“The only thing between dream and reality is action,” proclaims Adena Rivas, founder of the Creative Reuse Marketplace (CRM) in Springfield. “Octopolis” is the dream of Adena and her sister, Layna Joy Rivas, who lives in northern California. Action is now underway to make Octopolis a reality.
Their audacious dream is to build a 20-foot high octopus with 40-foot arms out of salvaged and reclaimed metal, create a skin out of donated fabric and incorporate interactive, symbolic elements using light and music. They hope to assemble and showcase the multi-sensory sculpture on the playa at Burning Man this summer in Nevada as part of the big art displays, then transport Octopolis to the Santa Fe Railyard Park for a public art installation, bring it to Springfield and other communities through sponsorships. Ultimately, they will remove the textile skin and eventually install the metal framework in an ocean as part of an artificial coral reef restoration.
As described on the CRM website, “At its heart, Octopolis tells the story of a mother octopus trying to bring life back to a dying reef. She becomes a symbol of resilience, renewal and the power of community action. What begins as discarded materials becomes public art, environmental education and ultimately a living reef habitat. Cumulatively, Octopolis demonstrates how creativity, sustainability, collaboration and a lot of heart can help create a better future.”
Adena Rivas is overseeing the creation of the skin out of recycled textiles through her Springfield nonprofit, Creative Reuse Marketplace. PHOTO COURTESY Adena Rivas
The common language between the two sisters is art. They are 16 months apart in age and have chosen different career paths but share a passion for art and music. Layna is rooted in art and has been involved with Burning Man for more than 20 years, participating in large art installations. Adena’s career relates to the environment. Her day job is as energy projects coordinator for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Previously she was the program manager for the city of Springfield’s waste and recycling division.
Burning Man is a nine-day annual event, held the week before Labor Day in the Nevada desert, focused on community, art, self-expression and self-reliance. There are massive interactive art installations and theme camps in a temporary Black Rock City, built from scratch and completely disassembled at the end. Participants must be totally self-sufficient and bring all their own food, water, shelter and electricity. As a culmination, a giant wooden effigy of a man built at the center of the city is burned in a celebratory event. The Temple, a large wooden structure filled with personal items, notes and mementos, is also burned in a solemn occasion signifying mourning, loss and releasing emotional baggage. Octopolis will not be burned, but will contribute to rejuvenation long after Burning Man.
The Octopolis project was awarded a prestigious $60,000 Burning Man honoraria grant, and Adena obtained some additional smaller grants. While her sister is at work in California to salvage metal and create the frame and internal elements out of reclaimed materials, Adena is working in Springfield as the fabrication lead to create the skin out of recycled textiles at the Creative Reuse Marketplace.
To date, approximately 50 volunteers have participated in workshops where people help tear fabric into squares, iron the pieces onto fused material, create a patchwork and sew strips together. More volunteers are needed, and anyone can help. At the workshops there are ripping, ironing and sewing stations. It’s also possible to help by doing some of the labor at home. Kits are available to pick up at the CRM, and video tutorials are online.
All of the fabric is white and off-white because there is so much salt in the air at Burning Man. Fabric scraps and remnants previously donated to the CRM are being used, and bedsheets were donated by SpringHill Suites Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott and the State House Inn. The fabrication process also involves creating gores, which are spherical in shape, to cover the contours of the structure. Each gore requires three bedsheets. Ultimately the skin will be quilted together, and volunteers with quilting expertise are invited to join in this unique experience.
The CRM is a nonprofit organization created as a place to donate items that might otherwise end up in a landfill but that can be repurposed, upcycled and used by creative individuals for art projects. The CRM combines community engagement, educational programming and environmental sustainability. The store, located in White Oaks Mall, is open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Octopolis is not only a sculpture. It will be interactive and filled with symbolism. Female octopuses reproduce once and die after laying a clutch of eggs and fiercely protecting them until they hatch. Layna Joy made “embryos” from clay earth on her California property. They are encased in rubber resin with lights that will illuminate inside Octopolis at night. This “is symbolic of a mother’s strength, the ultimate sacrifice and representative of trying to bring life back to a dying coral reef…and a reminder of the power inside us all to care about something more than ourselves,” said Adena.
Layna Joy also worked with volunteers to create an elaborate welded metal frame with hand-crafted resin coral structures to hold an electronic keyboard for mini-concerts. “Each note, like life itself, is fleeting – here and gone,” she said. “The music lingers, echoing in our minds, reminding us to cherish the moment, to play with intention and to let go with grace.”
Workshops take place every Wednesday in July (except July 8) from 5:30-8 p.m. at the CRM at White Oaks Mall, located on the second floor next to Malibu Jacks.
To get involved, email creativereusemarketplace@gmail.com. Take a deep dive into the Octopolis project on the CRM website https://creativereusemarketplace.org/the-octopolis-project to watch engaging videos, adopt an embryo and find links to follow the progress on social media.
This article appears in July 2, 2026.
