'Gravity Schmavity: Repurposed Plastic Sculpture' Exhibition on Display at Arboretum

The Arboretum at Penn State invites the campus and community to the public opening of a summer art exhibition‚ "Gravity Schmavity: Repurposed Plastic Sculpture by Aurora Robson"‚ on Saturday, June 2, 2018. The exhibit will be on view through October 29. Robson is one of the artists whose work is featured in "Plastic Entanglements: Ecology, Aesthetics, Materials," on display at the Palmer Museum of Art through June 17, an exhibition that has broken attendance records for the museum.

The Arboretum and the Palmer Museum of Art have commissioned Robson to create three outdoor sculptures from Penn State's industrial plastic waste. By refashioning discarded materials into delicate sculptures whose shapes 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 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 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 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 11:00 a.m. and at 12:30 p.m. Admission and activities are free of charge, and tour reservations are not required.

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.

Image: Sculpture by Aurora Robson. Photo courtesy of the artist.