size: approx. 5'  in diameter and about 5' high

Tony King is the artist / teacher who created the Allenvale Plastic Sculpture (above) with his students. The piece is made from the discards from electric companies in New Zealand and plastic soda bottles. It is one of the seven large plastic sculptures sent from the project orchestrated by artist / teacher Henry Sunderland "The Great Pipe Dream" in Christchurch, New Zealand to merge with Pipe Dreams, here in New Jersey.  

Tony's words:  "Our piece is called,   Triflora Polychromas Plasticus ; Gigantia . / or three very large multi-coloured plastic flowers. It was constructed by the students of Allenvale Special School, a school designed to accommodate children  with problems related to Autistic Spectrum Disorder although we also have some students with Behavioral Problems, Downs Syndrome and some with more complex and undiagnosed conditions. The children who worked on this project were from our senior school ranging in physical age between 11years and 20 years old. The school has a web site at, www.chch.school.nz/allenvale and the email address is, office@allenvale.school.nz.

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This plastic fantastic sculpture rode on a small trailer as part of Patty Perla's performance in the January 1st, 2004 Mummers Day parade in Philadelphia, Pa. Patty Perla of East Brunswick, NJ is a professional Mummer and stilt walker.

This summer, VAL was pulling the Allenvale plastic sculpture home from a two day event at the Marlboro Middle School when Patty and her husband spotted it as they were driving along the same highway. Art in motion! Now Patti of Patticake productions will dance on stilts in the Mummers Day parade and Dewight Braithwaite, Justin Price & Mark Nerys (teens from East Brunswick and Somerset, NJ) will be marchals in Patti's part of the Mummers Day parade and pull the trailer with the Allenvale sculpture. Twenty two schools in New Zealand have a vested interest in this happening. The Great Pipe Dream from New Zealand has taken a leap to National Television where the schools will be able to witness what has developed.

Glenn Buchholz & (left) Mark Nerys will be captains in the Philadelphia, Mummers Day parade, January 1st, 2004