Intertwined Detritus - Artwork by Jane Cornish Smith

     Intertwined Detritus ​shines a light on challenges facing White Rock Lake and other bodies of water across the globe. Created by Texas artist Jane Cornish Smith, the exhibition underscores how trash and silt threaten the viability and health of community waters, both environmentally and visually.  It is through awareness that the exhibition goal of inspiring increased recycling, cleanup, and single-use efforts will become a reality, bettering the environment for wildlife and citizens alike.

    The exhibition incorporates trash collected largely from White Rock Lake during monthly volunteer cleanups facilitated by the Dallas organization For the Love of the Lake, along with more traditional art media. Paintings, collage, wall reliefs, and sculpture inhabit the Bath House Cultural Center gallery-- an array of diverse work consisting of encaustic, cold wax medium, oil, paper, gauze, powders, silt, and discarded detritus. Additional materials include crocheted and woven strips of painted paper, cord, and other paraphernalia. Trash such as Styrofoam, plastic lids, cups, labels, toys, fishing line, aluminum cans, glass bottles, and more-- along with the woven media-- echo the intertwined nature of litter in the natural world. These expressive, beeswax-infused, textured creations contrast with the ugliness of litter and neglect.

    The artist is presenting a total of twenty-four pieces that aim to raise aesthetic awareness among gallery visitors about the importance of lake health, beauty, and safety-- both in general and specifically for White Rock Lake, located just steps from the Bath House walls.