
July 28, 2021
“Migration” by Sarah Kavage at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia, PA, was inspired by a bird in flight, and is one of 15 sculpture installations made of natural materials from the Delaware River watershed
Featuring sculptures, community gatherings, performances, and an innovative role-play card game that prompts outdoor fun, Lenapehoking~Watershed: a place for water, art and culture offers multiple opportunities for the public to relax, be inspired, play, and connect at the 23 outdoor nature spaces that form the Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River (AWE).
Seattle-based artist Sarah Kavage has been immersed in the fields, wetlands and woods of the Delaware watershed region, building Water Spirit, an array of site-responsive sculpture installations created by using natural materials found in the local landscape. Water Spirit is supported by collaborations with community artists and thoughtful events rooted, literally and figuratively, in the green spaces and waterways known as Lenapehoking. “For me, the physical object is only a small part of what art is about. It is the place, its history, and human interactions that truly create it,” says Kavage.
Sarah Kavage in her braided grasses, part of the Water Spirit series. Photo by 15 Minutes15 Minutes/Alliance for Watershed Education
Lenapehoking~Watershed lead artist Sarah Kavage (second from left, in overalls) poses with local build team Adriana Amador Chacon, Breiner Garcia, and Priscilla Rios (named from L-R) in front of the sculpture Christina Suncatcher, shortly after they finished building it in June 2021.Sarah Kavage/Lenapehoking-Watershed
Al Mudhif Installation, Schuylkill Center for Environmental EducationTina Plokarz/Alliance for Watershed Education
Al Mudhif, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.Tina Plokarz/Alliance for Watershed Education
Artist Misty Sol building Furrow at Bartram's Garden.
Lead support for the Lenapehoking~Watershed is provided by the William Penn Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Barra Foundation, the Delaware Division for the Arts, the Joseph Robert Foundation, and the Velocity Fund.
The Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River is a regional initiative of 23 partnering environmental education centers located along waterways in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The Delaware River watershed is a 13,500-square mile system which provides clean drinking water for 13 million people. Through aligned communications, joint programming and shared best practices among the centers, the Alliance works toward inspiring a healthy Delaware River watershed with diverse communities and people empowered to sustain it. For updates about AWE activities, sign up for a newsletter, follow on Instagram and Facebook.