National Park Service Hosts Artist Dan Borelli at Slater Mill

News Release Date:
August 5, 2021

Contact:Andrew Schnetzer

Dan Borelli is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and Harvard University Graduate School of Design. His work examines the industrial past of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, particularly how industrial sites and landscapes have left lasting environmental impacts on later generations. Notably, an installation in his hometown of Ashland, Massachusetts included changing the color of local streetlamps to raise awareness of current levels of soil contamination throughout the town.

The artist will be on site at Slater Mill, the Blackstone River State Park, or wandering up and downstream looking at the ways that people interact with the river. If you'd like to engage with the artist directly, please sign up for his workshop 'Ground-Truthing' where you'll learn techniques for seeing the relationship of the city to the river and learn about how we connect with the river in our everyday lives.

The National Park Service has a history of working with artist who can capture the imagination of its visitors. Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park just accepted stewardship of the Old Slater Mill site this year and has celebrated the creation of an official park boundary in July. Hundreds of locals use the site for recreation and have a personal and meaningful connection to the Blackstone River. Dan's workshops and installation are designed to engage with these folks as well as the thousands of tourists who travel here to learn about the Rhode Island's industrial history. This will be Borelli's second residency at a National Park.

DATES ON SITE: August 7, 25, September 9,11, 25
Workshop Dates: August 25, September 9, 11, 25

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