The Brio Memory Project

o Superfund site in Friendswood, Texas - one of the most notorious toxic waste dumps in the country. In 1997, the buildings were razed after large numbers of residents fell ill to serious and unusual maladies, and children were born with birth defects. The rubble was relocated to a nearby landfill, and the area it left behind was eventually shaped into retention ponds designed to catch runoff and help mitigate flooding. The Brio Memory Project considers the circumstances and aftermath of this event through stories of those who bore witness, researched newspaper articles and documents, and from the imagined perspective of the land itself. While serving as an homage to what was lost, the project offers a healing gesture by holding space for memories, and through the release of regenerative material, it promises potential for rebirth and renewal. This summer (2024), I am making ink drawings on paper handmade from scraps of fibrous trash I’ve collected from the retention ponds and areas surrounding them. The paper is embedded with native Gulf Coast prairie grass and flower seeds that will release when the paper is exposed to wind and rain. These drawings are inspired by stories I find and receive; when completed, they will be placed back outdoors around the retention ponds and left to deteriorate and release their seeds. The documentation of this will be featured in the upcoming exhibition, "Solastalgia", on view at San Jacinto College South Gallery October 7 - December 6, 2024.

*I am actively seeking stories and images from those who lived near the Brio Superfund site while it was in operation or during the EPA's remedial process - and from those who live or work near the site now. This page was set up to make that easier.*

Have a story? Drop a line! Further info will be posted here and on my project web page at https://www.heatherljohnson.com/brio-memory-project. Further details will be announced soon!