Artists transform river trash
David Williamson of Boone, one of the collaborating artists explains the catfish made of various bike seats to interested individuals. Project AWARE, A Watershed Awareness River Expedition, is a volunteer program where people travel on various rivers for a week to find trash and turn it into works of art. Photo: Rebekka Brown/Iowa State Daily
February 23, 2010
Trash salvaged from Iowa’s rivers by hundreds of volunteers was transformed into artwork. An exhibit showcasing the results opened Tuesday at 7 p.m. and will remain on display throughout the day Wednesday in the Oak Room of the Memorial Union.
The exhibit is part of Project AWARE — A Watershed Awareness River Expedition — the Department of Natural Resources’ annual river cleanup event.
Hundreds of volunteers from Iowa and surrounding states spend one week canoeing down Iowa’s rivers fishing out recyclable materials.
The art exhibit features three sculptures made from those materials. Artist David Williamson used the experiences of the project’s volunteers and the help of Iowa State Fair attendees to create the sculptures “Drop In,” “Fair Catch” and “Strongback.”
Each piece of art represents a different series of rivers and a different set of volunteers.
This artistic element of Project AWARE, called Riverse, began in 2004 to help generate more attention for the project that attempts to reverse the damage to Iowa’s rivers.
Some of the things volunteers have removed from the rivers include dishwashers, carpets and computers. Merry Rankin, a Project AWARE participant and program manager of the office of sustainability, recalls digging through huge piles of salvaged trash to find recyclable material.
However, the volunteers can recover more than metal and trash. Rankin said a Bible and other family heirlooms were returned to their owners after a tornado hit Iowa City in 2006.
“You were so humbled when you saw how much work these guys have done,” she said, “A big part of the sculpture series is to really illustrate how every one person can make a difference.”
Faculty and students can view the Riverse exhibit and meet its creator, David Williamson, completely free of charge in the Memorial Union.
Tuesday night’s open exhibit preceded Yvon Chouinard’s talk, “Innovation and Ethics,” at 8 p.m. in the Great Hall.
The lecture and exhibit were part of Iowa State’s second annual Symposium on Sustainability, a two-day event.
Project AWARE’s eighth week-long river cleanup event is scheduled to occur July 10 – 17 on the West and East Nishnabotna Rivers.
Iowa State has sponsored Project AWARE for seven years through the Outdoor Recreations Services, and faculty and student volunteer participation.
