Participating in the Plarn Project

Please let us know that you have joined us in The Plarn Project. You can do this by posting a comment to the blog or emailing us at plarnproject@gmail.com. If you send us pictures of your plarn, we will post them to the blog and start a list of participants.

Plarn on!

Welcome to the Plarn Project

Nathaniel Hein and Jennifer Gonzales are artists who work collaboratively to address societal concerns through art.  Currently, we are showing work in Sculpture Key West 2009.  Recently, we were invited to participate in a show in Brooklyn, NY.  One of the themes is to work with a teacher that inspires you.  As we have both taught in elementary and middle schools and are currently teaching at the college level, it is too difficult to choose just one teacher who inspires us.  We have decided to attempt a collaborative piece with any teachers and schools that would like to participate as we are inspired by the profession and want to support arts in schools.  Also, we believe that change comes from participation and awareness.

The idea for the piece is to address the waste caused by plastic shopping bags.  We are asking that teachers and/or schools contribute plarn (plastic yarn) balls made from clean, reused plastic shopping bags.  All gathered plarn balls will become part of the installation if received by May 10, 2009.  We envision a room similar to a child's ball pen as pictured above.  We are looking for plarn balls of al

l colors and sizes. Please label all plarn balls with your school's name, teacher's name, grade level(s), state or location, and the number of bags used to make the plarn ball.  

We will post the names of all schools and the number of bags used and balls contributed on this blog.  We will be giving special recognition for the largest plarn ball, the most plarn balls, and the plarn ball traveling the farthest distance.  

To the right you will find: 

• Address of where plarn balls are to be shipped
  
• A slide show of how to make plarn
• Links to other sites about plarn and recycling plastic bags that you can use with your class

Hope you can join us in creating this work. If you have questions, just email us at plarnprojectatgmaildotcom. (use appropriate symbols) or post to the blog.

Keep checking back for updates and information.