Released on: October 24, 2008, 12:58 pm

Press Release Author: James McCrone/ Main Street Highland Park

Industry: Entertainment

Press Release Summary: Fourth Annual Arts in the Park Festival Features
Environmentally-Friendly Art


Press Release Body: HIGHLAND PARK, N.J. - October 24, 2008 -
Environmentally-friendly art is the talk of the town in Highland Park, NJ, following
Main Street Highland Park's fourth annual Arts in the Park art festival.

The Sept. 21 festival featured a "Green Art" category for the second straight year.
Some of the most original pieces at the festival were entered into the category,
including Lisa Bagwell's "Sitting Man," a half-size human body made of discarded,
non-recyclable plastics, coffee cups, bottle caps and peanut containers, and Fred
Cole's "Gotta Hand it to Me," a combination of rings, springs, bracelets and all
things manual.

Bagwell, of Howell, NJ, and Cole, of Highland Park, won first and second place
respectively in the category. Margaret Toman, of Highland Park, took home third
place.

The Green Art was judged by Highland Park Mayor Meryl Frank, who suggested the
category be introduced in 2007 as a means of reinforcing Highland Park's message of
environmental sustainability. The sustainability plan, known as "Highland Park
2020," is an ambitious experiment in smart growth planning that focuses on energy
consumption, recycling, green building practices, and shopping locally to reduce gas
emissions as well as social and economic sustainability.

"As New Jersey's first green community, it's important that we look at living
consciously in every aspect of our life, including the way we express ourselves
artistically," said Mayor Frank, a long-time art lover. "By creating a green art
category, we brought Highland Park's environmental interests and our community's
passion for the arts together."

Bagwell began collecting litter and using it in her art in 2002.

"I started gluing it together and making mobiles and lamps, and things like that,"
Bagwell said. "But the more trash I accumulated, the larger the things I had to make
with them became. I started doing less artsy-craftsy stuff and more sculptures."

Bagwell has always been interested in environmental sustainability. She studied
ecology at Rutgers University and currently works at an organic farm. She is also a
vegetarian cook and an amateur landscaper. She has no formal art training.

"I definitely want the pieces I create to make an environmental statement," Bagwell
said. "I want to bring the amount of waste we generate every single day to people's
attention. That's my deepest intention. That's why everything I do is 'Green Art.'"

Cole is a high school baseball coach and physical education teacher of 35 years who
is also a long-time art collector. He began creating 3-D art in 2003 by grabbing
items in his house that would otherwise wind up in the trash can and molding them
into interesting shapes.

"I use anything I see that attracts me: toys, flagpoles, tools, billiard balls,
musical instruments, something from the hardware store," Cole said. "I just like to
have fun. Collecting the items that will form my piece is one of my favorite parts
of the process. I like displaying my work at Arts in the Park too because I'm from
Highland Park and I see a lot of people I know who have no idea that I am an
artist."

More than 8,000 art lovers - a festival record - came to Main Street Highland Park's
2008 Arts in the Park festival on Sept. 21. The crowd enjoyed perfect weather and
the work of more than 60 artists who displayed their work along a two-block stretch
of Raritan Avenue. Musical acts, street performers and food vendors complemented the
juried art show.

"We had more than 8,000 art lovers come out to enjoy the festivities this year;
that's another record crowd" said James McCrone, project manager of Main Street
Highland Park. "I saw a lot of families admiring the many entries into our Green Art
category. Green Art and our Arts in the Park festival will be Highland Park
traditions for many years to come."

For more information on Arts in the Park and Main Street Highland Park, visit
www.mainstreethp.org.

-End-


Web Site: www.mainstreethp.org.

Contact Details: Contact:
James McCrone
732-828-8444
jmccrone@mainstreethp.org