Wesleyan faculty and staff participated in a crowd-generated performance art collaboration on the Connecticut River, June 28.The event was sponsored by The Jonah Center for Earth & Art, a prominent environmental advocacy organization in Middletown. The Jonah Center partnered with Wesleyan’s Environmental Studies program in constructing an online biodiversity database for Middletown. Pictured is Steve Devoto, professor of biology, professor of neuroscience and behavior, snapping photos of the event from his kayak.At the southern tip of Wilcox Island, paddlers formed in a rosette just under the Arrigoni Bridge. The group floated in formation under the bridge to be photographed from above. Photos made available to the Jonah Center or the City of Middletown will be used to promote the riverfront and preservation of the river as a natural and recreational resources.A couple canine companions also participated in the kayak and canoe spectacle.Elise Springer, associate professor of philosophy, serves on the Jonah Center’s Advisory Council.After the group photo, participants paddled upstream around Wilcox Island, exploring its many small beaches and access points.At Harbor Park, Mayor Mayor Dan Drew spoke to the paddlers before they launched into the river.In addition, Krishna Winston, the Marcus L. Taft Professor of German Language and Literatures, professor of environmental studies; and Dana Royer, associate Professor of earth and environmental sciences are both members of the Jonah Center’s Board of Directors, and Barry Chernoff, the Robert Schumann Professor of Environmental Studies, professor of biology and director of the College of the Environment, is on the center’s Advisory Council. Olivia Drake, editor and campus photographer, served as a photographer for the event. (Arial photo by Billl Bynum.)
Olivia Drake
Mike Mavredakis
Ziba Kashef
Andrew Chatfield