Fantastic Plastic

by Donna Goes

On display at the Helen Bumpus Gallery of the Duxbury Free Library

Artist’s Statement

My art begins with plastic bags and mesh produce sacks, materials once destined for the landfill, which I transform into layered compositions. Fused with heat and reworked through cutting, layering, and stitching, these once-disposable materials are reborn as textured, vibrant, and playful images that shift between the abstract and the familiar. I love the idea that I can turn waste into something lovely to look at while rescuing a little waste from the landfill.

In addition to working with fused plastic, I explore collage, assemblage, painting, papier-mâché, surface design and jewelry. You can see more of my work at Luckylifestudio.com

About the Artist

Donna Goes has exhibited widely across the South Shore, including two recent solo shows: A Curious Mind at the South Shore Conservatory (2025) and Bags to Riches at the Paul Pratt Memorial Library (2023). Her work has also been featured in two-person exhibitions at Linden Ponds Art Gallery and the Dolphin & Clemen Galleries. Recognized for both innovation and craft, Donna has received numerous awards, including Best in Show at the Hull Lifesaving Museum’s Sea & Sky Juried Art Show (2023), multiple First Place and First Award Mixed Media honors from the Scituate Arts Association and Duxbury Art Association, as well as distinctions from the South Shore Art Center and Hull Artists.

As a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Donna spent much of her career as a toy designer for Hasbro before turning to her current medium: recycled plastic bags. Her artistic expression transforms ordinary plastic bags—materials destined for the landfill—into richly layered abstractions.

A year-round resident of Hull since 2011, Donna is an active member of Hull Artists, South Shore Art Center, North River Arts Society, Scituate Arts Association, Plymouth Center for the Arts and Duxbury Art Association. She shares her home studio and love of art with her husband, Paul.

Website: Luckylifestudio.com

Instagram: @lucky_life_studio