Gowanus CSO Installation Design Workshop

Saturday, April 30, 2022
1–2:30 pm

Van Alen Institute
303 Bond Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231

Open to all ages. RSVP here.

Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) is the greatest source of ongoing pollution going into the Gowanus Canal. Each year, about 363 million gallons of raw sewage and polluted run-off is discharged into the waterway. As the population of Gowanus grows, we must come together to lessen our impact on the canal and hold public authorities accountable for CSO reduction in the future.

As Gowanus residents, with support from Van Alen Institute, we’re creating a public art installation to spread the word about CSO in the canal. 

On Saturday, April 30, our team is hosting a design workshop for our neighbors to help us imagine what the CSO art installation could be. 

Using light fixtures, boards, paint, fabrics, plastic and/or other recyclable materials, participants will roll up their sleeves and flex their creative, artistic muscle. Together we’ll brainstorm, draw and collage ideas to shape the installation, and communicate this important environmental issue to the neighborhood. 

At the workshop, participants will also learn more about water conditions on the canal, find out ways to lessen their individual impact, and hear how the neighborhood can hold authorities accountable for the canal’s cleanup.