One Man’s Trash Art Exhibit At Fairmount Water Works In Philadelphia

Mt. Airy resident Brad Maule spent 2014 collecting trash throughout the Wissahickon Valley Park.  Now, the 255 water bottles, the 117 candy bags, strewn items of clothing, the styrofoam, the glass bottles, the discarded chip bags, cans—everything but the discarded bags of dog poop—will be the subject of an exhibit that opens on April 22 at the Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia.

Maule, a journalist and photographer who lives near the Wissahickon and hikes there several times a week, amassed over 3,700 pieces of trash during his year-long mission to clean up one of his favorite places and raise awareness about it.

With support from Friends of the Wissahickon and Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, Maule stashed his trash in a park shed over the course of the year.

“Brad has helped bring attention to how much trash is strewn throughout the park—and how that ultimately can affect a user’s experience in the Wissahickon,” said Friends of the Wissahickon executive director, Maura McCarthy. “We’re grateful for his dedication to this issue and we hope this exhibit will raise awareness and serve as a reminder to people to act as responsible park users and take their trash home with them.”

“What I hope to accomplish with this project is to get people to think about the waste we each create—that even when we do the right thing, be it trash or recycling or composting, it still ends up somewhere,” Maule said. “That,  and to not litter.”

Maule has written about his project on his website, Philly Skyline. The exhibit, which will include photos and information about the Wissahickon Valley Park, runs through June 26.