A pilot project involving a well-known artist, wind-turbine blade recycling company and Wyoming Rescue Mission intends to show the world one way to repurpose spent wind turbine blades.
It’s designed to be practical piece of environmental architecture as well as an abstract sculpture that carries a symbolic message of hope and literal message of “renewal,” said Casper artist Chris Navarro.
Navarro, known for his public bronze sculptures across the West, said he and his collaborators recently installed 12 8-feet-tall segments of a former Vestas wind turbine blade on property that leads to the mission’s ranch property in Esterbrook.
He calls it “The Wall of Renewal.”
“We started looking at the possibility of building a snow fence and a sculpture at the same time,” Navarro said. “And that’s what we came up with.”
The art part of the project will feature murals on the blade pieces.
For ReviablEnergy President Jake Milne of Casper, the snow fence is the project he’s been looking for to prove the viability of turning blades into snow fencing for the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Wyoming Rescue Mission Executive Director Brad Hopkins said it’s about creating potential access to the mission’s ranch property during the winter that will expand opportunities for mission guests.
He also said the project’s goal to repurpose blades is a fitting symbol for his own organization’s efforts to help people who feel they have no future find renewed hope.
“There is just such a parallel with our people coming out of homelessness at Wyoming Rescue Mission,” he said. “We are so thankful for Chris and for Jake.”
Hopkins said the mission has owned the ranch property for the past couple of years and has long-term goals of turning it into a facility where residents can learn ranch skills and train horses for sale.
Access to the ranch property is across another ranch’s land and the owner, Tim Pexton, agreed to allow the snow fence project on his property, Hopkins said.
Chris Navarro’s concept for his art project using a wind turbine blade involves turning the blade pieces into a mural. On one side will be wild horses running. (Courtesy Chris Navarro)Wild Horse Mural
Navarro’s concept for the art involves a mural of running wild horses depicted on each of the deliberately spaced 12-blade parts on the public roadside of the sculpture and snow fence.
On the back, where mission ranch visitors will see the art, he plans to use colorful handprints of individual residents to spell a word that represents the mission’s ranch objective as well as that of the recycling project.
“No two handprints are the same, yet together they spell one word, ‘Renewal,’” Navaro said. “This will be a living mural, and every year new handprints can be added.”
The artist said he plans to take a week next summer to coat and repaint the blades in preparation for the mural.
The following week will involve painting the mural itself. He hopes to involve several mission residents in the painting and art process.
Milne, who formed his company after seeing a photo of wind turbine blades in a Casper landfill a few years ago, said he had been looking for a snow-fence project with parts of the recycled blades for the past few years.
He operated a backhoe borrowed to dig 4-foot holes to install the blade parts in the designed positions.
The wind turbine company Vestas helped with the aerodynamics of the blade and its best possible installation.
The sculpture and snow fence concept goes from wider parts of the blade to narrower. Milne said Vestas always has had a policy of requiring customers to turn the turbine blades back into them for recycling and willingly assisted with the project.
“They cut it up for us and helped us with shipping,” Milne said.
The blade was cut into 19 sections, and a specific 12 sections were used for the sculpture/snow fence to represent the 12-step process in overcoming addiction.
Other parts of the blade may be used to make crosses on the top of a hill and possibly some additional snow fence in another area.
The back of the sculpture and snow fence will have Wyoming Rescue Mission residents’ colorful handprints spelling out the word “Renewal.” (Courtesy Chris Navarro)Proving It Works
“There’s a couple of other places that we should probably build some snow fence,” Milne said.
His initial check on the fence after some recent snow in the mountain area showed that it seemed to be working.
Milne said he had already taken the idea of repurposing turbine blades for snow fencing to WYDOT and the agency told him it needed proof that it works.
The state regularly needs to replace wooden snow fencing and costs are significant.
With coating protection against ultraviolet sun rays, the wind turbine blades would last for many more years, Milne said.
He sees uses of the repurposed blades potentially on beaches to stop sand erosion as well.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of repurposing ideas,” he said.
Navarro, who also initially was moved to find ways to repurpose the blades as art after learning old blades were being landfilled, still is pursuing other art ideas he has proposed using them.
He said he continues to work with Platte River Trails to find a spot where he can install a “Wind Cathedral” sculpture he’s designed using repurposed blades.
Another idea is an art installation called “Windhenge.”
For the “The Wall of Renewal,” he is seeking grant money to help cover the cost of the coating and paint that will be needed to complete it next summer.
Navarro believes that the efforts at the mission’s ranch setting and in his sculpture/snow fence will show that renewal “isn’t a moment, it’s a movement.”
“Because what’s been cast aside can stand again,” he said.
Contact Dale Killingbeck at dale@cowboystatedaily.com
Parts of a wind turbine blade had been installed off of Esterbrook Road south of Douglas as part of a sculpture and snow fence project by Casper artist Chris Navarro is calling “The Wall of Renewal.” (Courtesy Chris Navarro)
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.