Visitors to the Minuteman Bikeway near Spy Pond this winter may have noticed mysterious shapes hanging in the trees. These colorful sculptures make up Persistence, a public art project led by fiber artist Michelle Lougee during an artist-in-residence program organized by the Arlington Commission for Arts and Culture. Created by hundreds of volunteers with thousands of used plastic bags, Persistence has a message: we must act to protect our waterways from pervasive plastic pollution.

Discarded plastics, such as water bottles, utensils, straws, etc., do not biodegrade; they just break down into smaller pieces, known as microplastics. These tiny microplastics persist in the environment and imperceptibly enter the food chain. In fact, the average human ingests ½ lb of plastic a year through regular consumption of food, water, and air.

Lougee began focusing on consumer plastics when she heard about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating collection of plastic waste in the North Pacific Ocean that spans an area twice the size of Texas. “Plastic never goes away,” observed Lougee. “I hope to bring awareness and inspire people to change behavior and policy to address the urgent problem of plastic waste in the environment.” 

To create Persistence, Lougee enlisted community volunteers to collect, donate, sort, and cut up thousands of plastic bags to form “plarn,” plastic yarn. Then, a dedicated group of craftivists crocheted some 600 small shapes that Lougee assembled into abstract forms inspired by common and harmless micro-organisms found in oceans, streams, and nearby Spy Pond. Unfortunately, many wildlife cannot distinguish between microplastics and these natural creatures that form the essential foundation of the food chain. 

The Arlington Zero Waste Committee and Charlotte Milan, Arlington’s Recycling Coordinator, have been wonderful allies for Lougee’s artistic statement. Other environmental partners include Sustainable Arlington and the Arlington Public School Green Team students, who have researched plastic problems and solutions for the project.  The residency was hosted by the Edith M. Fox Branch of the Arlington Public Libraries. 

By 2050, scientists estimate that by mass, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. We don’t have to let this happen! Just as hundreds contributed to making this public art project, we can join together and persist – and take collective action to control plastic waste and protect the environment. Follow the Zero Waste Committee to find out what you can do and consider joining their “No Plastic Please” campaign.

To see the 36 sculptures of Persistence, travel the Bikeway between Swan Way and Linwood Street and look up!