Henry Henderson, Director, Midwest Program NRDC, Chicago, Illinois

Sometimes you need a new perspective on things to see them clearly, as if for the first time. Take the Chicago River. Many of us interact with the waterway on a daily basis, but in a passive manner. And, yet when we do pay attention, we don’t think of the River as a resource. We’re not fazed by the bottles and debris floating downstream.

But, imagine a topographical map of the Chicago River that was made entirely of silver pins…that lets us see the River anew.

Take 2,000 pounds of garbage that was polluting the River and transform it into a sculpture…that commands attention.

This is the power of visual art – it refocuses our attention on issues we might otherwise ignore, and helps us to understand an issue in a completely different way. And, this is why I’m thrilled that NRDC is a part of EXPO CHICAGO, Chicago’s new contemporary art fair set to take place at Navy Pier this September 20-23. The examples of a pin river and a garbage wall are real installations that NRDC is proud to present in our exhibition space at EXPO – installations ...

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