If you are looking for a creative, interactive escape during your commute, we have the perfect Friday plan for you.
Help Build A 2,500-Bottle Sculpture
This Friday, April 24, as part of the Earth Day events, the acclaimed artist Willie Cole is leading a live, daylong public installation at the Flatiron Public Plaza at Broadway and 23rd Street.
He is turning 2,500 donated single-use plastic bottles into a massive sculpture, and he needs your help to assemble it.
The “Four-Second” Reality Check
According to Rothys, the numbers behind the art are pretty eye-opening. Americans toss out roughly 60 million plastic bottles every day—which breaks down to about 700 per second.
This means the entire 2,500-bottle installation taking a full day to build represents less than four seconds of our national waste.
Cole is legendary for transforming everyday objects—like irons, shoes, and bottles—into thought-provoking art.
His pieces already live in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, and the Whitney.
Now, he is bringing his vision out of the gallery and into the streets, relying on the collective footprint of everyday New Yorkers to supply his materials in real time.
Score A Free Reusable Bottle
Created in partnership with sustainable lifestyle brand Rothy’s, the project asks New Yorkers to swing by and contribute their own discarded plastic bottles.
In exchange for adding your trash to the masterpiece, you will walk away with a brand-new reusable bottle.
Rothy’s has famously repurposed more than 225 million plastic bottles into their products.
To keep the eco-friendly momentum going, there will also be a free hydration station on-site refilling bottles throughout the day to keep you from buying new ones.
It is the ultimate way to clean up the city, score some free gear, and be part of a real-life museum piece.
What To Know Before You Go
💸 Completely free to attend—just bring a plastic bottle and be ready to build!
📍Flatiron Public Plaza (Broadway and 23rd Street)
📆 Friday, April 24, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
