Barrels on Parade

Hi Clean Water Lovers!

I wanted to update you on the Rain Barrel Art Review. February was almost completely taken over by barrels.
The first week in Feb. was exciting as this was the time period for the artists to return the completed barrels to the office. It was great to see the ideas and sketches in real life as they slowly trickled into the office.

The next step was to deliver the barrels to University Chrysler’s Body Shop to get them the donated clear coat to protect the artwork from the elements. The clear coat also gave the barrels a great glossy, shine. We picked up the 14 barrels and stored them in our tiny office. It was like living in a cave of painted barrels! Lance was putting in the fixtures, so the barrels would be ready to use and to show people how they worked while I was calling the venues around town, reminding them the barrels were coming, the barrels were coming!

I photographed the barrels and created a postcard with all the images, the artists’ names and our generous sponsors. The printing of these postcards was donated by FedEx Kinkos in Columbia, thanks!!

Now the barrels were ready and all our informational handouts were ready and we were ready to have some room to move around! We delivered the barrels around town in groups of 4, which kept things manageable. We were able to load them into Sarah’s van, instead of renting a truck, and were easily able to maneuver around downtown. All barrels but one were in place for the True/False Film Fest, which draws thousands of people to downtown Columbia. When we checked up on the barrels the Tuesday after, most barrels had few to no handouts left. Good news! This means all that info is in the hands of potential Barrel Rollers and barrel purchasers. We are getting the word out about storm water conservation!

The next time I post, I should have a good idea of how the auction and Rain Barrel Roll and Art Review went. Stay tuned or better yet, come out to the event, Friday, March 19th at Orr St. Studios in Columbia, MO! For more info, you can always go to www.moriver.org, find Missouri River Communities Network on facebook, or give us a call 573-256-2602.

Take care!