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Non-Toxic Waste, 1986
Located in the Main Office building, Non-Toxic Waste is one of the first permanent community arts projects created at the Center. Artist Jeff Chapline worked with local residents and middle school students, who gathered non-toxic materials and discarded objects from Elmer area farms and arranged them in a large sand pit. 
The objects made impressions that acted as molds for poured Hydrocal plaster. The castings were created in sections to simplify installation, and the final pieces were anchored to the wall, creating a large relief mural. Materials for construction were donated by U.S. Gypsum and from local businesses. Artist Chapline wanted the student and adult participants to act like archeologists–selecting objects that would give future generations a key to the people, the lives and the objects of life in rural South Jersey in the late 20th century. A TV set, an obsolete piece of machinery, a bottle, an old shoe, a piece of rope; these were just a few of the found objects that were chosen to create this dynamic work. In using debris to create an interesting composition, the piece demonstrates that anything –even the things we throw away– can be transformed into art.
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| "Who could have imagined that the dumps of old farmyards would yield such treasure?" Ronnie Cimprich, DVM |
