Water, Water Everywhere?

By

A rendering of what the Water Tower Project would like to do.

As a twenty-something living on an island surrounded by water, I probably only think about it a handful of times a month–when it rains, when I’m dehydrated (read: hungover) and when I’m in the Rockaways pretending I don’t live in a bustling metropolis. But the truth is, we deal with water constantly and without it our lives with cease to function–it’s 60 percent of the human body, remember?

Last week I learned that more than 97.5% of all the water on the planet is salt water and only 2.5% is fresh water. Of that fresh water, 70% is locked up in glaciers and 30% is tied up in soil. This leaves less than 1% (.007%) of all the water on Earth for human consumption. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem like the infinite resource I always imagined it to be. And with each drop of information I learn, water makes its way to the very top of my environmental concern list. What pushed me into the deep end of water sustainability?

The Water Tank Project–a bid to remind New Yorkers about the importance of water through art.

This mammoth project began with one petite and powerful woman–Mary Jordan, artist, filmmaker and Brooklyn-based superwoman. Come spring of 2013, Jordan and her art gang intend to redefine our skyline by turning it into a veritable gallery, and powerful tool to revolutionize the way we think about water. All you’ll have to do is look up. Up, above your apartment, your office, the Whole Foods in Union Square, perching above thousands of buildings all over this city sit water tanks: wooden, weathered, long forgotten. The Water Tank Project will transform 100 of these water tanks across the five boroughs into spectacular pieces of art.

Renowned artists, scientists and musicians will create work on the topic of water which will then appear on those rooftop water towers, all to get you to put the plastic Poland Springs bottle down and start thinking about that wondrous mother of all molecules, H20.

Just last week The Water Tank Project launched their very ambitious Kickstarter campaign with an initial goal of $1 million by July 6–that’s right $1 million on Kickstarter. The money raised will support an open call for emerging artists around the world. Fifteen artists will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork on tanks. Funding will also go toward their partnership with New York City public schools. Students will be educated about water sustainability and will create their own tank for a rooftop. By spring of 2013, spectators can take in all of these towers on walking tours, biking tours, through several apps that are in development and via social media. Look up New Yorkers, because from now on it’s water, water everywhere.

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)