Artist:
Parts Per Million Collective
Emily Newman & Edward Kelley
Site:
Wilson’s Orchard & Farm, Cumming, Iowa
“As artists, we believe that art must play a role in climate solutions. “It’s in the Water” is inspired by iconic barn quilts seen across the landscape and environmental concerns for Iowa’s waterways.”
Emily Newman & Edward Kelley
It’s in the Water is an anchored, floating sculpture created from upcycled outdoor plastics visually formatted to resemble regional barn quilts. Slated to be installed on a ponds at Wilson’s Orchard & Farm in Cumming, Iowa, It’s in the Water continues PPM’s research of SPARCC (Semi Passive Algae Rooted Carbon Collector) to mitigate the effects of climate change.
This research was successfully tested as Artists in Residence at Iowa Lakeside Lab in 2023. It’s in the Water continues Parts Per Million’s (PPM) research of their invention of SPARCC to mitigate the effects of climate change. Each of the eight self-contained algae bioreactors within It’s in the Water will be working to remove excess nitrates in the pond and remove atmospheric carbon using algae’s potential for rapid growth.
The sculptural quilt pattern is created by cutting, stitching, and arranging the colorful salvaged plastic shapes into an 8 pointed star quilt block. The sculpture will be 18’ x 18’, anchored at 4 corners with SPARCC buoys placed along the edges to maintain buoyancy.
Edward Kelley and Emily Newman are contemporary artists and educators based in Des Moines, Iowa. Both artists maintain individual artistic practices while also being married with two children. Recently they have begun to connect their concepts and materials.
