Craig Wilson interviews Henry LaBounta by email about his career in film, animation and games industries and his return to Minnesota to be a steward of our beloved Lake of the Isles.
Where did you grow up?
My family moved to West St. Paul when I was finishing grade school. Before that we lived in Belgium, France, and all over the U.S.
I studied fine art at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) and School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where I became interested in computer graphics. In the early 1980s. I think I was the only student at MCAD that experimented with the Apple II—who would ever use a computer for art?
Why did you move to California?
The day after graduating from MCAD I moved to New York City with my then-girlfriend Lisa Javitch. Years later while working at NBC New York, I met my wife, Barbara. Since then, we have lived in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Vancouver (British Columbia), London and San Francisco, moving for work in the film, animation, and games industries. I supervised visual effects and art directed at many studios including ILM, DreamWorks, and Electronic Arts. My movie work includes “Casper,” “Twister,” “Minority Report,” and TV work includes the Grammy Awards, NBC Sports, and “The Tonight Show.” My gaming experience includes SSX3, Need for Speed, Skate and EA Sports.
What brought you back to Minnesota?
We thought a move back to the Twin Cities to be closer to family and friends would be a good retirement plan. I was excited about the quality of life here and yes, even the winter! I was working from home, which I could do from anywhere, so we moved here in late 2020. Barbara, Shiner, and I were very lucky to find a wonderful home in East Isles, our ideal location close to shopping and Lake of the Isles with wonderful neighbors.
How did you come to start picking up trash in Lake of the Isles?
Last year I was kayaking on the lake, but the experience was spoiled by all the trash floating around. I started collecting it in my boat but there wasn’t enough room to fit it all. My Uncle Jack Farrell gave me his waders and I was able to pick up countless bags of trash from the water, it helped so much. When the snow began melting, I started picking up trash while walking our dog Shiner every day, sometimes twice a day. We picked up trash on the neighborhood streets hoping that it wouldn’t wash through the storm drains. When the ice melted, we went around the shore of the lake, it’s much easier access before the plants all grow in. Thank you, Minneapolis Park Board, for your support! Please contact volunteers@minneapolisparks.org to help.
How much trash have you picked up so far?
I estimate that I’ve removed 90+ bags out of Lake of the Isles and removed at least 50 more from the neighborhood. We’ve gone out every day since the snow melted and get two bags per day on average. Two Sundays ago, we got two bags out of the lake, two bags out of the dog park and a bag on the way home. This past Sunday, I made it around the whole lake and in 5 hours I picked up 6 five gallon buckets of trash from the shore.
What’s typically in the trash you find?
Plastic of all sorts, straws, and bottle caps that I pick up one by one. Candy and snack wrappers, bags, masks, drinks, and many Swisher Sweets cigar packages and plastic ends. Some trash looks like it’s been there for years. I even find syringes, 28 so far this year, many more last year. These have to be secured in sharps boxes and disposed of properly, not in the trash.
Why is picking up trash important?
I often quote research done on littering, such as: “The presence of existing litter was strongly predictive of littering behavior. So, if you’re in a place that’s already highly littered, you’re much more likely to litter than if you’re in a place that’s clean or free of litter.” (www.alleghenyfront.org/the-psychology-of-littering) If the lakes are perceived as clean, they’re more likely to stay that way. We just need to get ahead of it!
What else do you like to do in your free time?
Spending time with family and friends, skate skiing, kayaking, biking, canoeing, beer and gardening. Enjoying the great culture here, concerts and art at the Walker and Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
What is your hope on Earth Day 2022?
Every day is Earth Day! I hope this story motivates people to be more thoughtful when discarding their trash and encourages neighbors to help cleanup. We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful community that looks so much better when it’s clean. I dream of a day when it’s hard to find trash in and around the lake. It’s wonderful being outside and very rewarding beautifying our neighborhood, please join me by contacting me at cleanlakesmpls@gmail.com or just saying hello if you see me!
