FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Tribby Arts Center exhibition “On the Road Again: The Hubcap as Art” features artworks from 270 artists from across the globe
FORT MYERS, Fla. (Dec. 27, 2023) – “On the Road Again: The Hubcap as Art,” a new exhibition presenting the work of 270 artists from across the United States and 35 other countries, opens Tuesday, January 9 in Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point in Fort Myers, Florida.
The exhibition will present highlights from the collection of the Pennsylvania-based Landfillart Project, which began in 2008 when Ken Marquis, owner of picture-framing shops and galleries in northeastern Pennsylvania, acquired a supply of 1,041 discarded hubcaps and asked artists to repurpose them as art. He first approached artists in the region, then across the nation, and finally around the world. The environmental message captured artists’ attentions, and in six years, all hubcaps had been transformed into artworks.
In 2014, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia, displayed 287 objects from the collection in the exhibition “Second Time Around: The Hubcap as Art.” While thirty-three objects then traveled nationally for three years, “On the Road Again” is the first time in ten years that most of the artworks from the original exhibition have been on public display.
According to Tribby Arts Center Curator Marge Lee, professional artists created most of the works on display. Many artists incorporated the hubcap as part of a larger artwork and incorporated a wide variety of additional applied materials. Environmental themes are prevalent throughout the collection.
“Artists could use the hubcap they received from the Landfillart Project in any way they wished to create art,” said Lee. “Visitors to the exhibition will find the results to be fascinating.”
The largest object on display, “The Raven” by Pattie Young of Idaho, is nearly eight feet high and weighs more than 600 pounds. Some artworks are kinetic, feature illumination, or are interactive. Among the latter are a kaleidoscope made of bottle caps and a three-foot wheel which, when turned, makes the sound of pelting rain.
Many of the artists represented in the exhibition have distinguished careers. A Gallery Guide with information about the objects and the artists will be provided free of charge for all visitors.
“On the Road Again” also incorporates hubcap artworks made by children participating in the art programs of the Heights Center of Fort Myers. The decision to include the work of the children was inspired by the fact that the larger Landfillart Collection contains works that were made by youth participating in similar school projects during the time the collection was formed.
“On the Road Again” will be the largest of 48 exhibitions presented to date in the Tribby Arts Center since its opening in 2021, and it will be displayed throughout all galleries of the center.
In addition to viewing the exhibition, visitors can explore the Serendipity gift shop, which offers a wide variety of jewelry, art, and art-inspired gift items for sale.
“On the Road Again” is on display Saturday, March 30 and is open to the public free of charge from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Tribby Arts Center is located at 17281 On Par Blvd. within the Coastal Commons neighborhood of Shell Point.
For more information about the Tribby Arts Center, call 239-415-5667.
About Shell Point
Located along Southwest Florida’s Caloosahatchee River and minutes from Sanibel and Captiva Islands is Shell Point Retirement Community. Home to 2,500 residents, Shell Point is the country’s largest, not-for-profit, single site continuing care retirement community (CCRC), offering independent and assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing services. Shell Point provides residents exceptional care with a world-class health center, activities, and resort amenities, including championship golf, a marina, art and fitness centers, restaurants, pickleball courts, gardening spaces, a dog park, and miles of bike paths and waterfront trails. Learn why Ideal Living lists Shell Point among the “100 Best Places to Live” by visiting ShellPoint.org.”
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Shell Point Retirement Community
Kara Hado: 239-454-8245; cell 239-310-1115; karahado@shellpoint.org
