CHICAGO.- The Museum of Contemporary Art presents WaterShed. WaterShed, an interactive light and audio fountain designed by students from the School of the Art Institute students, does more than quench thirst as it echoes and evolves in response to visitor activity at First Fridays at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, on August 4, 2006 from 6-10 pm. Visitors breathe life into the canopy sculpture made of plastic iridescent leaves by recording verbal requests for ‘water.’ WaterShed responds and weaves the visitors’ voices into a harmony of murmuring resonances.

These ambient sounds play throughout the duration of the project. During First Fridays, participants of WaterShed receive complimentary Glaceau bottled water. WaterShed not only responds on a verbal level, but also through LED lights that correspond with weather data streamed from a Chicago-based weather station. The lights’ glow ebbs and flows in relation to the energy of weather systems passing over Chicago.

Twelve students and four faculty members from the School of the Art Institute collaborated efforts in the creation of WaterShed. The project was created during a year-long design studio class and is on view at the MCA through August 13. August’s water-themed First Fridays features a bathing suit fashion show with suits provided by Body Body, beauty stations from H2O, dance grooves spun by DJ Daniel Mnookin, and Absolut Skinny Dip martinis at the cash bar. Tickets for First Fridays include museum admission and complimentary Puck’s hors d’oeuvres.