A Cross-Continental Art Installation (from Hawaii Island to Main South!)

Last week, in partnership with local at heart artist Sue Champeny, who splits her time between Worcester and Hawaii Island, the REC community installed a fence mosaic at one of our EAT Center Gardens in Main South!

Knowing the story behind the recycled materials makes the mosaic all the more beautiful. In talking to Sue about her inspiration for the project, she mentioned the parallels between Hawaii Island and Worcester. According to Sue, with similar populations (around 185,000 for each), the two far-away places share many of the same societal challenges: "internet connectivity, children having a hard time getting to school, families living in food deserts, we see many of the same issues."

This art installation connects two communities from across the nation, and transforms what could have been trash in Hawaii Island's singular landfill to a true community treasure for Main South.

Sue rescued, cleaned, packaged and shipped the recycled materials over 5,000 miles to Worcester. From here, YouthGROWers and community volunteers assembled the toothbrush handles, bottle caps, and plasticware into flowers and rainbows! Last week, the REC community came together to finish the project and create the mosaic. Sue captured the essence of the project when she said "now the fence around the garden reflects the magic that's happening inside."

This cross-continental project was able to happen thanks to the Creative Catalyst Grant, generously funded by the Barr Foundation and Mass Development. Keep an eye on the blog to learn about the other projects funded through this grant (including a POW WOW mural at the YouthGROW farm!)