Tyler School of Art Hosts Alternative Art Exhibit

As sustainability week came and went, some Temple students used the week as an inspiration for new art.

Inside the Tyler School of Art, students opened the doors to a very unique art exhibit. The Fibers and Materials Studies class participated in the Alternative and Found materials art exhibit where students used all sorts of recycled or industrial products as the medium for their work.

Some students were new to the idea of using recycled materials for their art but there was no doubt that they enjoyed this unfamiliar process. Although the unfamiliar mediums were seemingly difficult, junior, Sarah Steskal said, “I actually got really into it and I think it’s good because if something can be used you might as well use it instead of something else. I think it’s just a waste.”

Artists used old glass bottles, cellophane wrap, and even traffic cones as the centerpiece for their designs. Assistant Professor of Fibers and Materials Studies class, Lori Glessner, said that several pieces used unique materials, but one stood out above the rest.

Glessner says of her student’s art that one piece came to mind when she thinks of the crazy things used.

“Well the cigarettes piece comes to mind. It’s not really crazy material but just what she had to do to just get all those cigarettes and actually pick them up and, you know, put them in a bag, store them.. It was actually quite an endeavor,” says Glessner.

Senior, Lari Bittman is one of the many students who’s work was inspired by her family and friends.

“I have a lot of close friends that smoke cigarettes and I have a lot of family members and extended family that smoke cigarettes. So I looked up the statistic and 1,200 people die a day in America from smoking cigarettes or secondhand smoke so I decided to collect 8,400 cigarettes for this piece,” said Bittman.

From cigarette butts to cellophane wrap, these artists let their true talents shine through and they certainly did not let anyone down. The students and visitors of the exhibit were proud of the work that was on display in the Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery.

“I’m really excited for them. They actually did, they did the project, they did the work, they just did everything so well. I’m really proud of them,” said Glessner of her students and their art.

 

For further information on Temple’s Sustainability Week, check out the Office of Sustainability‘s webpage.

For more information about past and future exhibits at the Tyler School of Art, check out the Exhibit webpage.