Public Affairs Videos

In July 2009, Stokley Towles presented and exhibited Waterlines, a performance piece and installation that explored local perceptions and behaviors around water use, its sources and conservation. Towles interviewed several staff members of Seattle Public Utilities and discovered, among other things, where Seattle`s water comes from, how water taste testing is conducted, how the utility is coping with drainage and flood issues, and how many SPU customers complained about rats in their toilets. A part of the Water Calling series, Towles presented his findings in a free 45-minute humorous and informative presentation inside a construction trailer, which served as a stage/laboratory, parked next to a city reservoir. In addition to his performance, Towles used the “water laboratory” as an installation space to present water stories from other cultures and invited visitors to share their water stories. Video directed by Mary Ann Peters.