(WFRV) – Based in Chicago, the ‘Blue Paradox Community Mural Project’ hopes to showcase the beauty of the Great Lakes Region while shining a light on the need for more sustainable behaviors when it comes to single-use plastics usage.
Maya Heller, a senior in high school, is the one spearheading this project. Heller is an EarthEcho Marine Challenge & Water Challenge Ambassador who has been involved in environmentalism since the 7th grade.
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Throughout middle school, Heller was always looking for ways to get involved and joined the school’s Green Team. Now in high school, Heller is the co-president of the school’s Environmental Club, where she discovered EarthEcho.
The ‘Blue Paradox Exhibit’ at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry teaches visitors about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. The plan is to have Heller’s mural at the end of the exhibit, which will be pre-painted with images of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan wildlife.
However, those who visit the exhibit will have the opportunity to paint whatever comes to mind on this important topic on the mural, and Heller hopes that doing this will inspire people to take action.
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“I think that art is a really interesting way for people to deal with emotion and to express their emotion and a lot times when you think about making changes in your life to impact the environment, that’s a really big thing and that’s really intimidating but if you can go to a mural and just paint a little portion of a community mural and just share that artistic endeavor with your community, I think that’s very powerful.”
Maya Heller
Heller is working with the museum and while there is no set date for when the mural will be completed and placed at the end of the exhibit, the hope is that it will take place shortly.
