The Other Toy Story
by Joyce Dallal
April 1st-28th, 2016
Opening Reception: April 1st, 6-10pm
Engaging the public through art on the issue of unsustainable consumption, The Other Toy Story is an ongoing project by artist Joyce Dallal that grew out of her personal experience as a parent. Overwhelmed with all the toys that accumulated in her own household—especially the huge amount of plastic that couldn’t be recycled, she decided to see if a solution could be found through art. Featured is Receptacle, a 10-foot-tall trashcan in the shape of a baby doll. The sculpture holds over 1000 pounds of toy trash that would otherwise end up in a landfill. When full, it forms a monumental vision of what we are feeding our children.
A Partnership between the Disappearing Frogs Project and the Other Toy Story
The Other Toy Story is on display at the Visual Art Exchange (VAE) at the invitation of the Disappearing Frogs Project as part of their 2016 activities scheduled for the Triangle area. The two artist-driven projects are partnering this spring to spotlight the impact of human activity on the health of our environment and the survival of all species, big and small. “Disappearing Tree Frog” by Los Angeles artist Cynthia Minet was commissioned specially for this exhibition to spotlight the partnership between the Other Toy Story and the Disappearing Frogs Project as an illustration of the connection between pollution in the environment and the survival of the frogs.
The show at VAE is the culmination of months of preparation and would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of Wake County Solid Waste Management and Waste Industries. These partners have collected used and broken toys to fill the Receptacle, and will be picking them up for recycling when the show is over. They have also assisted three participating schools in the Wake County STEM Collaborative Network: Wake STEM Early College, Aversboro STEM Elementary, and A. B. Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary with their used toy collection. Many thanks to these community partners for their participation.
The Disappearing Frogs Project, together with their global partner the Amphibian Survival Alliance is raising awareness of global amphibian declines and inspiring people to take personal action to protect these incredible species. Awareness in the community is being raised, hearts of the public are being touched and the children in the Triangle are getting involved.
"Disappearing Tree Frog" by Cynthia Minet
Cynthia Minet
Cynthia Minet works with post-consumer plastics to build illuminated sculptures of animals. Her drawings and pieces have been shown individually and as large-scale installations. The works reveal her interest in ecological and scientific issues, and capture audiences through their visual allure and conceptual bite.
Collecting the toys with the help of area students and businesses
