'Treasures in the Trash' at Hunter College

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Just because one person thinks something is trash doesn’t mean that it can’t still be a treasure to someone else.

That’s the thinking that helped former sanitation worker Nelson Molina create his “Treasures in the Trash” collection, a compilation of unique objects he came across during his three decades working for the New York City Department of Sanitation. Now, a special collection of the trinkets he has gathered over the years can be seen at a gallery inside Hunter College’s School of Social Work.

At the gallery some of the objects and portraits Molina found are mixed in with the contemporary work of seven New York artists, blending together to tell unique stories.

“There’s a beautiful conversation going on about body images, about what we collect, about a memory and about photos and photography and documentation,” said Arden Sherman, Director of the Hunter East Harlem Gallery.