NYC Water Tank Project ~ Fabulous Results!

Launching summer 2014, The Water Tank Project will transform the New York City skyline.  Look up! Some 300 water tanks around NYC are getting artsy makeovers all in the name of water conservation.

Run by Word Above the Street, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering environmental awareness and water conservation through art, the Water Tank Project looks like it will be a gushing success.

Art gets wrapped around NYC water tanks | ZoomIN

The Water Tank Project is the inaugural initiative of Word Above the Street, a non-profit dedicated to fostering environmental awareness and social advocacy through art. The incredible Water Tank Project will see approximately 100 local artists, including NYC public school students and internationally acclaimed artists such as Laurie Simmons and Odili Donald Odita, wrapping their artwork around selected city tanks. Artwork by acclaimed artists and New York City public school students will be wrapped around rooftop water tanks throughout the city, celebrating the talents of established and emerging artists, and calling attention to the global water crisis. The Water Tank Project is part art exhibition, part awareness campaign. For the duration of the project, art above will be complemented by action on the ground through educational programs, public tours, social media activities and a symposium dedicated to inspiring fresh views on global water issues. 

For the duration of the city-wide event, tanks from Staten Island to the Bronx will be wrapped in vibrant artwork in hopes of bringing much-needed attention to global water issues. Often overlooked as rooftop eyesores, some of the 17,000 water tanks in Manhattan date back as far as the Industrial Revolution. While some may consider the rusty relics a thing of the past today, the Water Tank Project brings an important environmental purpose to the large iconic barrels.

If you happen to be at Union Square, look up at the water tower above the Burlington Coat Factory. There’s a picture of a surfing dog on it, taken by fashion photographer Bruce Weber. Part of the Water Tank Project, this is one of several water towers around the city that will be wrapped in artwork to raise awareness about the global water crisis.
“I once had a dog named Palomino. He was an English Golden Retriever who loved nothing more than freewheeling like a hot dog surfer on the level of Kelly Slater. Whether on water or on land, with Palomino life was always an adventure”. – Bruce Weber, “Palomino Takes a Wave”.

This painting called “Current” by Odili Odeta  – 282 11th Ave  (Chelsea) can be seen in the skyline to the left of Laurie Simmons’ Love Doll .

“Since I moved to New York many years ago I’ve wondered what it would be like to swim in a water tank. The Love Doll gets to enact this fantasy for me.” Laurie Simmons 

“Despite the fact that Georgia, the country where I was born, has numerous rivers, in the days of the Soviet Empire, when nothing was working well, there were many hours a day when we were without water. During my life I have lived in different countries, countries where water only runs during certain hours of the day. For my work for the water tank, “Bacteria”, my thoughts were focused on the contamination of water. Water can cause health problems; that made me think of the bacteria in water. We associate water with purity, cleanliness, and well-being. In many areas of the world, this is not the case. I imagined water bacteria in my painting for The Water Tank Project to raise awareness.” — Eteri Chkadua

The Sigrid Calon tank at 530 West 25th St. in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood.

Water Means Life – Lorenzo Petrantoni – 393 W Broadway (SoHo) 

 As you stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge toward Manhattan, look to the South to view Marilyn Minter’s Gush atop 264 Water Street. Tessa Traeger – 110 Fulton Street Tessa Traeger (Financial District)

Our aim is to produce art as social intervention, to inspire awe and joy, to educate, and to alter attitudes and habits among those who experience The Water Tank Project, ultimately creating meaningful and long-lasting change.

The organizers of the event hope that by decorating the tanks, the artsy initiative will inspire awe and joy as well as educate and alter everyday attitudes and habits towards water conservation. In addition to the water tank makeovers, the organization is planning tours, parties, educational programs and multiple forums discussing global water issues.

Interestingly, the printed wraps are installed on the tanks by Isseks Brothers, a family-owned NYC business established in the late 1800s. Isseks is one of only two companies in New York City that build and maintain water tanks. 

WHAT IS THE WATER TANK PROJECT?

ART ABOVE NYC.
WATER ABOVE ALL.

Water tank wraps for water awareness.
 Coming Spring 2014

The Water Tank Project is the inaugural initiative of Word Above the Street, a non-profit dedicated to fostering environmental awareness and social advocacy through art and technology. In spring 2014, The Water Tank Project will transform the New York City skyline.

Artwork by acclaimed artists and New York City public school students will be wrapped around 100 rooftop water tanks across all five boroughs, celebrating the talents of established and emerging artists, and calling attention to the global water crisis.

Unprecedented in scale, The Water Tank Project is the first public art project to make use of water tanks in this way and will reach millions. For the duration of the project, art above will be complemented by action on the ground through educational programs, public tours, social media activities and a symposium dedicated to inspiring fresh views on global water issues.

Our aim is to produce art as social intervention, to inspire awe and joy, to educate, and to alter attitudes and habits among those who experience The Water Tank Project, ultimately creating meaningful and long-lasting change.

Here’s a link to my blog, “New York City’s Water System – How Bizarre!” of April 3, 2012, which will provide you with a most interesting history of the water tanks in NYC.  This includes a video and also a Prime Time Postscript clip -enjoy!

https://rainsoftottawa.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/new-york-citys-water-system-how-bizarre/?preview=true&preview_id=1422&preview_nonce=2fc7392cf4&post_format=standard

IS YOUR LIFE LIKE A CUP OF COFFEE?

This YouTube video combines beautiful pictures, inspiring music, and a touching story to help empower people to live more fully. This was uploaded Feb. 6, 2009 and already has over 3 millions viewers!  From http://www.VideosMotivational.com

The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. 

They just make the best of everything.

Do you complain about the stress in your life and at work?  While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves – that is the source of your problems and stress. 

 What wonderful words for all to live by ~
the world would certainly be a happier and safer place!

Hold the thoughts from this video close to your heart
and really savor your next cup of coffee!!!

Please share this with people you care about.

PEACE IS THE ONLY WAY

The International Day of Peace, sometimes unofficially known as World Peace Day, is observed annually on 21 September. It is dedicated to peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. The day was first celebrated in 1982, and is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and people.

To inaugurate the day, the “Peace Bell” is rung at UN Headquarters (in New York City). The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except Africa, and was a gift from the United Nations Association of Japan, as “a reminder of the human cost of war”; the inscription on its side reads, “Long live absolute world peace“.

Individuals can also wear White Peace Doves to commemorate the International Day of Peace, which are badges in the shape of a dove produced by a non-profit organisation in Canada.

Some of the favorite quotes ~

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~ Mother Theresa

“Be the change that you want to see in the world.” ~ Mohandas Gandhi

 

“Peace cannot be kept by force.  It can only be achieved by understanding.” ~ Albert Einstein.

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace.  One must believe in it.  And it isn’t enough to believe in it.  One must work for it.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Love is the way to peace,

for love is the

greatest power on earth.

ADDENDUM :  Thinking ahead to next year’s International Day of Peace, I would like to invite all of our readers to submit to me their thoughts, quotes, images, music, short videos, etc. telling me which country you live in and I will use your information to create our collective contribution to next year’s International Day of Peace. 
I think it would be great fun to hear from as many countries as possible. 
I will send my e-mail address to anyone who wishes to contribute – just mention this in a comment reply on this blog.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States

INTERESTING JULY 4TH TRIVIA

• Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.
• Since 1868, Seward, Nebraska has held a celebration on the same town square. In 1979 Seward was designated “America’s Official Fourth of July City-Small Town USA” by resolution of Congress. Seward has also been proclaimed Nebraska’s Official Fourth of July City” by Governor James Exon in proclamation. Seward is a town of 6,000 but swells to 40,000+ during the July 4 celebrations.^[
• Since 1912, the Rebild Society, a Danish-American friendship organization, has held a July 4 weekend festival that serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans in the Rebild section of Denmark.
• Since 1916, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City supposedly started as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic.
• Since 1959, the International Freedom Festival is jointly held in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario during the last week of June each year as a mutual celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day (July 1). It culminates in a large fireworks display over the Detroit River.
• Numerous major and minor league baseball games are played on Independence Day.
• The famous Macy’s fireworks display usually held over the East River in New York City has been televised nationwide on NBC since 1976. In 2009, the fireworks display was returned to the Hudson River for the first time since 2000 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson‘s exploration of that river.
• Since 1970, the annual 10 kilometer Peachtree Road Race is held in Atlanta, Georgia.
• The Boston Pops Orchestra has hosted a music and fireworks show over the Charles River Esplanade called the “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” annually since 1973. The event was broadcast nationally from 1987 until 2002 on the A&E Network, and has aired since 2003 on CBS.
• On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., “A Capitol Fourth“, a free concert, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.

A wealth of  information can be found on Wikipedia web site ~

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(United_States)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO OUR RAINSOFT USA COLLEAGUES, RAINSOFT USA CLIENTS AND OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS OF RAINSOFT OTTAWA’S BLOG

236 YEARS STRONG
AND
                                                             PROUD OF IT!

“LET’S GET TANKED”, NYC’s WATER TANK PROJECT UPDATE WITH NEW VIDEO

 ~ ENJOY THIS SUPER VIDEO AND MUSIC ~  

Please visit my 3 previous blogs on New York City’s Water Tanks for plenty of background information and lots of photographs:
1) New York City‘s Water System  –  How Bizarre! –  April 3, 2012,  2)  New York City’s Water Tank Construction  –  Apr. 4, 2012 and 3) Word Above the Street’s, “The Water Tank Project – Apr. 5/12

Water Tank Project updates ~  

1)  The project is to last for twelve weeks during Summer 2013, and
2)   That the art work will be created off-site – artists participating in TWTP will donate original works of art, which will then be scanned and printed on vinyl material that will be installed on carefully selected tanks. These artist designed tanks will spark a global dialogue about the future of one of our most precious and endangered resources: WATER.

Video link ~

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/734752095/the-water-tank-project?play=1&ref=users

Here’s the latest artistic addition to the Manhattan skyline – with thanks to Architizer.com blog, June 5, 2012: http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/42914/reclaiming-the-water-tower-as-public-art/

Photo: Robert Banat

…”The latest in the trend is artist Tom Fruin‘s imaginatively transparent and colorful “Watertower” project, which he recently installed on a DUMBO rooftop. The piece, which opens this Thursday, June 7, maintains the proportions and size of a typical water tank, but has been rendered a glass tapestry of salvaged materials. Visible from Lower Manhattan, the sculpture is a De-Stijlesque jigsaw of upwards 1,000 polychromatic fragments of discarded and recycled Plexiglas Fruin collected from building sites all over the city. During the day, the sun sets the water tower ablaze, while at night, projection designer Jeff Sugg will illuminate the structure with a light show boogie woogie planned to play every nightfall throughout the year”

Mary Jordan
Founder/Creative Director, Word Above the Street

 PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ~ this is a mammoth and most worthwhile undertaking of Mary Jordan and Word Above the Street to raise global awareness about the future of one of our most precious and endangered resources: WATER.

RAINSOFT OTTAWA’S FUN FRIDAY – PUNOGRAPHY PART II

Punography –  a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

 

Health:

 A soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

When chemists die, they barium.

I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.

They told me I had type A blood, but it was a Type-O.

A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

PMS jokes aren’t funny, period.

When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.

England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.

Be kind to your dentist.  He has fillings, too.

School:

Did you hear about the cross eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn’t control her pupils?

Broken pencils are pointless.

What do you call a dinosaur with extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.

Weather:

Earthquake in Washington obviously the government’s fault .

I tried to catch some fog. I mist.

I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Than it dawned on me .

Miscellaneous:

I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.

I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.

All the toilets in New York’s police stations have been stolen. Police have nothing to go on.

I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.

Velcro – what a rip off!

Link –

http://www.talkclassical.com/18592-more-punography-groan.html

Part 3: WORD ABOVE THE STREET’S “THE WATER TANK PROJECT”

New York City’s “The Water Tank Project” , an event planned by the non profit organization, Word Above The Street,  will begin in spring 2013.

This large scale public art initiative, over a three month period, will draw attention to water conservation and increase our awareness of our world’s dwindling fresh water supply.

This will be an opportunity for artists to use their artistic inspiration to transform the look of the skyline’s water towers drawing attention to water as a precious resource in New York City and around the world.

300 of the approx. 15,000 rooftop water tanks will be carefully selected for the transformation.

Celebrated figures in art, music, science and New York City residents will be participating.

 

Interesting details about the project’s vision, mission, etc. – well worth the read, can be found at:

http://wordabovethestreet.org/

 There are a number of videos for you on the design and construction of New York’s water towers:

http://d-build.org/blog/?p=2289

Art work on towers – NYC’s Skyline Is About To Get A Little Help From Thom Yorke:

Soon the artwork of Thom Yorke, Jay-Z, and others will be looming over New York City, as the non-profit organization Word Above The Street has signed the two on to help transform water tanks in New York City. According to GalleristNY, the 12-week project will take on 300 of New York’s water towers, turning them all into public artworks. From the project’s Facebook page:

Grounded in the inspirational power of public art, The Water Tank Project will inspire millions of people to be more responsible with water in their daily lives. Carefully selected rooftop water tanks across the city will be temporarily wrapped with original artwork on the subject of water. Celebrating the talents of established artists, emerging artists and even New York City school students, The Water Tank Project will reshape the city skyline.

 Want to help, but haven’t created one of the world’s most perfect pieces of music? No problem. There’s an open call to “all artists regardless of age, experience, sex, race, color, or national origin.” Learn more about the Water Tank Project here, which will start taking shape next spring.

Others lending a helping hand include Ed Ruscha, Lawrence Weiner, Marilyn Minter, E.V. Day, Tony Conrad, Andy Goldsworthy and Tony Oursler. And the whole thing is being helmed by filmmaker Mary Jordan with the help of some big names in the art world, including Lisa Dennison, the chairman of Sotheby’s, and Neville Wakefield, the senior curatorial adviser for MoMA PS1.

http://bit.ly/xF9aZ9

 Interesting links:

http://eastvillagelive-davido.blogspot.ca/2012/03/water-tank-project-at-new-museum.html

http://www.galleristny.com/2012/02/jay-z-ed-ruscha-and-thom-yorke-to-design-water-tanks-in-new-york/

       Thanks for joining us for all 3 parts of the New York City’s                                                Rooftop Water Tank series.

                                   Hope you enjoyed all three!                                 

 

PART 2 – NEW YORK CITY’S WATER TANK CONSTRUCTION

 NEW YORK CITY’S WATER TANK CONSTRUCTION 

Video on the creative craftsmanship of New York’s rooftop water tanks:

As you will see in the videos, two companies in New York build water towers, both of which are family businesses in operation since the 1800s. Even though there are steel constructed tanks, wooden ones are preferred because they can be easily assembled and transported to rooftops in parts and cost less.

“Rosenwach Wood Water Tanks Help Shape The City Skyline”

“They’re a signature part of the city skyline, and even in the 21st century, wood water tanks still have a unique and necessary job here, providing water to millions of homes.” – NY1’s Jeanine Ramirez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtrx5oBskAY&feature=related

The New York Times staff photographer Richard Perry took some great photos of Rosenwach putting up water tanks, which was part of his project photographing different products and companies still manufacturing in NYC.

  You can also watch a rooftop water getting a facelift:

Water tanks / water towers are a rooftop fixture of the New York City skyline and are the subject of fascination for many. But sometimes they need a facelift to repair the damage of the elements. This video shows one of these Manhattan fixtures getting a tune-up. Filmed in the late fall of 2011, it’s sped up 2.5X.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=fQl0xKHiI9Q

Time lapse of a water tank being built at 266 Riverside Drive, NYC. Shot & Edited by Ben Bryant benbryant.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpyVXSPvy5Q&feature=related

Safety falls a little lower on the priority scale when Discovery channel’s, Mike Rowe, assists a team of carpenters on top of a New York skyscraper.

In a thoughtful look back at his most challenging and hazardous apprenticeships, Mike makes a practical case for safety and reaffirms the critical role of individual responsibility in a dangerous world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=H0u56J3EFks&feature=endscreen

  See you back here tomorrow for Part 3:      

Word Above The Street organization’s

                               “The Water Project”, Spring 2013      

NEW YORK CITY’S WATER SYSTEM – HOW BIZARRE!

   PART 1 OF A 3 PART SERIES ~ NEW YORK CITY‘S WATER SYSTEM NECESSITATES USING ROOFTOP WATER TANKS – ALL 10,000 – 15,000 OF THEM!!!

New Yorkers love to brag about having the best-tasting drinking water in the country, although residents of high-rise buildings may not realize that their water makes an extra stop on its way from the reservoir. When high-rise residents turn on their taps to have a drink of water, take a shower or wash the dishes, the water comes from a tank located on the roof of the building. In addition to serving as a storage device, the tank creates water pressure through gravity which brings water to each apartment as needed… (By Eric Johnson)

 Watch this impressive YouTube video (fantastic photography) on New York City’s Rooftop Water Tanks ~

 

A VERY INTERESTING TOPIC

  Next blogs in series ~ Part 2: NEW YORK CITY’S WATER TANK CONSTRUCTION and Part 3: ‘WORD ABOVE THE STREET’ WATER PROJECT, 2013

To open this topic I’ve included a link to AARP Radio’s Prime Time Postscript on “NYC Water Tanks”: background information on this most unique water system.

Listen to a most interesting talk about New York City’s water system and the rooftop water tanks (all 10,000 – 15,000 of them!) that top all buildings that are higher than 6 stories!!!

“If you’re in New York City, take a look up at the iconic skyline. However, look past the skyscrapers and buildings of glass and at rather, the rooftop wooden water tanks.  Producer Britta Conroy-Randall found out why rooftop water tanks are an essential – and beloved – feature of the city skyline.”

 Listen to a funny incident related at the 3:54 time spot into the talk

http://www.aarp.org/politics-society/environment/info-12-2010/nyc-water-tanks.html

I wonder if there are other ‘mega’ cities around the globe using the same bizarre (to me, at least, after hearing this for the first time) system???

These tanks have been “fixtures of the urban landscape for 100 years.”

The city’s water pressure system can’t supply enough pressure to take the water any further than 5 or 6 stories.

The rooftop water tanks are 12 feet high, 13 feet in diameter and most are made of redwood.

 

Interesting facts  from ‘Longtime emblems of City Roofs, Still Going Strong’ by Jacoba Charles, June 3, 2007 ~

Younger cities often rely on electric pumps to supply water to skyscrapers, but New York’s aged infrastructure, built on shallow bedrock that results in extremely low water pressure, doesn’t allow that technology. Architects outside New York may not even think of using a rooftop tank to hold a building’s water supply, and if they did, who would build it?

To watch the tankmen practice their craft is to witness a construction technique that has transcended time, as was evident one day not long ago when a Rosenwach crew was building a water tank on the roof of a 24-story hotel rising near the Empire State Building. Three men moved nimbly around a narrow, railfree scaffolding almost 300 feet above the street, while two others handed up planks from the rooftop below. It took less than two hours to construct the body of the tank, setting vertical boards in place using only a hammer and a rope.

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/eesj/gradpubs/Newspaper/

Charles_NYT_LongtimeEmblemsofCityRoofs_060307.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTRkFgqxzl8

  See you back here tomorrow for

                        Part 2: New York City’s

                                      Rooftop Water Tank Construction.