Art & Democracy: Culture Jam Project February 2017
inAQUAnation
by: Bethany Tindell
This project is inspired by the discovery of high amounts of perflourinated chemicals (PFCs) in fountain creek in Widefield, Security, and Fountain, Colorado on October 18th, 2016. The PFCs were introduced into the sewer system by Peterson AFB through a leak from a tank containing fire retardant. Products like fire retardant and grease repelling surfaces found in non-stick pans contain PFCs and put communities at risk for auto-immune disease and cancer.
My goal with this project is to educate our community about the risks of PFCs by shop-dropping bottled water that has been relabeled with my design. The new label includes information about what the project is and where more information can be found. The bottled water has been reincorporated into grocery stores in Colorado Springs, CO. I hope that customers will pick up my product, read the information given on the label, and become involved in researching and reeducating those around them about the risks PFCs have in our bodies.
The bottle itself no longer has a UPC code for purchasing. The label advertises that the product is free and welcomes the customer to “take & share.” Capitalism can be disrupted where the “buyer” and the “seller” will take the time to interact with the product and, hopefully, become aware of the situation happening in the Widefield, Security, and Fountain areas.
Here is an interactive map showing the locations that have been affected:
http://cdphe.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Viewer/index.html?appid=c4a9ab0918dc4c559f42dcded852eb2d
Follow this link to the project information blog:
Here is the list of drop sites and dates:
02/15/17 — King Soopers (Austin Bluffs & Academy)
02/15/17 — Walmart (Austin Bluffs & Academy)
02/15/17 — Walmart (Union & Lelaray)
02/17/17 — Mountain Mamas (Uintah & N. 17th St.)
02/20/17 — King Soopers (Uintah & N. 19th St)
02/20/17 — King Soopers (Fillmore & Centennial)
02/20/17 — Albertson’s (Centennial & Garden of the Gods Rd.)
02/20/17 — Trader Joes (N. Nevada & N. Campus Heights)
02/22/17 — GOCA (University of Colorado Colorado Springs)
There was an average of three bottles dropped at each site. I checked on the bottles the following week and they were gone.
This is an ongoing project and I plan on continuing the drops throughout the Spring 2017 semester. I started with North, West, and Central Colorado Springs and will continue to move south, ending in Fountain, CO.
