in hand, especially when creating small-batch, local projects. Manley shared that when creating a piece, he emphasizes creating individual pieces, rather than mass production, and continuously repurposes scraps to create sustainable art. He stresses the importance of repurposing old materials and giving them a second life in his classes. Manley has assisted in various projects on campus at SDSU with his students- working with scrap wood and creating individually tailored designs. 

The Sustainability Champion award Manley designed was made from repurposed bronze keys and reclaimed wood. He collected old keys from the lock shop, melting them, and casting them into a leaf-shaped design. Not only were the materials repurposed- Manley made the mold from leaves found from one of SDSU’s oldest Oak Trees. The creation of the award emphasized Manley’s passion for designing unique, meaningful pieces. 

Sustainability can be implemented in any trade, and Manley has shown what a unique and significant difference it can make when sustainability is incorporated into a project.

Adam Manley has done amazing work throughout his career. If you would like to learn more about his work, check out his full website.