The next time you walk under the trellis in Christopher Columbus Park, look up.
A sculpture called “Changing Course” is being installed on the underside of trellis along the waterfront. It consists of hundreds of plastic water bottles collected in just two months from residents and businesses in the North End and Waterfront, painted and hung to look like a school of fish. Students at the Nazzaro Center, and residents of the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, as well as many other local volunteers painted the bottles, and everyone enjoyed participating in making and hanging the fish.
This art installation was inspired by research about Henderson Island, “the most polluted, most remote island in the whole world,” a tiny landmass in the eastern South Pacific which has been found by marine scientists to have the highest density of debris recorded anywhere in the world, 99.8% of it plastic items. The most common items found on the island were everyday consumer goods – items we think of as ‘disposable’ or ‘single-use’. The idea behind the art piece is to show that we can change the course of trash –instead of all these bottles headed toward the ocean, and perhaps eventually to Henderson Island, we can recycle, or limit our use of these plastic items. Also, perhaps people will become more aware of what happens to the trash we use every day, and how quickly it can accumulate.
Installation will continue for a few more weeks, and the finished sculpture will be up until the end of September. When this installation is removed, all pieces will be recycled.
For any questions about this project, please contact Robyn Reed at robynr@foccp.org.
The Friends of Christopher Columbus Park (FOCCP) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization made up of North End and Waterfront neighbors and businesses working together for Christopher Columbus Park. The FOCCP works closely with the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department to keep the park clean and well maintained.
I’m hoping, when this installation is removed, we will be able to buy individual strings of fish. I would love to have them to decorate my balcony on the Prince Building. I have friends with beach houses and would gift them. Just use your imagination!
There will be tinsel on mine during the holiday season.
What fun!