Bridget Quinn Discovers E. Coli Outbreak

Stamps MFA candidate Bridget Quinn’s (MFA ​‘19) accidental discovery of an E. coli outbreak in a metro waterway was recently featured in a Hyperallergic article by Sarah Rose Sharp.

What, you may ask, do artists really do for society? In the case of artist Bridget Quinn, and her friend Jula Osten, they thwarted a potential public health crisis: Last month, they discovered and alerted authorities about ​“off-the-charts” E. coli bacteria counts in two locations discovered along the Red Run Drain in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Quinn made this discovery in the course of her art practice, which centers on the exploration of ​“marginal” spaces.

An Artist Accidentally Discovers E. Coli Outbreak in Michigan Waters | Hyperallergic