One River’s Trash is the Same River’s  Treasure

Title : Mississippi River Pearl   2022
Dimensions :  4’ W X 5’ W x 7’ T
Media: Mixed Media- Mississippi River trash and objects with a previous history
An Art to Change the World Collaboration: Project Manager Barbara Bridges and group members Frances Bates, Amada Marquez Simula, Greg Volker, Margo Ashmore, Annie Merrell, Neil Granlund, Katherine Boyce, Alexis Schramel, and Kelly Frankenberg.

The creation of Pearl was funded by a Mississippi Watershed Management Organization Stewardship Fund Program grant and the project led ten people to meet, collect trash along the Mississippi and participate in an immersive curriculum unit which was collaboratively developed by Barbara and the participants themselves - including a scientist, journalist, mayor, teachers, and artists!

All participants created this elegant 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. Paper was made by Alexis 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 us forage on the west side of the river in his electric pontoon.

Open all 21 drawers! Take a memento and research card or two. Sit on the throne, meditate and snap a photo. Post on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok using #ArtToChangeTheWorld and #MississippiRiverPearl. Send us that photo! 
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