“Plastic Waste Blues” Art

OASIS Fine Art & Craft partnered with Earth Day Every Day (EDED) to create a public art mosaic. The theme of the mosaic is the damage caused by single use plastics.

We started the process by meeting with the East Rockingham High School Advanced Art class on October 7, 2019.  Elly Swecker, founder of EDED, presented the students with a summary of damage done by single use plastics, as well as alternatives to the plastic.  Christopher Michael, teacher of the class, and Barbara Camph, OASIS artist, asked the students to create art work representing either concept. 

The students and Mr. Michael produced fabulous, unique and imaginative pieces of art.  The students’ art work was created in October and part of November, and used by Barbara Camph and other OASIS artists as inspiration for the mosaic design.  Note that the students’ art work was displayed at OASIS Fine Art & Craft for two months.

In January 2020, the actual mosaic was started in the upstairs mezzanine of OASIS. The majority of the mosaic is art glass but also incorporates plastic waste. The mosaic was grouted and protected with a UV coating.

The mosaic is framed with a black steel frame fabricated by Excel Steel. It was installed in May 2020 on the East Market Street side of the Newman-Ruddell building with permission from the building owners, Diane and Jim Orndoff. 

– Barbara Camph, OASIS artist, Earth Day Every Day leadership team member

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In hopes of giving these creative works continued attention and impact, the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley is pleased to feature photos of Christopher Michael’s East Rockingham High School Advanced Art student pieces below.

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These works were displayed at OASIS Fine Art & Craft in April and May 2020 along with an invitational show on “Visions of a Sustainable Valley” in honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. More about “Visions of a Sustainable Valley” along with photos of the collection here.