I’d Rather be Fishin’, 2009
DeVos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University and the City of Marquette, MI
In conjunction with the Smart Museum’s traveling exhibition Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art, members of Material Exchange were invited to participate in a short project-based residency in Marquette, Michigan through the DeVos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University. The project began with a retired wooden fishing boat refashioned into a truck topper for transportation to the Upper Peninsula atop a slick Chevy Silverado rental. Upon reaching its destination, the topper was transformed and installed upon the frozen inland body of water, Teal Lake. The sculpture was collaboratively designed and built over 5 days with high school and college students while Material Exchange was in residence. In the warming months of spring, the turtle will sink to the bottom of the lake and assume its final role as a freshwater fish habitat. The specific design requirements were determined by the Department of Natural Resources and coordinated by the Superior Watershed Partnership. The entire process was documented with stop-motion animation.
Collaborators on this project include: Melissa Matuscak (Director of the DeVos Art Museum), Carl Lindquist (Superior Watershed Partnership), Joy Bender-Hadley, Emily Bouckaert, Cecilia Brown, Nikki Bruge, Erik Coursey, Barbara Kerkove, Mike McCarthy, Tom McManus, and Aaron Sault.
