Nothing is What it Seems
Recycled masterpieces inspire us to never judge a book by its cover .
BY KATHY RUDOLPH
Sarah Simmons showcasing some of her artwork .
When Sarah Simmons says she has a garden in her backyard made out of books , you might think you heard her wrong . But her Instagram photos reveal a stunning art installation with colorful hues and textures caused by weathering from all four seasons .
“ I started stacking books for the garden last September — books that were outdated and damaged and being thrown away ,” says Simmons , of Moon Township . “ I find new things in it daily and like to watch the books change and decay .”
Her passion for art and books has been going on for as long as she can remember .
“ As a kid , when someone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up , I always said I wanted to make things ,” says Simmons , who holds a BFA from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in jewelry and metalsmithing and an AA in studio art from Montgomery
College in Rockville , Maryland . “ And I ’ ve always been obsessed with books .”
So it just made sense that she would end up combining those two loves into her roles as an artist and as a Customer Service / Circulation Desk Manager at Moon Township Public Library ( MTPL ).
“ I love working at the library and it ’ s the best job I ’ ve ever had — and I get paid ,” laughs Simmons , who has worked at MTPL for five years . “ I am surrounded by different stories where I ’ m going to get a different perspective on someone ’ s life , or experience an event and get a different take on it . Having access to so many books and talking to people about books is very inspiring .”
And that stamp of inspiration is apparent on each of her mixed media art pieces , which she creates by using paper from old books and damaged , leftover materials destined for the dumpster .
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