by Barry “Wildman” Snyder
Almost World Renowned Food Sticker Mosaic Artist
S.O.S. Foundation (Save Our Stickers)
I ask you to pause for a moment, and think about the humble food sticker. Performing his (or her) appointed duty without complaint. Without these noble stickers our food distribution system would utterly collapse! Modern Society would simply starve to death!
And yet, once they arrive at their new home, reveling in the successful completion of their noble mission, these stickers are callously cast away, fated to some foul-smelling landfill! Is this fair? Is this right? NO! I say they deserve better. Now there is hope!
S.O.S. the Save Our Stickers Foundation provides a new home and a meaningful purpose to these unassuming stalwarts of our supermarket lifestyles. Won’t you please help? If you could find the compassion in your heart to simply peel these valiant warriors off the skins of your preferred produce and then place them, sticky side down, on a piece of notepaper (paper, not plastic) they can live as artwork, (united with thousands of fellow food stickers as part of a symbiotic visual presentation), bringing joy to young and old alike.
Please send your stickers to:
Barry “Wildman” Snyder
POB 301
Erie, CO 80516
With you there is hope!
Sincerely,
Wildman
Barry,
I’m an assignment editor for Ch. 2 here in Denver. Wondering if you would be up for doing a story with us.
Thanks Vori-PLU versus PUC! I’ll try and be more PLU correct.
In “the biz” (grocery store produce & cashiering, not art), we call them PLU stickers. Since recently moving to Japan I’ve found they have almost identical PLU stickers–at least on the plums I noticed. However, I will keep my eyes peeled (ha, ha) for foreign and interesting color chips of note.
In high school I covered the inside of my locker door with them. They might still be there, but I kind of doubt it.
Dear Barry,
Love your story. Have put the TV from 27th up on ColdMud.com and a link to this page down the bottom of mine.
Hope it goes well.
With all best wishes
Eugen Beer
I love seeing what you’ve done with the stickers. It’s great they have a use other than the landfill! Keep producing art…
Laura
Barry,
I am the woman in Oregon City, OR that has been sending you stickers for a couple of years. I work with Wendy’s cousin, Marleen. She told me about you and your sticker art and it is great! I certainly will continue to send stickers.
Marolyn
Hi Patty-
Thanks, I would love to see your art as well. My email is: barrystickerman@gmail.com. My mailing address is: POB 301, Erie CO 80516.
Stick with it
Barry
Hi,
I love your use of stickers.
I make fruit and vegetable sticker art also. Though I don’t use the stickers as color masses like you do. I make a border, sort of like a natural frame. If you send me a email address I will forward you a image.
Patty Gifford
I have conversed with the Guinness Book of World Records all time fruit sticker collector and do understand the difficulty in parting with these beauties.
Hi,
interesting art!
I’m a fruit stickers collector… so, don’t hate me… I cannot send you my stickers
Hi Barry,
I’m saving stickers for you (and so is everyone in my office). Keep up the amazing work!
Annie
Hey Barry,
You made my day ! Something funny, cute and very creative. You have proven that beauty is all round us in everything we see. I will be saving my stickers for you. I will never look at all those stickers in quite the same way ever again.
Mary Anne
Merci!
It would make the art that much more interesting to incorporate labels from around the world. Please send me your address so I can send you a SOS plaque. (Save Our Stickers). I dont know if you saw the previous post about the possibility of fruit companies going to laser, so I am in the market for as many stickers as possible.
Thanks again
Barry
Hi Barry,
We are 3 french fruit sticker collectors and we decided to donate to your foundation. We send you the next week a lot of stickers.
Hi Barry,
Love your stuff! I sometimes use “recycles” in my mixed media art. I am saving my own stickers for a single project and if I have any left over I will send them to you. Have added your site to my favourites list.
Lorraine
Hmmmmm, What about a work with the subject matter of your Dad and Jazz. Maybe you have already had that idea. I know he is proud of you and so am I.
Take care, It was GOOD to see you again.
Kari
I love you and your art! You are an amazing individual with a huge heart and a passion for what you do! I know Mark Summers “Unwrapped” show that you are in was from 2005, but I just saw it today and had to write to you! I am going to now start saving all my stickers for you and have all my family and friends do the same! This is the perfect example of “GOING Green” as this is green art – you are not wasting stickers or throwing them away – God has given you a keen eye and an awesome talent! God Bless you Barry – I love your nickname – wildman! I hope to meet you someday in Colorado – what beautiful country you live in – just adds to your inspiration! I also admire the pieces you choose to do – definitely some history and vintage thought goes into the work. You truly remind me of my uncle who died of stomach cancer in 2005 – you two could be brothers! He had a passion for cars too! Take care and l look forward to sending you my first batch of stickers! ~Darcy
I just visited your home/studio today on the Open Studios tour, and you were definitely one of my favorites!! I think your art is great, keep on doing it!!! I think it’d be cool if you printed up postcards. Your work raises awareness for a lot of people; it is a beautiful kind of joyful activism. Thanks for being you!!
Barry, I just heard about your dad from Dave Hodge…..You have my deepest sympathy. Liz
hi barry,
i literally just finished watching “unwrapped” and saw the piece on your art. and it’s amazing. i’ve always hated those stickers but now i appreciate them! and will start collecting them for you. keep up the amazing unique artwork!
i watched the unwrapped episode a few years ago,
started saving stickers, but did not know where to send them, then i moved and they may have gotten thrown away, sorry. or i have not unpacked them yet.
so, in the new house a year ago, i started over. figuring some time i would get the info, but would save them none the less, part of all my efforts to go green a little at a time.
then there it was, a chance encounter of channel surfing and “unwrapped” with the sticker art. this time i sat with pen in hand to get the info, or what i could, i wrote it down. and finally got a chance to look it up to mail you this years stickers. enjoy and keep produce-ing your great art.
I saw an interview on tv last summer when I was back stateside visiting my family (I live in Italy) and thought how it would be groovy to save the Italian stickers for you. I have been working hard to get enough so you can make a pattern at least! In fact, when I purchase fruits and vegetables I look for the ones WITH stickers on them!! I will send along what I’ve got so far, or if you prefer, I can wait to fill up a page?? Fun!!
Barry,
As an artist I love your work. As an environmentalist I am doing a piece on fruit stickers for eatdrinkbetter.com. The peice is short and is about what the numbers on fruit stickers mean. 4 digit numbers means conventionally grown (with chemicals), 5 digit numbers beginning with an 8 means genetically modified, and 5 digit numbers beginning with a 9 means organic. I will link your site. Check for the article tomorrow Aug. 5.
Great work!
Article’s done–check it out here: http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/08/04/gmos-and-the-fruit-sticker-8-is-not-great-9-is-fine/
I wrote on your blog here in April and wanted to update to let you know I have referenced you on my blog too! http://foodnetworkrecipefanclub.blogspot.com/ I am so excited to say that I have sent you my first page full of stickers now too! I also shared your info with my niece and she was so excited (she’s 6) that she started saving stickers right away and took all of them off the fruit and vegetables at grandma’s house in one sitting and was looking forward to my email with your website info to view with her mother. Thanks for all your inspiration!
Hi Barry!
I am a parent of two seven year old boys who aspire to be artists and to help keep the earth a sustainable place. I also help out at their school with an after school club called Green Team at Dillon Valley Elemtary School in Summit County. We are trying to teach children about reducing, reusing and recycling. I had seen your story in the Denver Post and we were very interested in your artwork. After today’s Green Team meeting, I thought that it would be great if we could get you to come to our school and show the Green Team your artwork and tell us about how you do it. Is that something that you do? We look forward to hearing from you.
Kim, Mark and Steven Jardim
I would consider giving a talk, I have done that before. I talk to both of my son’s schools about my artwork. I would prefer not to drive there in the bad winter weather, and more in the spring or fall.
Dear Barry,
Just visited the Blog and will see what happens here with my writing to you.
I am in Rochester, mn as you know already.
I will be sending off a package of stickers to you soon!
I have been saving organic stickers from boxes and packages since I have gotten to mn.
I want to do something with them this winter.
They are similar to the produce stickers, but do not offer much color, being that they are mostly green or black with white.
I know the ideas will flow, maybe a tree?
Any suggestions?
Jan
I am sorry, but I can’t help you with ideas, as I have trouble with them as well. Thank you for the comment, and let me know if you have started anything.