Arts and Entertainment

Arboretum at Penn State hosts 'Gravity Schmavity' plastic sculpture exhibition

Displays crafted from repurposed plastic waste to open June 2

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Arboretum at Penn State invites the campus and surrounding communities to the public opening of a summer art exhibition — "Gravity Schmavity: Repurposed Plastic Sculpture by Aurora Robson" — on Saturday, June 2.

The Arboretum and the Palmer Museum of Art have commissioned artist Aurora Robson to create three outdoor sculptures from Penn State's industrial plastic waste. By refashioning discarded materials into delicate sculptures, the shapes of which evoke natural, organic forms, Robson invites viewers to consider the long-lasting impacts of plastic.

Her works will be displayed at three locations in the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens: the Overlook Pavilion, the Glass House in the Childhood's Gate Children's Garden, and the Poplar Court.

In celebration of the exhibition's opening, the Arboretum will offer fun, hands-on activities throughout the gardens from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Visitors of all ages can make crafts using recycled materials, help create a mural with plastic bottle caps, and learn about how reducing plastic waste can help the environment.

Guided tours of the gardens and sculptures will be offered at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Admission and activities are free of charge, and tour reservations are not required. 

"Gravity Schmavity" will be on exhibit at the Arboretum from June 2 through Oct. 29. The Arboretum's H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens are located at the corner of Bigler Road and Park Avenue on the University Park campus.

Support for this exhibition was provided by Diane Blanton, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Centre County Commissioners, and Penn State's Sustainability Institute, Materials Research Institute, and Solid Waste Operations.

More information about the Arboretum can be found on its website or on its Facebook page.

Last Updated June 7, 2018

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