Becoming Plastic
November 6th, 2025 - January 17th, 2026
Opening Reception November 6th, 5:30-8:30 PM
“Becoming Plastic” opens on Thursday, Nov 6, in conjunction with the Bridgeport Art Trail, the 17th annual city-wide open studio arts celebration weekend, running November 6-9, 2025. Click here to learn more about the Bridgeport Art Trail calendar of events and venues, including arts studios, theaters, music venues and galleries.
View bold innovative art raising awareness of the ubiquitous and urgent crisis of plastic trash. “Becoming Plastic” manifests the current health hazard that affects everyone. We all are consuming, ingesting, breathing plastic, through the air, water, earth, and manufactured goods. It is in our food, drink, clothing, lotions, containers, etc.
Every artist in the exhibit in their own way is an environmental advocate, uniquely expressing their vision and concerns, from constructions made from harvested plastic trash to the production of home cooked ‘bioplastic’.
Artists include Janine Brown, Debbie Gilbert, Deb Jennings, kHyal, Daniel Lanzilotta, Gerald Moore, Riva Nayaju, Kelsie Oreta, Alison Pasquini, Sarah Schneiderman, Ashley Smith, Ellen Tresselt, Joan Wheeler, Helen Zajkowski.
Featured Bridgeport Artists
Daniel Lanzilotta
Daniel Lanzilotta sees the constant hazard of plastic everywhere. He believes changes in human behavior can help minimize the threat to the planet and ourselves. He constructs his sculptural pieces with individually crafted beads, made from melted plastic trash that he collects from the streets. He constructs and strings the beads together with plastic broom bristles, making dynamic works that challenge the viewer to face the toxic detritus of plastic.
kHyal
kHyal composes colorful constructions on discs packed with discarded plastic toys and nostalgic pop memorabilia. She is an environmental activist and digital art pioneer who has been working with recycled materials since the early 1980s, her works are a call to action, to find alternatives to plastic, and eliminate plastic pollution and our obsession with more and more “stuff.” Her worked is described as, “An homage to quirky handmade signage… Plus, a whirlwind of discarded plastic and pop iconography — stuck in a blender and fastened to a time capsule.” Learn more about kHyal’s work here.
Janine Brown
Janine Brown uses natural biodegradable products to cook up her bioplastic ‘puddings’, making thin gelatinous slabs by spreading the mixture out like cookie dough. She lets the material set-up and dry into large rubbery swatches. This is the ‘fabric’ she uses to create her art. To achieve a variety of patterns and colors she adds flowers and vegetables such as rose petals, tomatoes, or carrots. She also mixes in a surprising selection of papers including her shredded monthly bills, and US currency taken out of circulation to underscore our pernicious tendency for overconsumption.
Gerald Moore
Gerald Moore constructs sculptures with found transparent plexiglass slabs and shapes, contrasted by opaque forms to spike a stunning tension, visually, emotionally and intellectually. In his words, “I play with cryptic dynamics, to offer a moment for the viewer to encounter the work.”
About Plastic
Since WWII plastic has been a cheap, malleable convenience, replacing metal, rubber, and glass; it has grown in production and use. We all contend with plastic debris. Some studies show that we consume a credit card size amount of microplastic per month, through air, water and food. The research as to how much actually remains lodged in our bodies and how it affects us is unknown. It is found in soil, plants, animals, the air, even in remote pristine parts of the Arctic and our National Parks. Although there is ongoing research, currently there is no simple way to break down plastic. The amount to be processed is overwhelming, impacting the planet, marine life, soil, water, air, and humans.
“The Mask” by Daniel Lanzilotta
From the Human Impacts Institute Creative Climate Awards Statement: (Panel of Judges-Giovanni Russonello, Federico Villa, Janet Wong)
The Mask is a striking art piece entirely crafted from ocean and street debris plastic waste, meticulously handcrafted into beads and unique pieces. Each carries a narrative, drawing viewers in with its captivating colors, subtly conveying a powerful message about the pervasive impact of plastic consumption on our environment and initiating a dialogue to confront our role in perpetuating the cycle of plastic pollution.
By highlighting the connection between plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions, the artwork serves as a reminder of the urgent need for behavioral modification and systematic change in our approach to plastic consumption and disposal.
Daniel is from the Bronx and (was) a resident artist of Leogane, Haiti, where plastic debris and burning are prevalent, the artist brings firsthand knowledge and aims to advocate to bring it to an end. Read more.