If you happen to be out walking in Sheryl Hoffman's neighborhood the night before trash pickup, you just may run into this local sculptor hunting through discarded items on the tree lawn. Shoes. Old handbags. Columns and other architectural elements, thrown out in favor of more modern décor. Others may see trash; Sheryl sees objects with a history to tell, and she gives many of these abandoned items a new beginning by incorporating them into her sculptures. “One man's junk is another man's treasure,” as the old saying goes, and Sheryl is elevating this concept to a high art form, on both a small and a large scale. This enterprising artist has even recycled an entire rundown building into a thriving community art center.

   Sheryl has been creating sculpture from found materials ever since she was a little girl, although her choice of materials has evolved over the years. Her earliest attempts at self-expression as a child found her using sticks, leaves and clay, creating what she calls “sacred structures” to celebrate the Jewish holiday Sukkot. Then, after studying fine arts bronze casting as an undergraduate, she returned to her roots as a graduate student, once again incorporating natural materials into her work.

   Sheryl's work took on a decidedly industrial bent when she returned to Cleveland in the late 1980s and was living in the Flats, the shipping area along the banks of the Cuyahoga River. “It was still a very industrial area then,” she recalls, “and there were all these great things all over the ground – industrial leftovers.” (“God knows what I picked up,” she chuckles. “Probably some toxic stuff!”) Many cast-offs were saved from the scrap heap and found their way into sculptures.

   Every object, Sheryl thinks, has its own story to tell. This became particularly obvious when she moved into the Tremont neighborhood in Cleveland, and her “recycling gathering” shifted to reflect the typical detritus of the suburban home. “Garbage night is my favorite night!” Sheryl laughs. “I've dragged home old columns, headboards, tables, chairs…and not just furniture, but also women's accessories – purses and shoes, in particular – and architectural elements. People rehab their houses and throw out these wonderful old things.”

   She continues, “Even if I don't know what something's previous life was, it carries references with it. And because I use so many common, everyday objects, the viewer brings his or her own references about how they feel about it.” Sheryl says that she particularly enjoys working with old architectural elements. The daughter of an architect, she is fascinated with ancient architecture and has traveled extensively to archaeological sites around the world. “The architectural elements are intriguing to work with,” she says. “There's a mystery about them.”

   Many of the discarded objects Sheryl finds – such as women's shoes and purses – are selected by her for their ability to convey a typical (or stereotypical) female image. For instance, Sheryl tends to use a certain style of women's shoes – the ones with a traditional heel – to represent the Cinderella myth. One of her pieces, “Phoenix,” features a woman's heeled shoe sprouting wax wings, sitting atop a lazy Susan perched on top of a 6-foot column covered with a spiraling pattern of guinea hen and pheasant feathers.

   Her work, she says, is less statement-driven than it once was; she prefers to describe it as “abstract autobiography.” Still, though, much of her motivation for using found items reflects her deep respect for the earth. “Recycling is important to me, and what I can do for the environment,” she says.

   Sheryl's love for transforming trash to treasure has also turned into a fantastic benefit for Cleveland. Perhaps the greatest example of Sheryl's Midas touch is the building that houses her community outreach art center, Art House Inc. (Sheryl proudly calls Art House “my living sculpture.”) In 1999, she and a group of other area artists began to discuss forming a program that would bring artists together while also creating outreach programs for the community. But early prospects for a potential space fell through.

    Then Merle Gordon, the neighborhood's councilwoman, called Sheryl and told her that there was a building for sale on Denison Avenue. “When we first went to look at it,” Sheryl smiles, “it was something that other people would run screaming from. There was no heat, no plumbing, a drop ceiling, the roof was falling in, the windows were broken out and there was water all over the floor. We took one look, and said, ‘It's perfect!’”

    Undaunted by the tremendous undertaking, Sheryl embarked on her largest recycling project of all. She helped to raise $200,000 in one year to rehab the building, while also applying for 501(c)(3) status for the organization and pulling together a founding board. Sheryl herself became Executive Director. In 2001 Art House began offering programs off site, and in November of 2002 the rehab of the Denison Avenue building was complete.

    Breathing new life into this broken-down building has made a huge difference to many neighborhood children. “We wanted a way to bring art into people's lives,” Sheryl says, and Art House is doing just that. In addition to the many varied programs the organization offers, it has an outreach program with Denison Elementary School. One hundred and twenty students, accompanied by their regular art teacher, come to Art House for weekly classes during the entire academic year. Art House brings in visiting artists for residencies, and the children experience a wide range of activities such as enameling, printmaking, mask making and creating mosaics.

   Sheryl's boundless energy and enthusiasm are reflected in her tireless work in both her individual artwork and with her endeavors at Art House. Thanks to her eye for finding diamonds in the rough – and her determination to turn them into gems – Cleveland is a richer place. As she puts it, “I love living a creative life, and I love making creativity possible for other people.”

Art House Inc. is located at 3119 Denison Avenue in Cleveland. It is open to the public on Mondays from 10 am to 9 pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 3 pm, Fridays by appointment, and Saturdays from 9 am to 12 pm. For more information about upcoming programs call (216) 398-8556 or go online at www.arthouseinc.org. Contact Sheryl by e-mail at shoffman@arthouseinc.org.