Our group believes the best title for our project would be “Water Pollution of New York” because not only does it highlight the central theme of all the works, but also the main concept around which the whole project revolves. 

We want our project to focus on the issue of water pollution in New York. We believe water pollution is an often overlooked form of pollution and that not enough attention is given to it. In fact, it is even sometimes ignored. The main form of water pollution we would like to focus on in our project is plastic and through the art piece show its effects on the water, wildlife, and the environment of New York. New York is submerged under tons of plastic that is consumed by people. From plastic bags to plastic bottles, the pollution grows each day. The problem is so severe that the state wants to ban the usage of plastic bags. A major portion of this plastic ends up in the waters of New York which is the issue that we want to address; we want to encourage New Yorkers, specifically our generation, to be cautious of the use of plastic. The consequences are detrimental to our environment and the water that we later consume. 

The way our group is thinking of showing our art project and the central problem we are conveying, is by surrounding various works of art all around one big central piece. The central piece would be the Staten Island Ferry, which will be about 24in by 6in by 6in, and will, for the most part, be made out of cardboard. Resting on top of the ferry, will be an endangered bird species that has been affected by plastic in New York City waters and will also be made out of polyester clay, a form of plastic. The bird will also have plastic attached to it, as to show that it is affected by plastic in the water. Birds are strangled by plastic; to them, the plastic smells and looks like food. Moreover, it is easy for them to have access to it as the plastic floats on the water. Our goal is to depict the threat that plastic has not only on the birds, but also on the wildlife in the New York waters. Additionally, enclosing the boat will be a pool of water made out of cardboard and cotton balls, which will include actual plastic bottles. These bottles will have poems and photographs inside of them. The photographs will be illustrating a physical representation of water pollution, which will show plastic bottles and waste in our waters. The poems in particular will be written by our group in either a Walt Whitman style or as erasure poems. We will construct these poems in various ways such as printing them, pasting them to construction paper, or hand writing poems. These poems will focus on the theme of water pollution in NYC and the causes, effects, and the solution to this problem. To tie this all together we will have a sign, a form of political art, acting as the motivation for our generation to save the waters and our environment from pollution. The sign will grab the attention of our audience, gaining their interest to further explore our project. This exploration will lead them to the realization and acknowledgement of the water pollution that we are facing. 

 The Staten Island Ferry in our project will represent New York City as a whole; although it is not the most general interpretation and most commonly used site to describe New York City, the audience will understand what we are trying to embody. Furthermore, the bird on top of the ferry will most likely entice the audience as it is a mimesis of an animal and through seeing plastic parts surrounding and attached to the bird, they will interpret it as the bird being harmed and hurt by the plastic. The water, containing the plastic bottles, is the projects most literal and authentic representation of the central theme, water pollution, and will be a clear symbol of the high amounts of plastic in the New York City water. Adding on, we would like the project to be very interactive so the water bottles will not actually be attached to the water. The bottles could be picked up and we encourage the viewer to look inside them and take out either the poem or photograph inside them. Through the person taking out the poems and photographs, he or she is now more connected to the project. Furthermore, we believe that the best way for a person to see and learn about our central issue is if they could physically interact with it and that’s what we hope to accomplish with the plastic bottles.

In summary, we hope that onlookers will be drawn in by the unique shape of our STEAM project: a ferry clad with various kinds of artforms within a blue cotton-ball ocean. The biggest object, which is also the centerpiece of our project, is sure to be the first thing the people are curious about, along with our sign of course. Once they examine the intricacies of the ferry, we want them to inspect how the other aspects, such as the wildlife on top and the plastic bottles below, of the larger project play a role in weaving the altogether larger message that we are pushing for, to not only inform the people about the infamous air pollutants of the grandiose New York City, but also the pollution that exists beneath the depths of the murky water. 

The main goal we want to achieve through this project is helping the audience get a deeper understanding of the issue of water pollution and the effects it has on the actual water itself, the environment, and the wildlife of New York City. Furthermore, we hope to inform them about the harm plastic really has on water. Overall, we want to leave the audience more acquainted with the issue and make them think next time about recycling their water bottles. Also, maybe even inspire them to help clean up trash when they see it in the water.