ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — The streets of Orangeburg have become a canvas for local art students through a fence art project using recycled water bottles. The project demonstrates an environmentally-friendly form of artistic expression.
“One bottle. One person. If we all pull together, we can create something beautiful," said Edisto High School art teacher Amy Speissegger.
Students from six schools repurposed thousands of water bottles to bring this vision to life.
“They’ve learned that plastics are used for anything from utensils to clothing and it won’t break down. Now they’ve learned there are bioplastics that will break down and help out our environment but those plastics aren’t used for everything yet," said Speissegger.
It's a way to spread the message that plastic can be reused in many different ways. The project also aims to integrate the district's arts program with the surrounding community. The schools involved include Edisto Primary, Edisto High School, Whittaker Elementary, Bethune-Bowman, Lockett Elementary, and Brookdale Elementary.
“We really wanted to present the visual arts of the district as a strong point and something that matters, that’s valuable and that the students themselves can see that their art impacts the community," said Edisto Primary art teacher Jasmyne Wall.
The fence art will be displayed outside Sheridan Elementary in Orangeburg through Friday, April 28.