My project is part art therapy, part environmental and 100% awesome! I want to build plastic bottle trees and bottle sculptures throughout a giant squatter community known as La Bandera in Nicaragua. This project will bring together the entire community for beauty and the greater good. Using the plastic bottles found surrounding the community, everyone will have the opportunity to paint and create their own unique part of the trees. Not only will they have the opportunity to create something from the trash we collect but it gives them an opportunity to be challenged and lose themselves creatively.
I am a huge advocate for art and music therapy, especially since being here. Sometimes the things that have happened here can't be explained and their are no words. As I watch children hold a paint brush for the first times and have the freedom to completely be themselves, I watch the world around them just stand still. I want to watch their worlds stand still everytime they walk past one of these beautiful tree sculptures. Even if it's just for a moment I want them to always know they are free to paint this world and create beauty and light for those around them and for themselves.
I can't imagine my life without inspiration and whimsy and I want to create that for this community that I love so much.
This project will include "planting" over a dozen trees throughout this community and 3 trees by the mainroad to the community. Each section of the community will be creating their own trees as well as each school classroom for the trees by the road.