by Robin Haines Merrill,
Coordination Circle, Love The Everglades Movement;
Curator, Upper Room Art Gallery.

ABOUT THE DESIGN CONCEPT:

From the Everglades to the ocean, water connects us all.  Underneath our feet, in the fragile aquifer of South Florida, water runs through limestone and supplies our daily needs.  In Fort Lauderdale, we are surrounded by canals, rivers, swamps, Intercoastal waterways and the ocean.  These painted intersection designs are an imaginary glimpse of what it might look like if we cut out the asphalt of the intersection.  It’s a traffic calming measure, but also a request to respect the water that surrounds us, seen and unseen.

The crosswalks reflect the vintage architecture of the local area, a retro review of styles and colors from the past that make us truly unique.

I’d like to invite you to participate in a community art event in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, May 15, 2016.
 
The City of Fort Lauderdale is part of a growing movement in cities across America that engages communities in public safety projects using artistic methods. This project was made possible in part through an "Art of Community" grant from the Community Foundation of Broward.
 
On Sunday, May 15th, the public will be painting in the Crosswalk sections of the design.  The center water design will be completed at a later date. Our hope is that this public artwork will help make the community safer and more mindful of traffic safety for all.
 
You can learn more about the PAINTED INTERSECTIONS PROJECTS by visiting the City’s website here:
 
http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/2936/2312?backlist=%2F
 
http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/departments/transportation-and-mobility/transportation-division/building-community-today/painted-intersections-project

by Jean Sarmiento, Coordination Circle,
Love The Everglades Movement

What we’re doing in the Everglades:

• efforts to raise awareness;
  
• get people involved;
  
• thru their own media;
  
• the Responsibility belongs with us all;
  
• being here and supporting our Indigenous brothers and sisters.
  

There are parallels that exist throughout the world.

In Northern California, for example, the Indian Nations there that are going through the same struggles, now amplified by the States Drought.

So we do our part here in South Florida contributing to the well-being of our Environment. The further into the future we go the more prevalent the issue of Water will become and we see it already in more and more publications. http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/11/18/water-wars-21st-century/

"It is easier to flush toxins from the river valleys than to remove toxic ideas that cause them from human minds. In the order of healing, it is human consciousness that must first change." 
- Ken Carey, Return of the Bird Tribes

And as far as I’m concerned healing and recycling are the biggest jobs.

We are ALL made of this Water, whether you like it or not.  And because of that, this Water ties us all together.  And so it is through these Waters that we can transmit and deliver this message of Love – appreciation penetrating the very core of our beings

This Love is the highest principle of cohesion and surely trumps any draconian system of control we are under. Allow this force to be our guiding light.

May the boundaries that impede humanity be dissolved!

And on the Strength and Authority of Universal Law we act to steer this planet to its deserved harmonious state. 

By Jean Sarmiento,
Coordination Circle, Love The Everglades Movement.

It was much nicer than I had envisioned, even more meaningful to me than I thought it would be.
        Last year in April we borrowed a few gallons of Water from a sacred island in the Everglades the area is known as "Water Conservation Area 3A" Homeland of the Miccosukee people.  One of big issues we face as Floridians is the unnatural water levels in the Glades and its detrimental effects on the land, where we now see too much Water in the North and not enough Water in the South reaching Florida Bay.
        Our intent is to pray with these waters, caring for them, they have been to many prayer circles, many sweat lodges, many ceremonies, have touched the hands of many different beautiful men, woman and children who each has bestowed their love and gratitude unto these Waters, these very same Waters each and everyone of us depend on everyday to survive.  These very same Waters that will determine our continuation here on Earth.
        So we set out to Florida Bay with love, gratitude, appreciation in our hearts and gently released the Waters in a symbolic gesture of "Water reaching the bay" to connect with the land and offer our love our forgiveness, to hear our pleas and assist us in dissolving the boundaries that hinder humanity's progress, maybe, just maybe, we won't have to learn this lesson the Hard way.
        Let's give this Water the Respect it deserves!  I don't care if you think you're cute or you're a Diva or a tough guy gangster, el guapo, Rick Ross or you work for the government, if you're an Army Corps guy, if you have Money or if you're black, blue, pink.  It doesn't matter:  Appreciate this Water while you have it in such abundance because I guarantee you -- not maybe, or If -- I Guarantee you'll be crying for this water if it wasn't around.
        Thank you to all the men and women and children, past and present, who labor to bring light unto this world.