Spring has arrived at UTC. Flowers are blooming in the Shakespeare garden, students are relaxing in the tables in front of the University Center, and 1,000 water balloons were tossed off the top of the Fifth Street Parking Garage. It was another day where UTC engages students in critical thinking and creativity. As part of a project for her sculpture class, Jordan Kendrick, a UTC art major, created an art installation from 1,000 water balloons, which she tossed from the parking garage located across from Maclellan Gym.
“I wanted to use something small, colorful, and interesting for a mass quantity,” she said. “My teacher wanted us to learn how to work with small, simple mass objects, and the balloons worked,” she said.
After getting approval from the university, Kendrick placed a sheet of drywall on the ground below the Fifth Street Parking Garage. Using containers, she and a friend tossed the balloons in groups from the top floor of the garage onto the drywall.
“It went flawlessly,” she said. “Though some of the balloons bounced and didn’t burst, I still get to experiment with the effect that the balloons left on the environment, which was what I wanted.”
Kendrick is considering using the artwork during sophomore review, a formal assessment by the art department of the student’s studio performance and oral competency.
The water from the balloons was properly absorbed by the grass and all debris was removed. No students, bystanders, or buildings were harmed in the making of this art project.
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