‘PERSPECTIVES II ‘Setting Sail’’ art exhibit in Wheeling Sept. 1-30

“PERSPECTIVES II ‘Setting Sail'” is an eclectic trash art exhibit created by Barb Kronau-Sorensen from a community cleanup she coordinated along with partner CleanupGiveback.org in March 2026 in Wheeling.

“We had 16 volunteers who collected 36 bags stuffed full of trash in 2 hours, on a section of the Potawatomi forest preserve along Route 45. We cleaned a section that was 456-feet-wide and 35-feet-deep. And there is still more out there,” said Kronau-Sorensen, who is an independent renaissance-style artist and tours internationally for her original pop-rock/country-folk-rock music. She has a few other art exhibits for which information can be found on her website, tinyurl.com/webemcy.

Her perspective on randomly found trash is that sometimes it’s kind of fun to look at.

“Especially if it’s sparkly or glitters in the sun, or looks like it might be something useful. Then I may take a closer look at it. I am an artist and so any random objects can present themselves as free art supplies.”

The exhibit features pictures she took of the interesting ways nature interacts with trash. It also includes 3D decorative artwork she created from some of the more interesting pieces she found, as well as fictional stories of where certain items came from and how they arrived in the woods, “man on the street” style video of interviews about random trash, and light educational research on random trash.

The exhibit opens to the public with a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 1, at Tasca Chevrolet in Wheeling.

Kronau-Sorensen’s focus for this exhibit is on having fun with trash. It’s not to shame anyone about the trash being there, just to have fun with what she found.

“If it inspires other people to go out looking for their own trash, and also make art, that’s fine too.”

The exhibit’s aim is to entertain, inspire, educate, enlighten, encourage others, lift up original arts, be frugal in expenses for supplies, and support original creativity.

Kronau-Sorensen thanks the new owners of Tasca Chevrolet, and all the businesses who supported her dream to bring this exhibit to the public in a fun way, including La Casa De La Allegria, Matt’s Cookies, Stavros Law, Saranello’s, El Mana Bakery, Armo Grill, Junkie’s Junkhaulers in Wauconda, and Sunshine Sciences in Colorado.

The exhibit runs during regular business hours from Sept. 1-30 at Tasca Chevrolet, 700 W. Dundee Road, Wheeling. Free admission and parking.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/perspectii.