Article Summary
Our 2026 Melton Cares project helped support a new Boulder landmark created for Resource Central and Eco-Cycle’s 50th anniversary celebration. We designed and installed the base for “You’re Either the Hammer or the Nail,” a 15-foot sculpture by local artist Mitch Levin made from hundreds of reclaimed hammers.
Table of Contents
- Can’t Touch This
- The Artist Behind the Hammer
- Melton’s Role
- Melton Cares and Material Responsibility
- From Sculpture to Skills
- See It This Summer
- Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t Touch This
Sorry, we had to do it—when a 15-foot hammer rises above Arapahoe Road, the title almost writes itself. This Hammer Time is less about a dance break and more about what can happen when public art, reuse, and community partnership come together.
For our 2026 Melton Cares project, we partnered with Resource Central to help support the installation of “You’re Either the Hammer or the Nail”, a public sculpture created by Boulder artist Mitch Levin of High Voltage Studio.
The sculpture was unveiled during Resource Central and Eco-Cycle’s Earth Day celebration, which marked both organizations’ 50th anniversaries. Governor Jared Polis joined the unveiling and described the installation as a celebration of art, sustainability, and Colorado’s commitment to reuse.
The piece now stands at 6400 Arapahoe Road in Boulder, at the entrance to Resource Central’s Materials Reuse facility and the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials. Resource Central notes that more than 10,000 commuters pass the site each day, making the sculpture both a landmark and a daily reminder of what reuse can look like.
The sculpture itself reflects Resource Central’s mission of reuse and conservation. The sculpture is made from more than 350 reclaimed hammers, includes more than 1,300 individual pieces, and was engineered with an 11-degree lean. Tools once used to build, repair, and improve homes now serve a new purpose as public art.
The Artist Behind the Hammer
“You’re Either the Hammer or the Nail” was created by Mitch Levin of High Voltage Studio, a Boulder artist known for sculpture and custom pieces that often incorporate found objects and recycled materials.
Levin spent more than eight years developing the project, collecting and assembling the reclaimed hammers that now make up the finished sculpture. The result is both playful and purposeful: a familiar tool transformed into a highly visible landmark that reflects Resource Central’s mission of reuse and conservation.
Melton’s Role
Our role was to design and install the base that supports the sculpture. Working alongside project partners, our team helped create the foundation that allows the artwork to stand safely and become a lasting part of the site. While visitors may focus on the hammer itself, the base is what anchors the installation and gives it a permanent home at Resource Central.
The project was selected as Melton’s 2026 Melton Cares initiative because of the strong alignment between Resource Central’s mission and our own commitment to community impact and responsible building practices.
“Through Melton Cares, our time and talent transform into projects that strengthen the communities we serve,” said Graham Steers, President & Co-Owner of Melton Design Build. “A natural choice for our 2026 Melton Cares project, Resource Central is committed to conservation, reuse, and education. Their mission reflects the values we share as a B Corp.”
That shared focus is what made the partnership such a natural fit. Resource Central helps keep usable building materials, tools, fixtures, and home goods in circulation. We work with materials every day, so supporting a sculpture made from reclaimed tools brought those worlds together in a visible and lasting way.
Melton Cares and Material Responsibility
Melton Cares is our charitable initiative focused on using our skills, resources, and partnerships to improve homes and shared spaces across the communities we serve. Each project looks a little different. Some focus on accessibility and safety. Others support public spaces and community partners.
This 2026 project with Resource Central adds another layer to that work. It connects community impact with material responsibility, two areas that are also central to our Certified B Corp commitment.
In 2025, our field and office teams recycled, reused, or diverted more than 16 tons of materials, as detailed in our 2025 Recycle Rewind. That included jobsite materials like cardboard, scrap metal, clean wood, durable plastic, porcelain, wire, cable, and electronics, along with donations of usable tools, fixtures, doors, windows, hardware, tile, and other building materials.
The hammer sculpture reflects that same mindset in a more public form. It shows how materials with a past use can still have a future purpose.
From Sculpture to Skills
The Earth Day celebration also gave people a hands-on way to think about reuse.
As part of Resource Central’s Nailed It! Workshop Series, our carpenters led a Build Your Own Planter Box workshop during the April event. Participants learned how to build a garden planter from a reclaimed wooden pallet, with tools, materials, and instruction provided.
The connection was simple and practical. Outside, a 15-foot hammer showed what reclaimed materials can become at the scale of public art. Inside the workshop, participants learned how to turn a reclaimed pallet into a functional planter box they could take home and use.
Both activities highlighted the same idea: materials that might otherwise be discarded can still have value. One became a permanent public landmark. The other became a useful project people could build themselves.
See It This Summer
The hammer sculpture is now a permanent landmark at 6400 Arapahoe Road, and Resource Central’s summer events offer more ways to support reuse.
On Saturday, July 11, Resource Central will host its Summer Tool Sale and Rock & Reuse event. The tool sale runs from 9 am to 5 pm, with Rock & Reuse activities from 10 am to 1 pm.
Visitors can shop reclaimed hand tools, power tools, construction gear, accessories, and more. The sale helps keep thousands of pounds of usable materials out of the landfill while giving quality tools a second life.
We’ll be there to support the event and celebrate Resource Central’s ongoing reuse efforts. Keep an eye out for our VW photo bus and check Resource Central’s event page for the latest details and schedule updates as July 11 approaches.
To learn more about Melton Cares and the community partnerships that make projects like this possible, visit Melton Cares.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “You’re Either the Hammer or the Nail”?
“You’re Either the Hammer or the Nail” is a 15-foot public sculpture at Resource Central and Eco-Cycle’s shared location at 6400 Arapahoe Road in Boulder. It was created from reclaimed hammers by Boulder artist Mitch Levin.
Why was the sculpture created?
The sculpture was created to commemorate Resource Central and Eco-Cycle’s 50th anniversaries and celebrate their work in reuse, recycling, conservation, and community education.
What was Melton’s role?
Melton designed and installed the base for the sculpture as our 2026 Melton Cares project. The base supports the permanent public installation at Resource Central’s Boulder site.
Who is Mitch Levin?
Mitch Levin is a Boulder artist and the founder of High Voltage Studio. His work includes sculpture, furniture art, and custom pieces made with materials such as wood, steel, glass, stone, found objects, and recycled materials.
How does this connect to Melton’s sustainability work?
The project connects to Melton’s focus on responsible material use. In 2025, Melton recycled, reused, or diverted more than 16 tons of materials from jobsites and office operations, including both recycled materials and donated items that could be used again.
How does Melton’s B Corp Certification fit in?
Melton became the first remodeler in Colorado to earn B Corp Certification in 2023 and recertified in 2026. For our team, that certification supports a broader commitment to people, community, environmental practices, and accountability in the built environment.
What was the Nailed It! Workshop with Melton?
During Resource Central’s Earth Day celebration, Melton carpenters led a DIY planter box workshop. Participants built garden planters from reclaimed wooden pallets using provided tools, materials, and instruction.
How can I get involved?
You can learn more about future community projects through Melton Cares, visit Resource Central’s Materials Reuse facility, or attend events like the July 11 Summer Tool Sale and Rock & Reuse celebration.