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The 4 P’s

Marita Dingus

Brightwater

Hands-on workshops teach young students about water—and toilets.

Marita Dingus. The 4 P's (Garland of Toilets), 2013. Youth sculpture from interactive workshop. Brightwater, Woodinville, WA. Photo: Marita Dingus

What’s ok to flush? Artist Marita Dingus collaborated with students at four King County elementary schools on The 4 P’s, a project designed to teach kids that there are only four things that should ever go down the toilet. Yes, those four.

Students in Kindergarten through third grade participated in a series of hands-on art-making workshops where they constructed tiny toilets—some with “people sitting on them!” according to one first-grader—using re-purposed materials that most curbside recycling programs won’t accept. In addition to working with students in schools, Dingus also participated in Brightwater’s summer Day Camp Programs with IslandWood. Following the workshops, the kids’ creations were publicly displayed in area libraries and utility offices. The 4 P’s was part of the Conveyance Project, a series of temporary artworks that engaged the community in conversation about water quality, environmental stewardship, and the Brightwater system.
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About the Location

Brightwater

Science, art, design, and ecology come together at Brightwater, one of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in the world. Located north of Woodinville, WA, Brightwater comprises a park, a community gathering space, an exhibition hall, and a scientific learning laboratory in addition to the structures that house technical operations. Throughout the site, integrated and portable…

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