Waste Not! Carroll

Thursday, June 10, 2010

By Brandon Oland, Carroll County Times Staff Writer

Artist Sharon Gribbin-Lindemon created a turtle sculp- ture that she hopes makes viewers think green in more ways than one. The tiny turtle features a green tail and green-speckled shell. It also is made entirely of recycled materials, making it part of a green movement she said she passionately believes in. Gribbin-Lindemon, of New Windsor, is one of the artists featured in “Rejected to Perfected: Fine Art from Recyclables,” a green-inspired exhibit opening at the Carroll County Arts Center’s Tevis Arts Gallery in Westminster today. A meet-the-artists reception is scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 18. “This is our first recycled art exhibit,” Carroll Arts Center visual coordinator Susan Williamson said. “But we’ve had artists who used recyclable materials before.” Gribbin-Lindemon, an elementary school art teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools, wrote and illustrated “Do Martians Recycle?” The book, intended for elementary school-aged youths, explains to students how they can respect the environment by limiting energy use, reusing aluminum foil and recycling cereal boxes. “Do Martians Recycle?” is for sale at the Carroll Arts Center and at online retailers, including amazon.com and authorhouse.com. “I want kids to get involved in the green movement,” Gribbin-Lindemon said. “I want them to feel like they can be part of the solution.” Gribbin-Lindemon said she has used recycled materials in her works for decades. Originally she used everyday objects in her house for sculptures to save money. She’s continued doing so to embrace a more environmentally friendly way of making art. Her turtle is stuffed with about 20 plastic bags and made with mostly red and green fabric scraps woven between twine. She created it while taking an art class at last year’s Common Ground on the Hill at McDaniel College in Westminster. Gribbin-Lindemon’s sculptures are part of an exhibit featuring works made from just about every recycled material imaginable. Joy Miller, of Port Deposit, submitted a used water tank that would be suitable for use as an outdoor scarecrow. Beverly Reidinger, of Myersville, is showcasing a mixed-media tree painting with dozens of green Heineken bottle caps serving as leaves. Organizers said part of the fun of the exhibit is trying to figure out what recycled objects were used and how they were manipulated to create works of art. “Some of it is real obvious,” Carroll County Arts Council Executive Director Sandy Oxx said. “Some of it required some engineering marvels.” Gribbin-Lindemon said recycling does not have to be complicated for youths. She said most of the students she encountered while making four recent author visits to elementary schools were well aware of recycling processes and how they could do their part to improve the environment. “They need to learn that using one paper towel instead of 25 will do the trick,” she said.

IF YOU GO

What: “Rejected to Perfected: Fine Art From Recyclables”

When: Exhibit is open through Aug. 6. A meet-the-artists exhibit is set for 5:30-7:30 p.m. June 18

\Where: Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster

Admission: Free Information: www.carrollcountyartscouncil.org

Reach staff writer Brandon Oland at 410-857-7862 or brandon.oland@carrollcountytimes.com.