There’s something really wonderful about good, well thought out, ‘public art’. Not just art there for the public to look at – but for the public to get involved in. One of my tutors way back in foundation was involved in a lot of public art projects in Sussex and her enthusiasm was infectious. She’d talk about the excitement of the people she worked with, the late nights and very early mornings sourcing the strangest materials, the problems of getting the powers that be to agree, and the immense satisfaction and pride of the community when the project came together. It felt like something really exciting – a real team effort, which is often not the case with many other artistic endeavours.

I enjoyed the story behind this set of images, by installation artist Mandy Greer.

This project began with the creation of a 200+ foot fiber river, created in part through a series of over 30 community events all over Seattle during the spring of 2009. I taught anyone willing to learn how to crochet, with some contributing a few minutes of chain stitch and others sticking with me for a few hours.

The final project ended up with a performance:

Which yielded some great images – one comment on the set saying:

One of my favorites with the reflection. During the performance, people gasped when her hands and headdress went into the water…

Whether you love the final result of the work or not, I think the way the community got involved is wonderful.