The River
On Saturday, November 3rd, 2007, the River Artists Collective transformed the unfinished portion of the mill building that houses Hawbridge School into a space that interpreted and reflected the Haw River. Original work created specifically for this project filled the cavernous space with a virtual river, mixed media river critters, whimsical spirits, and woodland sprites. Jazz musician Jon Metzger played. Jean Kaplan, coordinator of the event, said, “When you see the river, it’s not just this body of water where you can get into a kayak and run down the river. It’s a body of water that has sustained our culture and the culture that came before us.”
On Friday, November 2nd, a school-wide cookout was held at Hawbridge and the Bricolage artists invited to take a break from their installations and join the students for lunch. A connecting doorway between the school and the art exhibit was opened so that visitors to the festival also could view the school.
Since Hawbridge School students use the Haw River on a daily basis for science projects, inspiration for art works, as a photography subject, as a place to gather data and count tiny animals for the Haw River Assembly river preservation studies, and as a canoeing and kayaking locale, emphasis in the school’s River Unit was on other rivers. Bob Wysenski, lead engineer for the Cuyahoga River cleanup in Ohio, addressed the student body about the success of that process.
Visiting scholars from the Institute for the Environment at UNC-Chapel Hill and the EPA discussed river health. From a scientific perspective students investigated waves -- not just water waves but light waves, sound waves, radio waves, and X-rays – in math, physics, and science classes. Students analyzed water quality results and studied river biology.
The highlight of the River Unit was a week-long Music Festival that featured the music that developed along the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis, including Cajun, jazz, blues, rock and roll, and bluegrass. Durham blues artists performed blues, jazz, rock and roll, Cajun, bluegrass, and other music genres found along this corridor. Ms. Lisa Furukawa, music teacher, coordinated the festivities, which culminated in a visit by blues artist Lightnin’ Wells.