Art and Science meet in Allentown

Allentown, PA - What do measuring pesticides in food and three-dimensional sculpture have in common? If you said, "Nothing at all," you would have been right - until today, that is.

Applied Separations, an Allentown-based company specializing in separations and extractions, including Solid Phase Extraction, the analytical technology that, among other things, allows the levels of pesticides in food to be accurately measured, has partnered with the art program at Allen High School to bring these two seemingly disparate practices together. The result is a unique set of sculptures using polypropylene "SPE cartridges" - think translucent plastic syringe barrels - wired, strung, glued, and otherwise fastened together that would make Michelangelo wish he'd been able to work in such a medium.

The intention of the project is twofold: first, the goal was to broaden the minds of the art-school-bound high school students to recognize that there is a connection between art and science and that just about anything can be used as a part of creative expression; secondly, with largest analytical chemistry tradeshow coming up at the beginning of March, Applied Separations, Inc. (a Ben Franklin Technology Partners graduate) wanted to wow the attendees with a truly unique booth and generate some buzz at the show.

This wasn't just for fun, mind you. This was a contest and the sculptures were judged by the Allentown Rotary Club. In addition to the experience of working with an entirely new medium of "found objects," the top three winners received gift cards to a local art supply store, recognition in the local community, and a showing of their art at PITTCON in Chicago, the international tradeshow with 30,000 attendees from industry, academia and government from 80 countries worldwide.

Allen High School art teacher, Joan Gatos, is pleased to have participated in the project, recognizing that the more exposure her students get to different ideas and techniques, the better artists they will ultimately become. Applied Separations is proud to be able to provide opportunity for recognition and enrichment at the local high school and is very excited about the impact the sculptures will have on their traffic at the trade show.

Applied Separations is the manufacturer of a full line of supercritical systems for all markets with systems ranging in size from analytical scale to pilot plants to full scale production. For more information contact us via the web or write Applied Separations, Inc, 930 Hamilton St. Allentown, PA 18101, tel: 610-770-0900, fax: 610-740-5520