Green Newton

With Microgrant funding from The Village Bank and the City of Newton, Green Newton enlisted Newton artist Andrew Breithaupt to design and construct this interactive climate action themed display in time for Earth Day. It was displayed outside the Newton City Hall War Memorial for visitors to engage and enjoy at the Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 23.  The Climate Kiosk features twenty-five cubes that turn freely by hand to expose each of their four sides. Each cube is wrapped in a brightly colored graphic image representing a climate action that we can take, and at the top of the kiosk are three kinetic wind sculptures that spin to evoke the idea of wind energy generation. Nine cubes in the center encourage a friendly game of tic tac toe, with low benches helping children to reach the cubes. 92% of the Climate Kiosk was constructed from reclaimed materials donated by Sage Builders LLC to further evoke the spirit of sustainability.

Now that the Earth Day Festival is over, Newton’s Urban Forestry Department will move the display to other public locations in Newton, including Cold Spring Park, so that residents around the city can enjoy playing the game while learning about sustainability.

Green Newton is immensely grateful for the support we received from The Village Bank and the City of Newton, to Sage Builders LLC for donating materials, and to Andrew Breithaupt for his very creative and outstanding volunteer work. (Be sure to take look at Andrew’s animated short film “Taking Action for a Greener Newton.”)

This bright playful display is designed to draw attention and inspire Newton residents to commit to taking steps for environmental sustainability in our homes and on our streets.