Make the Connection!

A river is an intricate puzzle, with many pieces or elements coming together in various ways to influence each other and the overall system.  Over the years, I’ve come to understand more about not just the individual pieces (insects, fish, weather, soil, water, topography, vegetation and human influence, to name a few) but also about how they mesh to form a much bigger picture

The BRAT, too, is an intricate and dynamic puzzle, formed by projects, grants, fundraisers, businesses, the media, citizens, and (most importantly!) the volunteers.  Without just one of these essential pieces, the BRAT would be less.  Much less.

On that note, I am very excited to announce our involvement with a very special project!  With 2009 being the ten-year anniversary of our annual RiverSweep cleanup event, I have decided to celebrate the Black River by celebrating YOU, the volunteers and partners.  I have linked with the Vermont Arts Council to participate in their statewide community arts project, ART fits VERMONT.  It’s a project that is “greater than the sum of its parts”, and it’s about being a piece of the puzzle that we call “home.”  As befits our group, the BRAT puzzle theme is, not surprisingly, the Black River.

Throughout the coming 6 months, the BRAT will offer 15” x 15” puzzle pieces (wood or paper) for you to sign out, decorate, and return to me before September 30, 2009.  Keeping in mind the Black River theme, use whatever media you like (paint, markers, carving, embossing, collage, etc.) and use the puzzle piece to celebrate something that connects YOU and your family to the Black River .  Some ideas could include boating, wildlife, winter, fishing, birds, bugs, history, geology, or a collage of photos taken on the Black.  However the river makes that connection with you or your family, I’d love to see it!  Artistic ability is NOT a pre-requisite for this project!

The ultimate goal of this exciting project is to gather all the pieces at the end of the year, fit them together in the most effective and meaningful pattern, and then have the fun of displaying it wherever we go!  The town library might host our pieces, local businesses or vacant store-fronts, even the community center may display them.  I plan to share our pieces via email with the Vermont Arts Council and to take at least some of the pieces “on tour” as we display our BRAT booth at the Windsor County Ag Fair, Ludlow Zucchini Festival, and Chester Craft Fair, as well as any other community events we can get to.

The Black River will be celebrated for years to come, through the imagination and creativity of you, the people who live, play and work on or near her lovely waters.

To reserve your puzzle piece, please shoot me an email as soon as possible: blackrivercleanup@yahoo.com and thank you in advance for your participation.

Kelly Stettner