It starts with a plastic bottle.
Or a scrap of paper headed for the recycling bin.
Then small hands get hold of it. There’s cutting. Tearing. Soaking. Layering. A little experimenting. Maybe a little mess. And suddenly, something ordinary becomes something completely new.
The 2026 Edward Street Children’s Art Showcase “Paper or Plastic? From Recyclables to Remarkable” launches on April 6, and this year’s theme invites us to see everyday materials differently.
Our Master Teacher, Jo Ann Borinski, is leading this year’s project and working directly in early childhood classrooms in and around Worcester, partnering with educators to guide children through papermaking and recycled sculpture activities.
Children have been transforming recycled paper and plastic bottles into colorful, textured works of art. What might look like trash to us becomes sculpture, pattern, shape, and imagination in their hands. It’s creative, it’s hands-on, and it’s full of joy.
Where The Idea Came From
This year’s project introduces two tactile art forms: handmade papermaking and sculptures created from recycled plastic bottles. The inspiration comes in part from the bold, organic glass installations of artist Dale Chihuly, whose work plays with color, movement, and shape in ways that feel almost alive. While children are not working with glass, they are exploring similar ideas using safe, familiar materials they can touch, tear, soak, bend, and build with.
There’s something powerful about watching a child realize they can turn a bottle into a blooming sculpture or pulp into handmade paper. The focus is not on perfection. It’s on discovery. At its heart, this project is about process. Asking questions. Trying something new. Feeling proud of what they made. Finding new ways to express themselves.
“Children are going through so much right now (changes in society, family stresses based on identity, homelessness, violence, hunger, etc) that they need outlets to express their emotions, thoughts, and feelings in constructive ways,” said Jo Ann. “Many times children don’t know how to verbalize their feelings so it’s important to give them the tools to help them understand and process what they are experiencing.”
More Than An Art Project
“Paper or Plastic?” is more than an art activity. It is a hands-on arts education program designed for young children and the early education professionals who support them, giving them actionable ideas to bring back to their own classrooms and help the community as a whole.
“One of my roles as Master Teacher is to give educators strategies and ideas to help support children,” Jo Ann said. “I modeled many take-aways for them to try in the classroom for both children and educator growth. The educators shared how they did similar activities with children in the past and were so excited about sharing those experiences.”
As children create, they are strengthening fine motor skills, exploring texture and sensory experiences, building early problem-solving skills, and expressing their ideas in ways that feel natural and meaningful.
“They were exposed to new vocabulary words and science concepts, such as absorption (the sponge absorbs/sucks up the water from the pulp), inside and outside (painting bottles), mixing paint colors to make other colors. They loved making brown!” Jo Ann shared.
Using recycled materials also opens the door to early conversations about sustainability. Children begin to see that everyday objects can have a second life. That something simple can become something meaningful. These lessons are introduced through exploration and play. It’s learning that feels real because it’s happening in their hands.
At the same time, educators are gaining practical strategies they can continue using long after the showcase ends.
Why This Showcase Matters
Everything about the project is designed to be inclusive and developmentally appropriate. Children of all abilities can participate fully. Activities can be adapted to support dual-language learners and children with disabilities.
“It’s amazing how focused most of the children are when they engage their creativity – some children just experience the materials while others have an idea in mind that they want to create. Working with multi-aged children (toddlers to older preschoolers), the developmental skill levels are very apparent.” said Jo Ann.
The goal is simple: every child deserves access to high quality creative experiences.
And then comes the moment that makes it all worth it.
When the showcase opens on April 6, the children’s artwork will be displayed publicly in the community. Families will walk through. Educators will point out familiar pieces. Children will search for their own creations and proudly say, “I made that.”
Seeing their work on display outside the classroom sends a powerful message. Your ideas matter. Your creativity belongs here. You are part of Worcester’s cultural story.
The Children’s Art Showcase has always been about lifting up young voices, and this year’s theme does that while also connecting art, environmental awareness, and community pride. It reminds us that artistic expression does not start later in life. It begins early. Sometimes with a soggy piece of paper. Sometimes with a cut-up bottle. Always with imagination.
When & Where
The exhibition will be on display at Printers Building Gallery, 50 Portland Street in Worcester, and can be visited Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. If you can’t make it during those hours, you can contact Toni Ostrow at or 508-792-0220 to arrange a private showing.
We hope you will join us when the 2026 Children’s Art Showcase launches on April 6. Come see what Worcester’s youngest artists have created.
You may never look at paper or plastic the same way again.
You can also check out masterpieces from our previous art shows here.
Read our blog and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for information about our annual Children’s Art Show and other early education and care programs and initiatives we support in Worcester and its surrounding communities.
This project was generously funded by a grant from the Worcester Arts Council, a local agency, which is funded by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
We are also grateful to our sponsors Ballard Trucking and Creedon and Co.