Upriver Commute is a wind chime sound installation. Made of reclaimed wood, steel cable, reclaimed plastic, and aluminum tubing, single note wind chimes are spread along the South Platte River in Denver, between Globeville Landing and Grant-Frontier Park. Structures are attached to pedestrian bridges throughout the transportation corridor, creating an immersive sound experience as folks move through the space. This project is funded through Denver Arts & Venues P.S. You Are Here grant. Nearly all wood and plastic was scrapped from residential development waste in West Colfax and Highlands neighborhoods in Denver.

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The tenuous relationship between humans and natural resources inspired Upriver Commute. According to National Geographic, water use has grown more than twice the rate of population in the last century. "By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change." Upriver Commute hopes to bring people to the South Platte to consider fresh water and its fragility.

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Upriver Commute was on display along the South Platte River from July 2020 through September 2021. After deinstallation, the chimes found a permanent home at Everland, an eco-retreat and art park in Sedalia, Colorado. 

 

Upriver Commute was supported by The Greenway Foundation and Bicycle Colorado. 

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Concept by Michael John McKee