Janet Patterson will be creating sculptures from donated objects and materials as part of the Artists in the Window series at Yukon Artists @ Work 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

The longtime Whitehorse resident plans to receive objects and use adhesive to create interesting and engaging pieces from them. She will exhibit other works from this series, entitled Five Easy Pieces.

Her series draws its title from the well-known movie of the same name. For Patterson, though, the project speaks to the idea of our culture “being so free and easy with our things.

“We want things, buy them, tire of them, get rid of them, and often they end up in the landfill,” she said recently.

“It’s a way for me to remind people that each of those objects has a history, and there’s a story behind them, sometimes quite an extraordinary story, that’s worthy of more than being thrown in the garbage when we don’t want them anymore.”

Her plan is that over the three days she’s in the window, she will bring art supplies and glues, and start with objects that people have already given her.

She hopes other people will come by and bring more small unwanted objects for her to use.

“What I make depends on what I am given,” she said.

This art project challenges Patterson in many ways. There is the challenge of making art from whatever comes. But it has also cluttered up the artist’s studio space, which is usually fairly miminalist, with things piled upon things.

Like Patterson’s Unless exhibition of fishes made of found plastic, on display in the Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery last winter, as well as Walk with Me, her exhibition of repurposed shoes, this project comes from her concern about what we’re doing to the planet.

She welcomes people to come by and bring her five things, as long as they’re smaller than a breadbox. You can see her already-created works in the window.

Next up, see Josée Carbonneau’s new work in tanned fish skin in the window starting June 28.

The Artists in the Window series continues until July 16, but watch for artists demonstrating in the window year-round.

The Yukon Artists @ Work acknowledges the collaboration of Music Yukon’s Arts in the Park program in presenting this program.

You can hear their featured Arts in the Park musicians playing on the gallery radio when you visit, or tune in at CJUC, 92.5 FM.

The Yukon Artists @ Work Gallery is located in the blue building at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Wood Street, and is open this summer Tuesdays through Sundays.