Hands-On Art Projects and On-Location Trainings Promote Watershed Stewardship
Aaron Knochel and Carolyn Klocker, Environmental Resource Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension conducting macro-invertebrate study on the Fall Kill River with students.
BEACON, NY– As part of a unique interdisciplinary project, Clearwater in collaboration with the ecological design group known as SPURSE, and other partners will provide area students with an opportunity to study the local ecology of the Fall Kill Creek and express their findings through hands-on art projects. The Common Currents project will have participants visualize and traverse the path of the creek, examine its history, and re-imagine its future as a dynamic part of the city. This project provides an important opportunity for the youth of Poughkeepsie to develop their sense of stewardship of their local environment and become stakeholders in the future of their city.
In addition to locating some of the problems affecting the local watershed, participants will create and post biodegradable moss graffiti and wheat paste posters along the path of the Fall Kill that draw attention to the river’s ecology. The event will culminate in the launching of a temporary ice sculpture into the Hudson River that visualizes the per capita daily water use for Poughkeepsie. Additional projects involve creating a map and regional ecology guide for the Fall Kill that indicates edible plants and suggests ways to conserve water. The projects will be documented by the Children’s Media Project.
The program will also establish collaboration with two Poughkeepsie High School Art classes that will incorporate the results of this project into class curriculum.
WHAT: Common Currents will kick-off a series of events as part of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s “Day in the Life of the Hudson River” program. The event will include water testing, art projects and an outdoor picnic made of locally foraged foods. Participants will become attuned to the river, not simply as a geographical feature, but rather as a dynamic zone where ecosystems, industry, recreation and labor become intertwined with its unfolding history.
WHEN: Kick-off event takes place Thursday October 10, 9:30AM – 1:15PM.
WHERE: Event starts at 9:30AM at Malcolm X Park on the corner of Catherine and Mansion Streets. From there the group will follow the path of the Fall Kill arriving at Waryas Park by 12:00PM. Events will continue at Waryas park from 12:00 NOON-1:15PM.
WHO: Common Currents is a collaboration between Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the ecological design group known as SPURSE (www.spurse.org), Poughkeepsie High School Art classes, the Children’s Media Project and the State University of New York at New Paltz Master of Fine Arts Students.
For more information, please contact: Matthew Friday, Graduate Coordinator Department of Art SUNY New Paltz, FridayM@NewPaltz.edu, or (845)257-2609
