A series of interactive objects and artworks created for community engagement for Art on the Circuit: Public Participation Days at Fairmount Water Works, Philadelphia PA.
Jewels of the River, 2014
Cardboard nesting boxes: digital photographs, cardboard box forms, maps, adhesive.
Dimensions: 1” x 1” x .5” (smallest box) through 7” x 7” x 2.5” (largest box)
Jewels of the River is a love letter to water. It addresses the tenant that creatures within water and their biodiversity or specificity is a fragile community much like yours and mine, and underscores that every community as we know it has a direct connection to a watershed on which its vitality depends.
The project includes a set of four nesting boxes which include imagery of macro-invertebrates, river water, the Schuykill River and regional or global maps, as well as a set of three semi-translucent microscope slide pamphlets addressing local ecology, and an accompanying booklet.
As this project was included in “Art on the Circuit”, there were public participation days during which I got to engage the Philadelphians in the process of exploring the makeup of the Schuylkill River, creating greater understanding of what is at stake and our unknowing effect on communities small and large.
I created a set of three Microscope Slide Pamphlets relaying ecological information and images from microscopes. Through layering the transparencies, I draw attention to the many layers that make up the Schuylkill river, and all ecosystems.
Microscope slide pamphlets, 5 slides each. Digital images and text, transparency film, o-rings. 3.25” x 9.5”.
Microscope slide pamphlet, 3.25" x 9.5"
Nesting boxes
4 sets of 5 nesting boxes ranging in size
Fairmount Waterworks Public Participation Day
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Microscope closeup of another macro-invertebrate
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Jann (far right), introducing some participants to Jewels of the River during the first participation day
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Participants look through the microscope to discover the creepy crawlies that live in the watershed
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Samples of water from the Schuylkill River ready for viewing under the microscope
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Microscope view
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Multiple participants gather around to look through the microscopes and learn about their watershed
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Another critter from the river viewed through the microscope
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Participants of all ages engaging with the participation day and marveling at the critters
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Participants peeking through the microscope
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Interested Philidelphians engaging with the natural materials gathered from the Schuylkill for the first participation day
Jewels of the River AKA Creepy Crawlies
Project Booklet
Front Cover image - Jewels of the River Booklet
Page 1 - 2, Jewels of the River Booklet
Page 3 - 4, Jewels of the River Booklet
Page 4 - 5, Jewels of the River Booklet
Page 6 - 7, Jewels of the River Booklet
Back cover, Jewels of the River Booklet