Now that our first annual Watch Read Listen program has officially come to a close we would like to reflect on the Artist of the Summer series.

Artist of the Summer is a 5 week series that takes place within the annual Watch Read Listen program. It is a collaborative art project meant to engage the Waltham community both through the creation of and viewing of an art project. The intention is to create and use communal art as a means to begin a thoughtful dialogue.

Artists Sarah Leon and Molly MacKenzie teamed up this year and designed 5 interactive workshops to create a single display. Inspired by The Jungle Book we focused largely on Indian culture and environmental conservation. We used recycled materials to create the display while listening to traditional Indian music. The five programs in order were:

“Letters to the Sky” – creation of the backdrop
“Roots, Rocks and Rattlesnakes” – creation of the jungle floor
“I Speak for the Trees” – creation of the tree trunks
“Money Grows on Trees” – creation of the branches and leaves
“The Secret Life of Beasts” – creation of the animals

Thank you to all who participated in the creation of the display and to all who viewed and commented on it. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Use your art and voice to create a positive dialogue in your community.

There is no community without unity.
Together look at what we can do.
Keep on creating!

Respect,
Molly MacKenzie
2016