Persistence: A Community Response to Pervasive Plastic is a public arts exhibition on view at the Minuteman Bikeway in Arlington through October 31, 2021. This exhibition is the culmination of Arts Arlington's first Artist-in-Residence Project, led by fiber artist and sculptor Michelle Lougee. She worked with Arlington Public Art Curator Cecily Miller, as well as hundreds of craftivists, over several months to create 37 vibrant sculptures. Despite their fun, colorful appearance, their goal is to raise awareness about single-use plastics and how detrimental they are to the environment and human health. The sculptures are made from "PLARN," a kind of yarn made from plastic bags, and many resemble microorganisms found in water. Lougee began utilizing plastic bags as an artistic tool ten years ago as a way of drawing attention to the damage plastic is causing to the ocean. Her sculptures often resemble coral, insects, seeds and other forms of organic life, bringing to mind the fragility and complexity of the natural world and the creatures in it. Persistence not only gets viewers outside by virtue of its location, but it also gets viewers thinking about nature and its importance as they walk along the Minuteman Bikeway, finding and taking in each colorful sculpture. Minuteman Bikeway is located between Swan Way and Linwood Street (near Spy Pond Park), in Arlington, Massachusetts and Persistence can be visited at any time. For more information, visit artsarlington.org/programs/pathways-art-on-the-minuteman-bikeway/persistence.