From dry granite slabs in the Beinecke Plaza, a river sprang forth Monday.
Call it an Earth Day miracle. Or call it “Quinnipiac River Bottled,” an interactive art piece by artist Fritz Horstman.
On Monday, Horstman coordinated the creation of a model of the Quinnipiac River, made of plastic bottles filled with water by passersby. Click the video to hear Horstman’s explanation of the piece.
The one-day installation marked Earth Day, the environmental holiday, and was part of Yale’s “Celebrate Sustainability” week. The piece was designed to draw attention to the environmental cost of bottled water and the Quinnipiac River’s role — or lack thereof — in our lives. It was supported by the Regional Water Authority, the Garden Club of New Haven, and the Yale Peabody Museum.
Volunteers from the Peabody’s after school program helped out with the installation, then dismantled the sculpture Monday evening. The water was poured out in “vegetated areas” and the bottles were recycled.