Eco-artist to lead workshop on storm-water artMarch 16, 2011 KALAMAZOO--An artist whose eco-friendly sculpture helps improve water quality while offering something inspirational to look at will visit Western Michigan University next week to give a lecture and lead a workshop aimed at creating a local storm water art project. Biosculpture Lecture Environmental artist Jackie Brookner will present a "Biosculpture Lecture" at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24, in Room 2008 of the Richmond Center for Visual Arts as part of the Gwen Frostic Environmental Studies Lecture Series. A reception will follow. Storm Water Workshop She also will conduct a "Storm Water Workshop" from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 25, in Room 1305 of South Kohrman Hall. Participants will work together on the design of a functional sculpture, with hopes of building it on campus in the future. If undertaken, the art project would remediate storm water and serve to educate the campus community about the importance of reducing storm water runoff. Lunch will be provided. Those interested in attending the workshop should register by 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, via e-mail to denise.keele@wmich.edu. Working in collaboration with ecologists, design professionals, communities and policy makers, Brookner creates water remediation public art projects for wetlands, rivers, streams and storm water runoff. The projects demonstrate how the undervalued resources of storm water and other polluted water can be reclaimed and used to create lush environments and expressive and multifunctional public spaces. Brookner calls her living sculptures "biosculptures." The evocative, plant-based systems clean polluted water, integrating ecological revitalization with the conceptual, metaphoric and aesthetic capabilities of sculpture. The projects raise community awareness of the urgency of restoring health to aquatic ecosystems. Brookner has completed biosculpture projects across the nation and world, from San Jose, Calif., and Tillamook, Ore., to New York City and West Palm Beach, Fla. Overseas, her work can be seen in Finland, Germany and Spain, and her public art projects have won a long list of awards. Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu WMU News |
