Bay Meadows

Maintaining conscious commitments to the environment and community is of the utmost importance to us here at Bay Meadows. This doesn’t stop with community gardens, living walls and our commitment to being bike-friendly – we’re carrying the theme through our event decor. We are thrilled to have Madeline Trait join us at our upcoming event, Peace, Love and Green on Saturday, April 12th from 11-3. Madeline will produce an art installation from aluminum cans. Aluminum Butterflies, an up-cycled art piece creates an illusion of metamorphosis through a pile of discarded aluminum cans and magically transforms into gracefully fluttering butterflies.

As a designer, what are your favorite renewable or green assets to work with?
This is hard to say as there is so much variety and a lot of it depends on what you can find which is half the fun and which can also spark a lot of inspiration. I do have to say I like a lot of materials that are easy to manipulate in organic shapes such as paper, aluminum and cardboard.

Share the inspiration and philosophy behind the Aluminum Butterflies art installation that guests will enjoy on April 12th at Peace, Love and Green:
This is actually a re-purpose of an installation I did in 2011 for the Art In Storefronts program in San Francisco. The philosophy behind the original idea, that continues on April 12th was the transformation of something that is perceived as trash into something that is innately beautiful such as butterflies, I call if trashformation.

Where might we find your work on a regular basis?
Several places actually. Like many artists I have a variety of talents and interests that take me to many different arenas for my art. You will find the majority of my work on my website: www.madelinetrait.com where I have my event work as well as illustrations and a shop where I have of all things party accessories and cake toppers which are laser cut from wood. I also have studio at Art Explosion in the Mission in San Francisco and we hold open studios twice a year. This is where you will see a lot of varied work I do versus what is on the website. Lastly I do also have an Etsy shop that is mainly all my celebration accessories as I like to call them.

Name 3 rising Bay Area arts or craft stars whose work you admire:
Courtney Cerrutti. She’s always doing interesting things.

I just discovered Wendy MacNaughton and love her work. Witty, funny and visually awesome.

Molly M has amazing geometric designs that she applies to jewelry, prints and other amazing products.

Because you also freelance as an interior designer, share 3 trends we might expect to see this spring in home design:
Modern Macrame is a huge trend right now and it is making a big comeback for the home. Definitely something cool to hang on a big empty wall you may have in your house.

Floral Patterns have never gone away but I think they are going to a be back but brighter and bolder.

Felt in many forms such as pillows, wall coverings and fabrics and other amazing products.

Just for Fun:
If I wasn’t a designer, I’d be a Travel Writer.
Currently obsessed with: Screen-printing
Best place to get inspired artistically: Hanging out with friends or walking in a park and not thinking about art.
You can find my favorite Bay Area public art in The Mission in SF. It is my neighborhood so I am a little biased, but I do love all the murals.  
If I could collaborate on a project with anyone, it’d be:  David Stark
My favorite place on earth is:  My home..wherever it may be located. It’s all about the people in it. Hawaii isn’t too bad either.
Josef Frank’s prints bring me visual joy.
3 words I’d use to describe Bay Meadows are: Community, Creative, Green

Fame x Frame Photo Contest
As we develop community, we want to see how you live or play at Bay Meadows. Share your fun lifestyle photos with our community by using #baymeadowslife. You could WIN $50 or our Grand Prize of $500 at the end of 2014 and be featured in a live pop-up gallery exhibit event.

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