Waste Not, Want Not: Saturday, March 20, 4–5:30pm
Artist Talk with Michelle Lougee, Samantha Fields, and Charlotte Milan
Zoom program, register at:
https://tinyurl.com/wastenottalk
Artists are challenging the disposable culture of 21st century capitalism by highlighting the environmental damage of waste while transforming trash into art. Join two of the Boston area's most thought provoking practitioners: Michelle Lougee and Samantha Fields, joined by Charlotte Milan, Recycling Coordinator for the Town of Arlington.
A large-scale collaborative public art project developed with the community for the Minuteman Bikeway, through the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture’s first artist-in-residence program.
An introduction to a collaborative public art project led by artist-in-residence Michelle Lougee and public art curator Cecily Miller. Persistence is part of the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture's ongoing Pathways Public Art Program. Through Michelle's residency, over 100 people of all ages contributed to a project that transformed thousands of single use plastic bags into art for the Minuteman Bikeway. Fabricated using basic crochet techniques, the sculpture is inspired by organic forms, including single cell organisms found naturally in water.
The project message is that single use plastic persists in our environment for more than 100 years, breaking down into microplastics that enter the food chain and, ultimately, our own bodies. Persistence will be required to reduce plastic waste, but this is essential to preserve human and environmental health. Persistence was also required for the project volunteers, who continued to participate during the COVID-19 pandemic despite many challenges. The vibrant display of large scale sculpture, installed in trees along the Bikeway near Spy Pond, demonstrates the amazing things we can accomplish working together.