Water Support Group
Saturday, November 19th, 7 PM – 9 PM
Location: The Water Bar
2516 Central Avenue, NE, Minneapolis, MN, 55418
Plotform (Jane D. Marsching + Andi Sutton) led a storytelling event that painted a portrait of the challenges facing Minnesota waters with a focus on empathy, activism, and change. Invited guests shares personal stories of water crisis, failure, challenge, solution, and connection from across the state and from a myriad of perspectives and communities. Stories were shared by Kip Peltoniemi, Paul Eaves, Sarah Peters, Molly Balcolm Raleigh (from Finland!), Andi Sutton, Shanai Matteson, and Kent Scheer. The event, a cross between an AA meeting and a Moth Story Hour, amplified the work of water activists and advocates as well as individuals reflecting on current challenges to promote a vibrant understanding of the interconnected issues of water, ecology, place, community, policy, and behavior.
We were delighted to partner with The Water Bar and Public Studio, where we held the event. The Water Bar is a hub for art, science, and community docusined on water and the ways it connects and sustains us. Shanai Matteson, one of the duo Works Progress, served water from contaminated and cleanish groundwaters. We served Pringles, which is grown from industrially farmed potatos in northern Minnesota (subject of one of the stories) and organic potato chips grown on more sustainable farmed sites.
We also sang three songs together: Sweet Water Rolling by Peggy Seeger, Floodplain Ballad by Molly Balcolm Raleigh, and Who’ll Stop the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The event began with some readings from our Library of Warning and Protection, including passages from Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit. Here are a few images from the event:
Projected onto a large 9′ foghorn were video excerpts from a much longer video compilation of watery places throughout Minnesota, from a water treatment plant to a highway abutting a river, from a backyard fountain to a suburban puddle, from the Mississippi to a water pipe. Here are some stills from the video Finding Water Minnesota, 2016 (camera work by Andi Sutton and Kyra Nygard)
This event is part of a larger Plotform event, Water Quality Chorus, in R&D now for a performance June 10 2017 in Minneapolis at the amazing Northernspark Festival.
Project partners include:
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