Artist Talk with Arleen Thaler: We are Plastic

Arleen Thaler, a Rochester based documentary photographer, will discuss her experience documenting plastic waste in Upstate New York with her husband, Daryl. As an artist-in-residence at Flower City Arts Center, Arleen has focused her lens on litter - plastic in particular. Sharing facts and photos, she will explore how plastic affects the earth and what steps you can take in reducing your plastic consumption, not an easy task!

In 2012 and 2013 NGO 5 Gyres sampled areas of Lake Ontario, they recorded levels of plastic as high as 1.1 million particles per square km. Alex Mifflin of NOW Toronto states, “Just like the infamous garbage patches of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, our own backyard has been turned into a plastic soup - only our lakes have even higher concentrations of plastics than the biggest ocean garbage patches.”

Being a visual artist collecting and capturing plastic along the shores of Lake Ontario and parks in and around Monroe County has inspired action within the community. While raising her own family’s awareness, Arleen is hopeful in raising an awareness in you Join her as she engages you on the alternatives while sharing her artist activism.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Refuse.

Be sure to view Arleen's exhibition Plastics: Our Weakness on view at Flower City Arts Center August 4-September 2, 2017.