The Jonah Center for Earth and Art invites the public to take part in a creative canoe and kayak paddle on the Connecticut River on Saturday, June 28, launching from the boathouse ramp at Harbor Park at 1 p.m. The event will include creation of a living art work: all the boaters will raft up their boats in a rosette near the southern tip of Wilcox Island, just north of the Arrigoni Bridge. The boats will then float slowly in formation under the bridge, where photographers will be posted to capture the art work in still shots and video from above. The group will then paddle upstream around Wilcox Island before re-gathering at the southern tip. From there, the boats will return in close formation to the launch area, this time being photographed from Harbor Park. The still and moving images will promote protection of local waterways and the creative possibilities of Middletown’s riverfront.
As in recent years, the paddle will include as many as 16 Macdonough School 4th-graders, most of them experiencing for the first time close-up the spectacular waterway that borders their neighborhood. The Macdonough School PTA, the North End Action Team (NEAT), and financial donors collaborate with the Jonah Center to support the involvement of these children.
Paddlers need to provide their own boats, paddles, drinking water, sunscreen, and life jackets. Participants will be required to register at the launch site and are asked for a $10 donation to the Jonah Center to help cover insurance costs. Advance registration is not necessary. The entire activity should take approximately 2 hours.
For more information, or for a last minute update in case of inclement weather, call John Hall at 860-398-3771 (mobile). For directions to the launch site, point your location device or browser to “76 Harbor Drive Middletown CT.”
