'Recycled art' on display at Mathers

The latest exhibit at the Mathers Museum, "Lost and Found: Art through Recycled Objects," turns an old tradition into a new and economical way of having fun. \nCurators Rebekah Moore and Miriam Vidaver gathered items from the Monroe County Recycling Center to create displays of toys, musical instruments and more.\nSunday's opening invited people of all ages to follow their lead and create pieces of art for themselves.\n"We tried to get things we could identify as recycled, things that retain the characteristics of their original form," said Vidaver, a master's student in ethnomusicology.\nThe items were then turned into art, following traditions of centuries past, and contemporary cultures across the globe.\n"We were interested in how people make use of their environment for things they need," Moore said. "And I do say need because art is necessary." \nPhotos and brief histories of the cultural phenomenon of turning trash into treasure accompanied real-world examples.\nThe exhibit is aimed at children, featuring mainly items made by kids and for kids, Moore said. \nAs Alex Valdez, 10, peered into a display case of cars, boats and planes made of recycled materials, he said: "I think I'd like to learn how to make them."\nIn the next room, this wish became a reality as tables filled with pipe cleaners, markers and recyclables guided visitors through the process of making mobiles, tambourines and puppets. \nThe idea for the exhibit originally came from a dinner between Moore and Vidaver, where Vidaver was playing with the foil on top of her finished dish, molding it into artistic shapes, Moore said.\nSunday, Vidaver was taking requests of dragons and more from fans of all ages and giving tips to those trying their own handiwork.\nTerri Klingelhoefer, a professional puppeteer and University employee, crafted an animal face from her foil.\n"It looks like the stingray that killed that guy in Australia," said Aija Beldaves, a folklorist at the event. \nTo accommodate the reference, Klingelhoefer added a pipe cleaner, resembling a sharp stinger.\nJoy Scharfenberger, 4, had a more lighthearted approach to her creation. Foil made the base of a kite, decorated with purple and hot pink ribbon streamers. In the spirit of the exhibit, Scharfenberger was delighted with the suggestion of a friend to recycle tape from a previous attempt.\nThat is the goal of "Lost and Found," Moore said, to get people to recycle more. \n"Lots of people in other cultures already do that," she said.\nVisitors will have the chance to experiment through November 2007, when the exhibit will close. Several other events, similar to Sunday's, are in the planning stages, Moore said. \nThe Mathers Museum is on the corner of Indiana Avenue and Ninth Street, and admission is free to the public.