A collaboration with Coal Creek WatershedCoalition (CCWC).
Last autumn, I collaborated with a local non-profit, CCWC, to create temporary artworks in the landscape along a route that highlighted their recent reclamation and restoration works in the Upper Slate River Watershed. The artworks were an homage to water that gently noted how water is a great connector of all life.
A bike tour, including water and mining reclamation experts, would stop at key positions to talk about progress on cleaning up old mine sites and the state of water in that particular valley.
I had two pieces on site. The first consisted of 100 blue flags meandering down a hillside in an area where water obviously travels to the Slate River below during the spring run-off. The second was a group of three paper cut-outs placed close to the Slate River. These cut-outs alluded to patterns of water.
This collaboration was significant for me as it was the first time I had a present audience and the artworks were 'happening' for a set time where many people, hiking and biking, could come across my work in the landscape. Up until this piece, the work occurred in a very private manner and was shared only through photographs.
I approached the CCWC to collaborate because I believe art can add so much to the conversation environmentally-engaged nonprofits are having with their communities.
Soon, we will be meeting again to talk about the possibilities of another artistic collaboration. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks to Great Big Color of Denver for donating a wonderful chrome coated paper for the cut-outs.
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