Catch a 'Wave' at the New Haven Free Public Library

NEW HAVEN – A Wave installation will be held at the New Haven Free Public Library from 1 to 3 p.m. April 26  at 133 Elm St., according to a release.

The installations also will take place at libraries in Stamford, Willimantic and New London, the release said.

The Wave "is an interactive exhibit envisioned by two Connecticut artists to raise awareness of the vital role water plays in our lives," the release said.

"The Wave’s simple design and colorful materials are intended to engage people of all ages and abilities in a contemplation of water," the release said. "Participants cut their own 'wave' out of recyclable, polycarbonate film and see it hung aloft along with hundreds of other individual shapes, to create a community wave."

 

“New Haven residents are blessed with two major waterviews: the Quinnipiac River and Long Island Sound.  The Wave installation will serve as a tangible—and  beautiful—reflection on our essential connection to water,”  said Carol Brown, the library’s programming manager, also in the release.

 

Also in the release: "Connecticut artists Susan Hoffman Fishman and Elena Kalman created The Wave two years ago in response to the 2011 tsunami that struck Japan. The Wave’s first installation in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem (Mass,.)was so well received, Kalman said, that the artists decided to make this celebration of water a national effort. "

“There’s a limited amount of water on this planet,” Hoffman Fishman said, also in the release.  “More and more of it is being polluted, and a lot of areas in the world are now having water shortages, and we have to pay attention to that.”

 

“Sharing in the process of contributing to a local work of art that is part of a national movement connects us to an important global issue,” said Jennifer Keohane, executive director of the Connecticut Library Consortium, one of The Wave’s sponsors, in the release. “And,” she added, “The Wave certainly stands alone as a compelling work of art.”

"At each site, the artists work with public participants to build community and celebrate water. At New Haven Free Public Library, wave-shaped pieces cut by individuals will be hung from a cord that is strung and folded over the balconies in the Library’s main lobby, creating a dynamic, flowing wave in bold colors, reflecting the beauty and power of water.

Each host WAVE community was chosen because of its work to protect water. For example, in New Haven, plans are underway for a Shoreline Stabilization Project and the development of a Waterfront Park in Fair Haven."

 

A Mystic Aquarium’s aquatic touch tank that will be on site during the installation.

 

"The water theme continues at the Library on Wednesday, May 7, when  Tom Andersen discusses his book, "This Fine Piece of Water, an environmental history of Long Island Sound," at 6 p.m. For more information about these events, call the library at 203-946-8835.

 

  Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. Click one of the buttons below to share it.