THE WATERS WEAVER
A Community-Built Public Art Installation
Conceived and designed by Annalisa Iadicicco
Presented by The Blue Bus Project
Supported by the NYFA Queens Arts Fund
The Waters Weaver is a 10-foot participatory public sculpture built through the collection and weaving of discarded single-use plastics by communities, transforming waste into a shared symbol of environmental stewardship.
The project invites communities to collect, clean,and weave discarded plastic into the sculpture, creating opportunities for environmental education, public dialogue, and collective action.
FROM COLLECTION TO CREATION.
Help build The Waters Weaver.
We're collecting clean, single-use plastics that will be woven into the sculpture by the community.
Accepted Materials
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Plastic shopping bags
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Produce bags
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Chip & snack bags
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Plastic mailing envelopes
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Bottle caps
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Plastic lids
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Laundry detergent caps
📍 Drop-off Location: The Blue Bus Project, 46-16 Vernon BLVD, Long Island City
📧 Can't drop it off? Contact us at info@thebluebusproject.org
JOIN THE WEAVING!
Be part of creating The Waters Weaver.
THE STORY
The Waters Weaver was inspired by the story of fishermen in my hometown of Anzio, Italy, who for years were unable to bring plastic caught in their nets back to shore because of legal restrictions.
Their determination, together with the efforts of many others across Italy, helped pave the way for Italy's Salvamare Law, making it possible for fishermen to legally bring marine litter back to port for proper disposal and recognizing them as active stewards of marine ecosystems.
That story became the starting point for a sculpture centered on the same idea: what happens when people choose to take responsibility for what enters our waters?
Standing 10 feet tall, The Waters Weaver invites hundreds of community members to collect, clean, and weave discarded single-use plastics into its open steel structure, transforming waste into a shared work of public art and a symbol of environmental stewardship, creativity, and collective responsibility.
Every participant becomes part of the artwork, demonstrating that restoring our relationship with water requires shared responsibility and collective action.
HOW IT COMES TO LIFE
1. Collect
Communities gather discarded single-use plastics.
2. Weave
Participants transform them into the sculpture through public workshops.
3. Activate
The sculpture becomes a platform for education, conversation, and community action.
The Waters Weaver doesn't just weave plastic.
It weaves an ecosystem where people, ideas, and actions come together to protect
our shared waters.
MORE THAN A SCULPTURE
The Waters Weaver is a participatory public art project designed as a platform for environmental stewardship, education, and community participation.
Like water itself, the project flows across disciplines, communities, and borders, bringing together artists, fabricators, environmental organizations, educators, scientists, policymakers, cultural institutions, and local communities around a shared commitment to protecting our waterways.
Over time, every participant adds another thread, transforming the sculpture into a living ecosystem where collaboration becomes as important as the artwork itself.
The sculpture is the visible result. The real weaving happens between people.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The Waters Weaver is built through community participation.
You can become part of the project by:
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Collecting discarded single-use plastics
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Joining community weaving workshops
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Participating in waterfront cleanups
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Attending artist talks and public conversations
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Taking part in educational programs
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Mentoring youth apprenticeships
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Hosting workshops or community events
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Sharing knowledge, research, or creative practices
Whether you're an artist, educator, student, environmental organization, scientist, policymaker, or community member, every contribution adds another thread to the weaving.
WHY IT MATTERS
Plastic pollution is not only an environmental challenge, it also ask us to reconsider our relationship with consumption, waste, and the waters that connect us.
The Waters Weaver turns that conversation into a physical experience.
By collecting, touching, preparing, and weaving materials that would normally be discarded, participants begin to see waste differently. They become active contributors rather than passive observers.
The project creates a space where art can make environmental issues visible, personal, and shared, while bringing together different forms of knowledge, creativity, and action.
BECOME PART OF THE WEAVING
The Waters Weaver is an open platform for collaboration.
We welcome partnerships with artists, schools, universities, cultural institutions, environmental organizations, scientists, policymakers, businesses, and community groups.
Ways to collaborate include:
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Hosting workshops
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Organizing collection drives
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Supporting environmental education
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Research and data partnerships
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Youth engagement
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Public programming
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Material donations
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Sponsorships
Building an Ecosystem of Collaboration
The Waters Weaver is bringing together artists, educators, fabricators, environmental organizations, cultural institutions, scientists, and community leaders around a shared commitment to protecting our waters.
The Waters Weaver is growing through collaboration.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
The Waters Weaver is being built with communities across New York City.
Our Community Partners are helping collect discarded single-use plastics and bringing their communities into the project through hands-on weaving workshops, transforming collected materials into part of the sculpture.
AHRC New York City
Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC
Hunter's Point Parks Conservancy
Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement
LaGuardia Community College
Materials for the Arts
Queens Public Library – Hunters Point
Italian Cultural Institute of New York
Beyond Plastics
Together, these partnerships connect environmental action with creative participation, allowing each community to contribute its own thread to The Waters Weaver.
FABRICATION & MATERIAL PARTNERS
Building The Waters Weaver at Welder Underground.
Artist Annalisa Iadicicco with sculptor Jack Howard-Potter and Welder Underground apprentice Zaire B.
Photo: Mark Dorosz
The steel structure of The Waters Weaver was made possible through the expertise, generosity, and collaboration of local fabricators and artists.
Welder Underground - Fabrication space, equipment, expertise, and hands-on support
Empire City Iron Works - Donated steel and material support
Jack Howard-Potter, Sculptor - Fabrication guidance and mentorship
Their contributions transformed the original drawing into the physical structure that will carry the community's weaving.
Video of the Behind the Scenes
Building the sculpture @ Welder Underground
Building the base @EmpireCityIronWorks
JOIN THE ECOSYSTEM
Whether you're an artist, educator, environmental organization, business, or community member, we'd love to explore how you can become part of The Waters Weaver.
Email us: info@thebluebusproject.org
FOLLOW THE WATERS WEAVER on INSTAGRAM
Watch the project grow and meet the people weaving it together.
@thebluebusproject
