Justin Cote, co-owner of Flywheel Farm, is an organic farmer in Woodbury and has worked off-season at the Co-op for several years in the Produce Department. People may be surprised that Justin is also an accomplished artist. 

Having enjoyed making art since childhood, he is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and the Maine College of Art. When making art, he resists the complete, the correct, the pleasing. As such, he repeatedly cuts, covers, and connects in his collage works. Employing this counterintuitive approach of non-attachment often leads to satisfying surprises! He considers all his art as sculpture. 

As a child, Justin loved “How to Draw” books and drawing lots of cats. Now, inspired by artists such as M.C. Escher, Peter Shumann, and graffiti art, Justin has a knack for finding innovation in the overlooked. His café exhibit is made with recycled and reused materials, most of which were collected while working in Hunger Mountain Co-op’s Produce Department. 

“I enjoy making with stickers because they are designed to be seen and are sticky, meaning I never have to wait for glue to dry. I absolutely love the feel of cutting wax boxes with razor blades!” 

Problem-solving and formulating processes that can be repeated and refined are an important part of his creations, such as making a frame from cardboard for the first time. Justin’s exhibit consists of 16–20 collages ranging in size from 6” x 6” to 15” x 15”, with handmade cardboard frames.