Upstream Map Collage Project
may + june 2026
social practice work: map, paper, paint, glue, dreams
Upstream Pittsburgh began in 1992 as a group of individuals concerned with the health of the Nine Mile Run Streamway; today it is a thriving nonprofit working on water management and education in the east side of Pittsburgh. In April 2026, Upstream Outreach Director Erica Jackson reached out to me; she wanted to work on a project involving the map of the Nine Mile Run Watershed. She suggested the idea of making a map of one’s ideal community; combined with my experience and artistic expertise, we decided on a communal collage project. I also added another dimension: channeling Persian New Year tradition, I sprouted amaranth and invited people to make wishes in them.
The map’s first run was at the Upstream Love Your Watershed Pizza Party , where about 15-20 people interacted with it. The following morning, I worked with 5th graders at Environmental Charter School to throw the rest of the sprouts into Nine Mile Run, carrying wishes to the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.
The map had a second run at the Turn it Upstream Music Festival, where at least 70 residents added an aspect to the project. Documentation of this part forthcoming!