Fourth Annual Fine Art Exhibition-We the People: Preserve our Right to Clean Water
Visual art offers a gentle, powerful way to celebrate and honor the past —bringing together memory, hope, and community in images that speak to everyone. Through paintings, murals, photographs, and sculptures, artists can honor our shared journey while drawing attention to a basic promise still unmet for many: clean water for all. As the United States marks its 250th year, the Interpretive Center is excited to share images that move hearts, spark conversation, and demand accountability. Artwork in our 4th Annual Fine Art Exhibition, curated by Thom Duffy under the direction of Karen Young, FWWIC Director helps us see how intertwined our past and future are and invites us to protect the right to safe water as part of our national legacy.
Just walking into the gallery to view the diverse artwork inspires feelings of “hope for the present and possibilities for the future”, as our director commented. The beautiful, detailed works by Rinal Parikh with influences from Indian folk art, speak to the importance of clean water for all living beings.
Water’s ability to soothe our nervous systems and facilitate meditation is suggested in her work entitled “Reflections”. The depictions of the graceful waterfowl and peaceful tree reflected in the water invite us to relax, inducing calm and contentment. “Heron” and “Diving Duck” emphasize the connectedness of biotic and abiotic elements in ecosystems and that clean healthy water is necessary for wildlife.
Amy Potsic, photographer and installation artist, created a 180 foot silk panel printed with photographic images of water and installed in a billow-like fashion in the ceiling rafters, mimicking the rolling, undulating movement of ocean waves. Both the silk installation and her photographs of the California
coastline strive to create emotional connection in viewers to the ocean environment – with the hope to inspire caring and stewardship of our natural waters.
“Crimes to the Environment” created by Thom himself references the 3,000 tires found in a short stretch of the Schuylkill River when the river was being dredged a couple of years ago.
Using fresh clean colors and simple imagery, this piece reminds us of past behaviors and the need for change.
The exhibition is open until August 1st during the Interpretive Center open hours: Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Curator and Artist talks highlighting additional works in the collection are offered at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM on the following Saturdays:
May 16th and 30th
June 13th and 27th
July 11th and 18th
August 1st
These talks are free, but please REGISTER HERE.
The Fourth Annual Fine Art Exhibition is brought to you in part by the Fund for the Water Works and the Edward F. Grusheski Water Literacy Foundation.
