The Tropical Resilience Lounge is a pop-up art installation and information gathering/sharing station that is part of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and Mystic River Watershed Associations “Cool Communications” project, which aims to develop creative engagement methods to supplement traditional messaging on heat risk through art and creative storytelling. The goal is to reach residents disproportionately impacted by extreme heat and invite them to share stories of staying cool in the heat. I collaborated with Edwardo Chacon, who created a tropical soundscape and Eileen Riestra, who designed this wonderful Zine all about staying cool!

In June 2025, we brought the Tropical Resilience Lounge to both Chelsea’s Juneteenth Celebration and the I Heart Winthrop Festival—creating a vibrant space to cool off, connect, and imagine new ways to stay safe during extreme heat. In addition to offering a comfy place to chill with tropical vibes and free popsicles, the Lounge sparked real conversations about where people go to cool down in the summer—like the local Senior Center, library, and splash pads. We shared our findings with the Public Heath Planners at MAPC to share back with these municipalities as they work to support their residents with ways to stay cool in extreme heat.