SPRINGFIELD — Between now and June 14, the City of Springfield’s Stormwater Team is looking for artists of all ages and from anywhere in Oregon to apply for the storm drain mural-painting project, UpStream Art.
“This project is perfect for artists who love to paint and who care about protecting the environment,” said Peter Jaeger, an environmental services technician who leads the project.
Four artists will be selected to participate and compensated $1,000 each for painting murals around four strategically selected storm drains in Springfield. Artists will paint their murals July 20-21 and the public will be invited to watch.
One of the biggest threats to the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers is pollution from urban runoff. The murals are a simple-yet-meaningful reminder that the storm drains across the City create a direct connection from Springfield’s streets to our local waterways. That’s emphasized by this year’s UpStream Art theme, “Clean rivers start here.” As rain washes over hard surfaces such as roofs, parking lots, and roads, it collects contaminants and carries them directly into local rivers.
“Stormwater is not cleaned before it’s released into local rivers. That’s why we want to keep pollution out of storm drains in the first place,” Jaeger said. “Everyone cares about clean water. We need it for drinking, recreation, agriculture, and industry. Not to mention the countless people, animals, and plants that live downstream from Springfield that also rely on clean water.”
Springfield is upstream from Eugene and many other cities that share the Willamette River. By promoting clean water in Springfield, UpStream Art benefits people and wildlife living along the Willamette Valley.
The UpStream Art Artist Application along with a link to the Virtual Tour can be found at bit.ly/upstreamart.
