The Jackson County Green Energy Park (JCGEP) was excited to host their first open house and artist competition on Saturday, April 11. JCGEP has been in existence since 2006, and prides itself on being the first and only art studio powered only by methane gas. The park extracts methane gases from the landfill located on site. Due to the methane extraction from the landfill, JCGEP has decreased pollution from entering the Tuskegee river and surrounding areas by capturing 222 tons of methane gas from escaping into the atmosphere.
The competition was conceptualized by four Western Carolina University Public Relations majors, who have been working with the park since early January. The competition catered to glassblowing and metal forging artists alike, giving each competitor a 30-minute slot to create a piece of their own original work. The event was a success and brought new artists to the park who are enthusiastic to join the JCGEP family.
