May 7—An outdoor art installation that aims to enhance awareness about the importance of keeping Lake Erie clean and viable will be coming to Fairport Harbor Village later this month.

This display, which features large, inflatable water drops, will be exhibited in the village's Memorial Park from May 19 through 30. Memorial Park is located on Third Street between Plum and Eagle streets.

"The inflatable structures feature bold, tropical prints that capture in visual form the importance of clean water for healthy ecosystems," according to an announcement posted on the Fairport Harbor Village government website.

"These inflatables will be lit up at night so people can view them at all hours of the day," Village Administrator Amy Cossick said.

Cossick said the exhibit consists of three inflatable water drops that are 20, 15 and 12 feet high. Rounding out the display is an inflatable water cube that stands 12 feet tall.

Fairport Harbor is one of five Northeast Ohio communities scheduled to host the art installation this spring. These exhibits are being presented through Aqua, a creative marketing campaign developed by students from 10 area high schools through the Excel TECC Marketing/Junior Achievement program at Beachwood High School.

Excel TECC Marketing/Junior Achievement teacher Greg Perry "is a huge fan of Fairport Harbor" and wanted the town to serve as a host site for the art installation, Cossick said.

All of the other places where the exhibit can be viewed are in Cuyahoga County communities, such as Beachwood, Shaker Heights and Orange Village.

Aqua's water-inspired inflatables are being displayed at various Northeast Ohio locations "to educate communities about water conservation and activate hundreds of Northeast Ohio residents to clean up area beaches," the announcement on Fairport Harbor's website stated.

Coincidentally, students involved with Aqua visited Fairport Harbor on April 23 and teamed up with the nonprofit organization Eriesponsible to conduct a beach cleanup at Lake Metroparks Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park.

The installation of inflatable water drops that is coming to Fairport Harbor Memorial Park will be accompanied by signs with messages about water usage and conservation. Visitors also can scan a QR code displayed in the exhibit to make donations to Eriesponsible, which organizes Lake Erie beach cleanups.

Smucker's, the Orrville, Ohio-based maker of fruit spreads, peanut butter and other food products, is covering the cost of bringing the water drop exhibit to Fairport Harbor.