A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

June 14th, 2011 by Eugenie Tsai

Judging from the aphorisms “a penny saved is a penny earned” or “a penny for your thoughts,” the copper cent at one time possessed a degree of value that it has since lost, but there’s a place for those seemingly worthless coins in your pockets.

Collection Pyramid, 2001. Installed in the 5th Floor Elevator Lobby

Take the elevator to the fifth floor and when the doors open, you’ll find yourself in a small exhibition entitled Black Lincoln for Dooky Chase. There, you can contribute all of your unwanted pennies to Collection Pyramid, (2011), a sculpture in the making by Clean Penny Service (CPS), a performance duo formed in 2009 by artists Mike Smith and Lizzie Wright. Once the transparent pyramid is filled, it will be sealed, and the piece will be complete.

And take a look at those pennies in your pocket. Have any of them lost their shine?

CPS will be performing at Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum on July 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. The duo’s mission is to clean a dirty penny (I’m sure they’d be willing to do more than one) for each passerby, using “natural” methods whenever possible, free of charge. Stop by with your penny at the South Entrance!