Starting with the theme One River’s Trash is the Same River’s Treasure the Mississippi River Pearl mixed media sculpture is an Art to Change the World collaboration: Project Manager Barbara Bridges and group members Frances Bates, Amáda Márquez Simula, Greg Volker, Margo Ashmore, Annie Merrell, Neil Granlund, Katherine Boyce, Alexis Schramel, and Kelly Frankenberg.
The creation of Pearl, which is an elaborate throne backed by many drawers full of fun, shocking and/or informational takeaways, was funded by a Mississippi Watershed Management Organization Stewardship Fund Program grant. The project led ten people to collect trash along the Mississippi River and participate in an immersive curriculum unit which was collaboratively developed by Bridges and the participants themselves – including a scientist, journalist, mayor, teachers, and artists.
All participants created the artwork using the found river debris and other hand-constructed and found objects. With one of the goals being to educate people about the plastics we find on our waterways, they repurposed objects with a history to create a new narrative. Schramel made paper from the debris collected. The quilted seat was commissioned from ACW quiltmaker, Lucy Schroepfer, out of fabric found along the river. John Olson, from River Keepers, helped forage on the west side of the river in his electric pontoon. The project participants met eight times in September and October.
The unveiling is at Homewood Studios, 2400 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411 on November 11 from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Attendees can open all 21 drawers, take a memento and a research card or two. Sit on the throne, meditate and snap a photo. Post on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok using #ArtToChangeTheWorld and #MississippiRiverPearl. Send that photo to ACW, and leave impressions in the survey drawer for a chance to win an ACW t-shirt. Read about the project here. Contact ACW: info@arttochangetheworld.org.
