"lifelines"
salem, ma
June 2022

The theme for the 2022 Salem Arts Festival was, "connections."  We thought that the sailor's knot known as a "Monkey's Fist" was a great metaphor for this and we set about making a sculpture inspired by this idea.  We asked for the community's help to collect thousands of k-cups and water bottles and had some brave & tireless volunteers to clean the coffee out of them.  We went dumpster diving for the green plastic strapping that holds lumber and the community strung it all together into strands and giant plastic "knots."

"TOGETHER"
Salem, MA
June 2021

This Community Art Project was done as a part of the Salem Arts Festival in June of 2021.  It was designed and led by Grace & Diggs and built by the community.

After a year of pandemic lockdown and all the loss and isolation that entailed, spring came and things began to open up. We wanted to provide an opportunity for self-expression and a way to celebrate being able to gather again. 

In the springtime, acres of marine-grade shrink wrap is available as it comes off boats.  We scavenged this, cleaned and cut it into manageable pieces. The community wrote messages, poetry, drew pictures and decorated pieces of this plastic. They were then shaped into giant flowers and attached to a wreath-shaped metal frame. 

Projects like this one are made possible by the generosity of sponsors.  Thank you to Salem Main Streets, Emporium 32, Northey Street House Bed & Breakfast, The House of The Seven Gables, and all our wonderful volunteers.  Your belief in and support of public art makes the world a better place.