The artist uses environmentally friendly materials in her work, especially to bring attention to endangered species. Marshall said it was her first time to really work with parachute cords, lightweight nylon kernmantle ropes originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes.

She said she chose the material so that the installation would last through the year amid changes in the weather. The move prompted her interest in now working with recycled materials.

“I get so much satisfaction out of the power cord, but I put a question mark in my notebook that said, ‘What other materials can I use for outdoor settings?’” she told Norwood News of her artistic journey on the installation. “I have also crocheted with plastic bags. So, I’m very interested in how I can apply my art to more environmentally [conscious projects], recycle, reuse, repurpose,” she said.

The Aussie became involved in the project following previous work and ties with Montefiore, the parent company of MPC, and specifically with Montefiore’s director of fine arts programming, Jodi Moise.

“I put all the art up in the hospitals, and she [Moise] found my work through  [the] Bronx Center of the Arts website; and she liked what I was doing,” said Marshall. “She asked me to think about doing an outdoor installation and I was like…‘I’ve never made an outdoor installation!’”

She said she mused over the project for several years. “Her request forced me to research what else I could crochet with, that was durable and weather permitting, and colorfast and all those things,” the artist explained. “I put up a big installation for one of the outdoor [hospital] courtyards several years ago now,” she said of her work at Montefiore.

Her latest project was cultivated by Ariana Cipriani, former manager of neighborhood development at the Jerome Gun Hill BID. She said she found Marshall through Moise.

“[I thought] it’d be perfect for here because we wanted it to be something that didn’t block the view of the park,” Cipriani explained. “It was colorful! It would last a long time; the key for public art, as a nonprofit, is you invest in it. You want it to look really great for the whole year without having to fix it again.”

In partnership with MPC, the Jerome Gun Hill BID provides supplemental sanitation, security, marketing, events, retail attraction and beautification in the local community. The BID recently facilitated the repainting of the colorful street mural by Laura Alvarez on the Jerome Avenue parklet at Gunhill Road on June 8.

Of the latest project, Cipriani said, “So, this is super sturdy, colorful, transparent and it survives rain, sun, and snow. We really just wanted to reflect all the colors and culture of The Bronx. I think Ruth was very successful in taking [in] all that excitement and color and how dynamic the neighborhood is, and turning it into something very beautiful,” she said.

For this latest event, the group cleaned up the park entrance, repainted the surrounding stones, and fixed  planter at the location. “It was an honor to help out MPC after all these years to do a new project like this,” Guerino, who has been honored for his community service in the past by Bedford Mosholu Community Association, among others, told Norwood News.

Indeed, Guerino has made it his mission to clean up other “jewels of The Bronx” so that everybody can enjoy a piece of their home. “This is just the beginning,” he said.

The installation is set to be on display for a year until June 2023, so all those who have not yet had the chance to admire the artwork may do so at any time.