On August 4, Carole Alden’s 25-foot sculpture of a water creature came to life in Bayou St. John. Her visit to New Orleans from Utah started with a dream of being close to the water here, and a proxied Craigslist personals ad from state prison, where she lived—and created—for 13 years. She says the humidity here makes her feel alive, and has plans to return for good.

There’s a very rough sketch of the creature hanging on the wall at @thebluehousenola, surrounded by several of the knitted works Carole learned to make while in prison, where access materials was limited. The Blue House’s civic studio brought Carole to NOLA to build and launch the work as part of it’s project, Mixed Media: Water Systems.

Carole Alden's untitled water creature launches in Bayou St. John, New Orleans
Detailed aerial view of Carole Alden's untitled water creature
A 25-foot water sculpture is towed by a kayak, with the New Orleans skyline in the background
A 25-foot water sculpture is towed by a kayak, with the New Orleans skyline in the background