Cleared, converted Champlain gives form To a city
Paved and punctuated Typhoid-stricken life And Burlington responds
Now, nutrient Pollution Threatens the lake
Lacustrine life And so too City dwellers
Dream green
2
“All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.” —Toni Morrison, from “The Site of Memory”
The water systems that sustain a city are essential to everyday life, yet much of their work happens out of sight. Beneath our streets and across the landscape, reservoirs, pipes, pumps, sewers, storm drains, clarifiers, green infrastructure, and even microscopic water bears form interconnected systems that bring clean water into our homes and businesses, carry wastewater away, reduce flooding, and help protect Lake Champlain. This zine is a collection of artwork that reflects what the 2026 BCA Artist Apprenticeship cohort observed, questioned, and imagined about Burlington’s water resources throughout the four-week program. Each page offers a different interpretation of our relationship to water and the infrastructure, histories, and living communities shaped by it. The works remind us that water is a central part of our daily lives. It holds memory. It connects us to one another. It nourishes all life. The structures and processes that move, clean, and protect it also bind us to the land and waterways around us and to our shared responsibility to care for them. Through this work, the apprentices showcase their creativity, curiosity, and growing voices as artists. Conceived as a companion to the mural they helped design and paint during the apprenticeship, it gave each of them space to further explore the themes that captured their interest throughout the program. Together, the zine and mural reflect the breadth of both their learning and reveal their use of visual storytelling to bring what is hidden into public view. Jennifer Herrera Condry and Will Kasso Condry Lead Artists and Instructors, BCA Artist Apprenticeship Program Co-founders, Juniper Creative Arts
3
4
BCA’s Artist Apprenticeship Program JULY 14–AUGUST 6, 2026
The BCA Artist Apprenticeship Program is a paid four-week public art residency for Burlington-based youth ages 16–21. Led by Juniper Creative Arts, an award-winning Vermont-based family collective known for community murals and culturally rooted arts programming that uplifts belonging and visual storytelling, in partnership with Burlington City Arts, the program offers hands-on experience in public art, collaborative design, and environmental education. Apprentices work alongside professional artists to design and create a new mural exploring the often-hidden systems that bring clean water to our community, protect Lake Champlain, and support a resilient environment. Participants learn about the interconnected infrastructure of reservoirs, pipes, pumps, sewers, and storm drains while exploring how public art can communicate ideas around environmental stewardship and community resilience. Throughout the program, apprentices gain experience in mural production from concept development through installation, while building skills in teamwork, creative problem-solving, project development, and large-scale artmaking.
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Thank you to our artist apprentices Cover Ebbe Longstreth p. 2
Ebbe Longstreth
p. 4
Navin Bywaters
p. 6
Astraea Garcia-Derbes
p. 7
Gloria Kigonya, Teaching Assistant
p.8-9
Josephine Looby
p. 10
Aiden Lynch
p. 11-13
Zoe Sliter
p. 14-16
Coretta Ngoulaki
p. 17-21
Navin Bywaters
p. 22-23
Debba Beynnon
Back Cover
Gloria Kigonya, Teaching Assistant
BCA’s Artist Apprenticeship Program has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (LC00A01526) to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.