Carmichaels Area High School art students create sculpture from reused plastic
In this recent photo, Carmichaels Area High School art students work together to create a sculpture of a rainbow trout made up entirely of reused plastic. The artwork was created for and on display during an art show at the school on May 13.
This photo shows the completed sculpture of a rainbow trout made entirely from reused plastics that was created by Carmichaels Area High School art students. The artwork was displayed at the school’s art show on May 13.
Art students at Carmichaels Area High School created a unique piece of art for an art show held at the school: a sculpture of a rainbow trout made up entirely of reused plastic.
The project came about through a grant from the Community Foundation of Greene County that the school obtained to partner with the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.
Marlynn White, art teacher at the school, said the project started last year, but couldn’t be completed when the pandemic forced virtual learning.
White said she resurrected the project this year with the new students in her Art II and Advanced Art classes. Because she had new students, she worked with them to create an entirely new design than what was initially started last year.
“After researching plastic pollution and the effects it has on the environment, specifically water, they decided to create a work of art that would be impactful and relatable to our own community,” she said.
The project took about two months to complete, involving the participation of around 15 junior and senior students. White said the fish sculpture will likely remain in the school’s cafeteria after the art show, as a reminder that reusing plastic is a better option than pollution.
Carter Swartz, a junior from Rices Landing, said his favorite part of the project was sifting through all the different plastic items to find the right colors and shapes for specific portions of the sculpture.
Swartz said he hopes the sculpture will teach people that the large amount of plastic being thrown away, often improperly, can be used for other purposes. He said the project taught him that there are more methods of art than he originally thought.
“You can use just about anything for art, so long as you have the idea for it,” he said.
The process of creating the sculpture included gluing plastic pieces onto a wooden back piece. Swartz said they used straws to outline the sculpture.
White said her classes have worked on projects with other organizations in the past and said she would love to do more partnerships in future classes.
The art show was held at the Carmichaels Area High School on May 13; along with the assemblage, other artwork created throughout the school year was on display.