Writer and artist Cheryl Chapin’s love of words is evident. On any given day, you can expect to see a novel in her hand or hear a clever turn of phrase. That enjoyment is easily transferred to her writing of poetry, short stories and pieces for the stage. Cheryl’s play, titled “Words From A Fish Tank,” will be among the works featured in Full Circle 2017 – Art of Possibility. The annual fine arts event, which is produced by Matheny Medical & Educational Center’s Arts Access Program, will be held Saturday, November 4, 2017, from 3:00pm – 6:00pm in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center.

Cheryl’s piece is a humorous take on a day-in-the-life of fish that live in a tank and is told from their perspective. “The type of plays I like to write are mainly comedies,” she says. “That’s because I don’t like to write scary things. I like to try to lighten the mood. I think it makes the performance more fun to come to.”

Her written work has been featured in the book Writes of Passage: A Collection of Prose by Arts Access Writers and she has twice participated in a playwriting course at Raritan Valley Community College. In addition to writing, Cheryl is an experienced artist whose acrylic paintings and digital art have been displayed at the Wallace Art Gallery in Overlook Hospital, Grounds for Sculpture, and Johnson & Johnson headquarters. She is also a choreographer whose piece “Easy Melody” was featured in last year’s Full Circle production.

Born in New Brunswick, Cheryl grew up primarily in South River, NJ. She shares that she began writing as early as 1993. “But when I started participating in Arts Access, I discovered different ways to write and learned little tricks of the trade,” she says. “Now I write a lot. I read a lot, which also helps. I like to write about trips I went on and things I did. Those things come to me the easiest.” The public is invited to enjoy works created by Cheryl and all the other artists who are participating in Full Circle 2017.