Overview
The Ohio River LifeBoat Project is an expedition into the cultural and ecological life of the Ohio River, experienced from aboard an eco-customized pontoon boat. During the summer of 2006, I will travel down the Ohio, making approximately 60 stops along the way. At each new location area residents will be invited onboard to share stories, river legends, local knowledge, and potluck dinners.

Background
My interest in developing this project stemmed from my desire to promote greater stewardship of the river. My hope is that project will connect residents who live along the Ohio with each other and with the river.

This project is motivated by a desire to understand the range of uses of the Ohio River from industrial to recreational, and to transform ambivalence about water quality into advocacy. I believe that this can be achieved by creating an opportunity for a personal encounter with the river and for citizens to share this experience with their neighbors.

Activities
The boat, operated by myself and an assistant, will dock at pre-arranged ports along the Ohio River. At each stop six to eight invited people will come aboard bringing food for a potluck dinner. We will initiate a conversation about the river by telling our story, and as dinner is being shared and eaten, each member of the dinner party will tell their story, and share their memories or tall tales of the river. The next morning the boat will leave for another destination down the river, and another dinner conversation, each as distinct as the group of people who gathers. An audio documentary of the conversations will be recorded and produced for national distribution.

Research Disciplines
The LifeBoat project crosses a broad range of research disciplines. It connects art, architecture, civil and environmental engineering, history, public policy and sustainable systems to educate and promote change. The environmentally-friendly boat will create a model for sustainable technologies and innovative material usage, while testing the effectiveness of network fueling stops. At the same time I will collect personal stories, photographs, and local information about the Ohio River as a natural resource and historical site. By compiling and sharing this information I will create an interdisciplinary model for how to learn about the environment and inspire others to learn and take action for change.

Is this ART?
Creating a personal encounter with the river through a social event on the river is a way for people to experience a physical and psychological connection to the river and to recall other river experiences. I first initiated this type of staged encounter in my art practice on city streets. Like the encounter/dinner projects of Rikrit Tiravanija, this type of art practice asks for participation and engagement from the audience member. The interaction is the project. The river is a public gathering place, like a city street, where people can share opinions and stories. Using the houseboat as vehicle and gathering space, I will be able to create an in-depth opportunity for dialogue.

Advisors
This project has been advised by is advised by Bob Bingham, Associate Professor in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University; Jim Duesing, Professor in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University; Joel Tarr, Richard S. Caliguiri University Professor in the Department of History and Public Policy; Cary Morrow, Executive Director, Management and Technology, Heinz School of Public Policy and Management; Janice Donatelli, Owner and Co-Founder of Artemis, Sustainable building supplies; Theresa Foley, Media Literacy Coordinator for Pittsburgh Filmmakers; Shannon McMullen, Sociology PhD Candidate at UCSD; and Marjorie Smuts, PR and Marketing Consultant. Technical consulting is provided by Andy Grieshop, Engineering and Public Policy PhD Candidate; and additional support is provided by project partner Nathaniel Doyno, Founder of Steel City Biofuels.

Artist Biography
My work unravels social histories by engaging, performing, and re-narrating them in the public spaces of the city. It has been presented at the Mills Gallery, Boston Center for the Arts, Pauline Oliveros' Deep Listening Space, and in the 2005 Kingston Biennial, Kingston, NY. In 2004 I was an Artist in Research at the Berwick Research Institute in Boston, MA. I have been the recipient of grants from the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research, National Wildlife Federation, Ford Motor Company and the New York Foundation on the Arts. I received a BA in Studio Art and Humanities from the University of New Hampshire and an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University. Currently I am a Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University's STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.