Zero Emissions: It’s a Wrap

The last weekend of June 2013 brought our city, Salida, Colorado, a most wonderful event — the 21st Annual ArtWalk.  The event is organized by a large group of artists and citizen volunteers. Salida ArtWalk’s Vision Statement:

To acknowledge, support and promote our visual and performing arts community.

I would also add: “… and to show our visitors what fun it is to live in and visit Salida.”  Because from my vantage point at 123 North F Street, where our temporary art installation “Zero Emissions Project” was staged, I saw and spoke with a lot of happy, smiling folks — locals and visitors alike.

In case you missed our Zero Emissions Project, here’s the synopsis that appeared on ArtWalk’s website:

Artists Cynda Green and Bill Hudson moved to Salida last summer. What attracted us to Salida? It was the art galleries. It was the Creative District designation. It was the cute, compact town by the river, with a vibrant downtown district and well-maintained little houses. It was a town that had a “beachy” feel to it. People walked and rode their bikes and gathered on corners to talk. We were also introduced to the controversy concerning Christo’s proposed “Over the River” project..

Taking all of these things into consideration, we brainstormed one evening and came up with an art project that would promote the pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly nature of downtown Salida, make an environmental statement, and evoke Christo (without making a pro or con OTR statement.) The result is the Zero Emissions Project.

We wrapped Bill’s white van in 100% recyclable green shrink-wrap, and left it wrapped on Denny Lee’s property at Kayak Alley for the three days of ArtWalk.  Instead of putting up signage, we decided to make postcards, and proceeded to hand out hundreds of them during the event.  Here’s the postcard:

The wrapping took place Friday morning, and took about three hours.  We’d executed a practice wrap at an undisclosed location two months ago in cooler weather, but Friday morning the sun got hot very early, and was shrinking the shrink wrap as it touched the surfaces of the vehicle — a challenge we weren’t prepared for.  But the end result worked.

The reactions to our wrapped car were as diverse as the people who stopped by to ask and comment about it.  Children thought it was “cool” and asked to touch it.  Teenage boys thought it was the best prank ever.   Environmentalists thought it was “brilliant” … Texans, not so much.

Our wrapped car brought smiles to many faces as folks walked by.  They seemed to enjoy whatever message they got from it.  Many took a photo of it.

Some thought it was a car giveaway.  Others thought we were trying to sell something.  In a way we were — selling Salida as a great place to be.

Salido Colorado:  Wrap it.  Walk it.  Bike it.  Boat it.