Part 2 Plarn Project: Arena @ Sculpture Key West 2010

We just received the news that our proposal for the 15th Anniversary Invitational Sculpture Key West Exhibition was accepted. With your help, we will be creating a ball pit that will contain 100 cubic feet of plarn balls. The installation will begin January 8, 2009 and the show will open on the 16th.  The exhibition will be up until April 16th.

We still have our plarn balls from the first installation. These equal approximately 10 cubic feet. Help us make our goal of 100 cubic feet! We are also putting together our website where this work will be featured. Please visit www.gohein.com for updates, information on how to participate, and tools for the classroom. It is still under constructions but expect changes daily.

In the meantime, plarn away. We ask that there be no labels this time as the work will be outside and exposed to weather. To help secure the ball, tape down the final tail of plarn. Remember to wrap tightly. Also, if you want to eliminate waste, use the trimmed handles and seams as the center of the plarn ball by wrapping your plarn around it.

We will be giving all schools or participants recognition on the website if they let us know they will be joining in the fun. Feel free to email us at plarnproject@gmail.com or j.gohein@gmail.com.

Through this project, we hope to continue awareness and advocacy for art education and the environment.

Thank you for your help.

Jennifer and Nathaniel

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.