Artist Alexis Oltmer said superfund sites and climate change were the inspiration for her exhibit “in-site” being held this week at Penn State’s Zoller Gallery.
Oltmer is an MFA student who grew up in Endicott, New York, and learned to appreciate nature there.
“I grew up on protected wetlands adjacent to a state highway, so I picked up litter as a childhood chore,” she said.
Endicott is known for being the birthplace of IBM. In 1979, IBM reported a spill there of TCE, a cancer-causing chemical.
“That contaminated our ground water. So I grew up with toxic ground water plume. I saw people getting sick. I saw fellow students in sixth grade getting sick. So I’ve had a lot of unseen fears due to contamination,” Oltmer said.
Oltmer used iridescence and color in her exhibit to explore climate change.
In one of her pieces, she chose to represent elements that can be contaminated, like air and surface water, using Behr paint color samples in related shades and names.
“One of my favorites is 'Ship Wreck,' which is the stand-in for debris. This was another way that I was able to visualize the information that I found and make it a bit more accessible. I wanted to create works that invited people through color as a way to engage individuals in the research that I’ve done,” Oltmer said.
She also used data, including a list she created that had not been available to the public before of every harmful chemical found in all 127 superfund sites in Pennsylvania.
“I think it’s really important that we have data and records so that the public can be informed and empowered to make demands that are backed by research,” she said.
Oltmer asks anyone with information about Centre County's Kepone superfund site to email her at aho5059@psu.edu.
The “in-site” exhibit is at the Zoller Gallery at Penn State through Friday, daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.