Back to grants list     Part I. Applicant and Project Information   Title of project: Mary Mattingly Visit and Earth Day Showcase Project manager: Andrea Zampitella School: High School Curriculum: Other   Part II: Grant proposal   Summary: Back in 2009 I was walking through Brooklyn, NY when I stumbled upon "The Waterpod" a publicly accessible barge and artist commune that was in the middle of its 6- month tour of New York City's waterways. The Waterpod was a prototype for ecological sustainability in sculptural form by the artist Mary Mattingly. On board the barge, it's occupants gathered and treated rainwater for eating, bathing and cleaning. They used solar and wind energy for power, recycled and composted all of their waste and grew much of their food.The Waterpod asked visitors to consider alternatives for a sustainable local ecology. Flying high in the sky was a flag that read "I remember Earth." Mary’s grim outlook on the future with climate change on the horizon prompted her interest in a different way of living and working. She considers her work to be a sort of "utopia", a space to capture people's imaginations and a place to educate them in the process. Since "The Waterpod", Mary has continued to make work that asks important questions of us. Who has access? Who has control? What if food could be a human right? Her work asks us to consider our role in the global economy. I am hoping to bring Mary in as a guest lecturer at Winchester High School. I would like to use the Library to prompt discussions and display student work throughout the day. Students in various classes could educate each other on topics such as water filtration systems, recycling and conservation, foraging and native crops, solar and wind energy, urban gardening, bee-keeping, dome culture in the 21st century, alternative architecture structures- teepees, yurts, zomes and earth houses, conservation and composting, global warming and climate change,mushroom papermaking, permaculture and regenerative urban agriculture, herbal ethnography, reclaiming the sea etc. These are just some ideas. Classes could come down throughout the day to participate and learn from their peers and converse with Mary. At the conclusion of the day Mary will hold a lecture in the auditorium. I am excited by the way Mary's work galvanizes her audience to take action. Her work inspires her belief of our shared responsibility to care for the earth and each other.   Part III: Grant Amount Supplies: $500.00 Equipment: $0.00 Personnel: $2,000.00   Total costs: $2,500.00 Back to grants list