Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Word Above the Street: The Water Tank Project




While we should thank Mother Nature for all she provides each day of our lives, April is commemorated as the official “Earth Month” throughout the world. 

One of the things that many of us take for granted each day is water. We wake each morning, hop in the shower, brush our teeth, fix our coffee and do not give a second thought as to when, where & how we will source our next sip of water. However, for over 1 billion people all over the world, the luxury of clean water is often a major issue leading to illness, poor education, unsanitary conditions, and even death. With the aim of raising awareness of the global water crisis, artist & activist Mary Jordan has enlisted the help of hundreds of artists from across the country to transform 100 of New York City’s water tanks into physical reminders that water is a major problem for many people in the world.

Have you walked the High Line recently? Or taken a trip on the B/D train into Brooklyn? Perhaps you saw them on your flight into the city. On the rooftops of buildings throughout the NYC area, there are some 17,000 tanks that act as the main source of water for residents, visitors, animals, businesses, etc. These towers provide the vital ingredient that makes daily life sustainable: safe water.

If you have a chance to visit NYC in the Summer of 2014, take a few minutes, get somewhere you can rise above the chaos that floods the city’s streets each day & take a little time to appreciate this movement and how each one of us can do a little each day to improve water conditions both in our city & across the world. 

The Water Tank Project
NYC Summer 2014





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