Cindy Pease Roe Builds Beautiful Shamrock from Beach Debris

A Conversation with Cindy Pease Roe

Tell us about this piece of art and what inspired you to make a shamrock.

This shamrock was commissioned as a gift for a waste management company. All of the plastics you see were, of course, found while walking on the beach.

Can you talk a bit more about your process gathering debris for these pieces of art? Are you selective about what you pick up?

As we clean shorelines, recovering ocean plastics, we sort materials by color, size, shape, and texture at the studio. We have bins filled with bottlecaps, shell casings, straws, lighters, and every color of the rainbow. Over the years, I have become less selective about what I pick up because I see much more clearly what I can do with the different materials that I see.

You have a wide range of styles in your work, from assemblage to representational and more expressive pieces. Do you have a favorite and why?

I enjoy playing with different forms of expression and using the reclaimed materials I have on hand to investigate new concepts and see new results.

Tell us about Regeneration: Long Island’s History of Ecological Art and Care, the new show you’re part of at the Parrish Art Museum.

Regeneration at The Parrish Art Museum brings together a dynamic group of artists engaging with environmental care, ecological history, and collective responsibility on Long Island. From February 22 to June 14, my work is on view among leading voices in environmentally-engaged contemporary art, working across many different mediums. I’m showing my latest body of work created with reclaimed ocean plastics.

I am also exhibiting an educational community project, where participants can get hands-on and incorporate marine rope into woven panels that will be transformed in a future installation. My work is in great company among fellow artists Sara Siestreem, Jeremy Dennis, Scott Bluedorn, Michelle Stuart, Tucker Marder, Mamoun Nukumanu, Sasha Fishman, Alan Sonfist, Randi Renate, and Maya Lin. The show is beautifully curated by Scout Hutchinson. I am very excited for the community to come out and see this incredibly engaging exhibit.

Is this ecological art movement something you see having important roots here on Long Island? I know about UpSculpt, and a number of other local talents making work like this.

Other smaller islands may not have the resources to tackle tough environmental issues, so I believe Long Islanders are uniquely situated to make a big impact in the ecological art movement. We live on a densely-populated island with artists, environmentalists, scientists, educators, aquaculturists and an incredibly supportive community that cares about the natural world.

Any other new projects or shows coming up or on now?

Yes, I have a few upcoming installations, including Sculpture on the Mount at Edith Wharton’s Home in Lenox, MA, on view from May 24–October 24. My work will also be exhibited during Ode to Sea at The Leiber Collection in East Hampton, from May 30 through fall 2026. Lastly, I will be collaborating with The Explorers Club in Manhattan to celebrate World Oceans Week in June 2026. See my work locally at North Fork Art Collective in Greenport, which carries a rotating selection of my pieces.

Where else can people find your art in person and/or online on a regular basis?

You can view my work online at cindypeaseroe.com and on social media @cindypeaseroe. Viewers should also stay tuned to UpSculpt, the nonprofit organization I founded with the mission to tackle ocean plastic pollution using art, science, and education. See more at UpSculpt.com and @UpSculpt on social media.