A Guilford County Schools Art Project Brings the Fountain to Life
For Immediate Release – November 6, 2017
A student art exhibition that uses recycled plastic water bottles to create a colorful, water-inspired wonderland in the outdoor fountain at the Piedmont Triad International Airport will open on Wednesday.
The sculpture exhibit is part of the Airport Authority’s Public Art Program, which highlights the work of North Carolina artists and enlists the participation of local schools for art projects at the airport. Art teachers and students collaborated to create the current exhibit, which will remain at the airport until March.
“We are very happy to be working with PTI to produce and display incredible artwork for this public art installation,” said Leigh Ann Little, Supervisor of Fine Arts at Guilford County Schools. “The GCS Fine Arts Department commends all of the visual art teachers from Guilford County who developed concepts and allowed students to explore non-traditional art making materials to create a unified work.”
Students from Guilford County Schools collected more than 40,000 empty water bottles to use in the exhibit, which includes all kinds of forms and abstract imitations. There are sea serpents, sculptures that mimic water plants and even a seahorse. There is a bucket, emptying water into the fountain, a jelly fish, an octopus and several masses of colorful ribbons hanging from lampposts.
More than 50 individual works of art combine to brighten the fountain, which does not operate in the winter months because of potential winter freezes. The water bottles used in the exhibit were collected from the Transportation Safety Administration entry points at PTI and from schools across the county.
“We hope the community and all PTI passengers enjoy the exhibit,” Little said.
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Contact: Stephanie Freeman – (336) 665-5644, Leigh Ann Little – (336) 897-4519