Monthly Archives: June 2010

BP Keeps Arts Sponsorship as Pressure Grows for Spill Damages – Bloomberg.com

June 18 Bloomberg — BP Plc, which has shed 45 percent of its market value after causing the U.S.’s worst-ever oil spill, said it will keep sponsoring the British Museum, the Royal Opera House, Tate Britain and the National Portrait Gallery in London.

“These are longstanding partnerships that we have with major cultural institutions in the U.K.,” BP spokesman David Nicholas said in a telephone interview yesterday. “They’re completely unchanged, as far as I’m concerned.”

BP Keeps Arts Sponsorship as Pressure Grows for Spill Damages – Bloomberg.com.

Arcola Recieves Green Tourism Gold Award

Arcola Theatre is delighted to announce that it has achieved Green Tourism Award Gold standard. Sustainability Projects Manager, Rachel Carless, and the rest of the sustainability team worked hard to fulfil the rigorous set of criteria set out by the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS), who came to carry out an audit at the end of April. Arcola is now the first theatre in the UK to achieve a Gold award in Green Tourism and is proud to be recognised as ‘a strong local catalyst in greening North East London (Hackney and surrounding districts)’.

The GTBS, developed by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism and validated by Visit Britain, is the largest of its type in the world, and since 1997 has worked to make tourism and the hospitality industry in the UK more sustainable. The audit covers areas such as energy efficiency, waste minimisation and recycling, use of local produce, and support of public transport, its overall aim to encourage sustainability in business and provide the consumer with a ‘green’ choice.

Attempting to improve on the Bronze Award, received in 2008, the sustainability team had a number of issues to address including improving links with other GTBS members (e.g. Arts Admin), developing better systems for measuring the theatre’s energy use, and sourcing greener cleaning products. In the GTBS’ audit report, special mention was given to Arcola’s success in communicating the green message, in particular through the Green Sundays events and the green notice board up in the café/bar. Reaching the GTBS’ Gold standard is recognition of Arcola Theatre’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and its goal of becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral theatre.

The Green Tourism audit report can be viewed here.

Go to Arcola Energy

New Exhibition at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum! Fritz Haeg

The Aldrich is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition

Fritz Haeg: Something for Everyone

June 27, 2010, to January 2, 2011

Experience Fritz Haeg’s unconventional exhibition, Something for Everyone, a series of participatory projects for plants, animals, and people presented in the Museum’s grounds and atrium. One component, Edible Estate #9, places a productive garden on the Museum’s pristine front lawn in Ridgefield’s historic district, where the Museum staff will grow their own food and create compost, transforming this longstanding symbol of the “American Dream” and questioning definitions of agriculture and art. For updates about programs and events related to the exhibition, as well as time-lapse photographs of the installation, please visit:

www.fritzhaeg.com/studio/projects/aldrich.html

Exhibition Opening

Sunday, June 27, 2010; 2:30 to 5:30 pm

Join us at the reception; explore the work on view; and meet the artist!

New Exhibition at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum! Fritz Haeg.

WCA Elements: Eco Art Conference page @ Brower Center

On Friday, June 25th, there are three panels arranged to flow in series, on after another and they are Genre's of Eco-Art, Collaboration and Community and in the afternoon, Issues and Activism

Genres of Eco-Art: Moderator, Deborah Thomas with  Susan Leibovitz Steinman and Ruth Wallen as panelists.

Collaboration and Community: Moderator Susan Leibovitz Steinman with  Joyce Cutler-Shaw, Jennifer Colby, Deborah Munk and Tierney Thys as panelists.

Issues and Activism: Moderator, Michelle Lipsinki with Andree Singer Thompson, Beverly Naidus, Daniella Russo and  Samantha Fields as panelists.

There are also short films being shown in a separate room, during these panels and through the breaks.

You can spend your day in either place, or mingling with the other attendees. At your hosted luncheon the panelists will have tables earmarked for conversation topics, relevant to the work of the panelist.

Entrance fee for the entire conference is $90 in advance and $125 at the door. Conference schedule is at the bottom of this page.

Elements Conference schedule on June 25th, 2010 at the David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94704

WCA Elements: Eco Art Conference page @ Brower Center.

Autonomous technology and art in the North < The Arts Catalyst

Zacharias Kunuk and Matthew Biederman on live video satellite link from the Arctic wilderness to Canada House, London, 20 May 2010

The Arctic Perspective Initiative (API) is working towards the construction of free, open, information sharing infrastructures for people living in the Arctic. It is the brainchild of artists Marko Peljhan and Matthew Biederman, and grew out of Peljhan&apos;s 10-year Makrolab project. As the first step, the API is working in collaboration with communities in Arctic Canada to design a mobile work and habitation unit to support seasonally nomadic lifestyles. A prototype is currently being built in Pond Inlet, Nunavut. When complete, the unit will be customisable to suit a variety of needs and uses on the land: from basic survival and safety, to global media streaming, communications, and environmental monitoring.

API is an art project, conceived by an artist and presented in arts contexts, which sets out to highlight the cultural, geopolitical and ecological significance of the Arctic and its indigenous cultures. It is also a network of individuals and organisations working collaboratively on a practical project: a utopian quest for an a &apos;third culture&apos; beyond specialisation and national interests. It it art? It seems to me that more interesting questions are rather: Is this something that art can do? And how do we do it well?

–Nicola Triscott, Director

Read he full article here: Autonomous technology and art in the North < Blog < The Arts Catalyst.

EcoArt Treasure Coast Apprentices Rock OUT with “Floating Islands”

A Disptach from South Florida  EcoArt Projects:


VERY EXCITING!! A new video has just been finished. We wanted to bring it to you right away!!
See below for the link!

How quickly our EcoArt apprentices are making contacts and enlisting talent! This most recent effort in documenting the apprentices’ projects was made possible by well known Treasure Coast photographer Thomas Winter…THANKS, TOM!

This first project by EcoArt Treasure Coast apprentices demonstrates very clearly exactly how SFEAP expects EcoArt to spread across South Florida. First, artists interested in “trying on” EcoArt practice are recruited.

Second, with the help of an experienced EcoArt practitioner (in this case, Betsy Damon) these artists begin to learn what is involved…research, enlistment of community volunteers and collaboration from scientists and environmental specialists.

Third, seeking partnerships with local environmental and arts organizations (in this case, the famed Florida Oceanographic Instituteand the Environmental Studies Center, both located on the Treasure Coast in Martin County).

Fourth, developing an aesthetically interesting and environmentally responsive approach to a particular problem at a particular site, and producing it fully (in this case, an artificial research oriented salt water “lagoon” used by the FOS for experiments and public education–the lagoon needed a natural way to keep the water clean).

Fifth, informing the public of what has been accomplished (in this case video documentation and interviews with participating apprentices and community volunteers).

KUDOS, Ecoart Treasure Coast apprentices!! You are on the mark as we work together to bring this model to all South Florida’s watersheds.

Mary Jo Aagerstoun

**EcoArt Treasure Coast is a collaboration between SFEAP, Inc. and the Arts Council of Martin County, funded by the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties and the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and private donations.

EcoArt Apprentices  Demonstrate Water-cleaning Floating Islands Click HERE to see NEW Video about EcoArt Treasure Coast Apprentices’ “Floating Island” project at the Florida Oceanographic Institute **EcoArt Treasure Coast is a collaborative project of the Arts Council, Inc. (Martin County) and the South Florida Environmental Art Project Inc. It is the first of a series of community EcoArt community education and apprenticeship projects that will be organized in each of South Florida ‘s major watersheds by SFEAP, Inc. Initial funding for EcoArt Treasure Coast by the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs.

IT”S :HERE!!! EcoArt Treasure Coast Apprentices Rock OUT with “Floating Islands”.

The Stage: Carbon footprint of touring theatre revealed

An exclusive story over on THE STAGE, so we can’t give it all away, but please do head over there at the link below!

Moving sets, transporting casts and lighting hotel rooms for British touring theatre companies creates as many greenhouse gas emissions every year as flying around the world 2,680 times, new research has revealed.

According to a new report to be published by green arts organisation Julie’s Bicycle next week, and seen exclusively by The Stage, British touring theatre companies caused around 13,400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions within the UK and globally in 2009.

The Stage / News / Exclusive: Carbon footprint of touring theatre revealed.

Eco-bling: why the arts sector needs to lead on climate action

How should the artworld be responding to the issues of sustainability and the environment? Dialogue editor Lucy Gibson looks at why the arts should be leading the way on climate action, rather than looking to corporations and science for moral leadership. But in a sector made up of many individuals and small organisations, alongside enormous institutions, why and how can change really be affected?

Eco-bling: why the arts sector needs to lead on climate action is an interesting article from Lucy Gibson. Take a look at the source when you have a moment.

It should make the art world blush to hear a leading arts and environment activist stating that Walmart, followed by Coca-Cola, Unilever and Tescos, have done more than most in dealing with the impact of climate change. But that is exactly the message from Alison Tickell, Director of Julie’s Bicycle at the Arts Council England’s ‘A Low Carbon Future for the Arts?’ consultation meeting in February. ‘Why do we expect moral leadership to come from corporations and science?’ asks Tickell, ‘Surely the meaningful nature of the arts in society puts it in a position to take a lead on climate action?

Vancouver Park Board – The Ivy Project

The Ivy Project, led by Sharon Kallis, was a community-involved public programming initiative born out of the Stanley Park Environmental Art Project.

Vancouver artist Sharon Kallis works with unwanted natural materials. Through engaging local community in common handwork, unwanted materials are re-purposed into something new, creating opportunities for individuals to connect with nature in a unique, meditative, yet community oriented way.

Run in partnership with the Vancouver Park Board and the Stanley Park Ecology Society, the Ivy Busters program has removed more than 3.95 hectares of invasive species from Stanley Park since 2004. The intent of The Ivy Project was to create art installations that use the biomass that is unwanted and create opportunities for learning about the ecosystem of the park; is a creative method for observation and turns a material with negative impact to potentially good uses.

The Ivy Project saw over 180 volunteer community members turn mounds of English ivy into crocheted small bird net forms, woven nurse logs, a knitted boat, and a knitted anti-erosion blanket.

Please visit The Ivy Project website for more information and photos on this unique project.

Read an interview with Sharon Kallis by John K. Grande where Sharon goes into more detail around the process of re-purposing the ivy and working with SPES and community members on The Ivy Project.

via Vancouver Park Board – Arts.

Halesworth in Transition: Uplifting upcycling! Stopping shoppers in their tracks

On Saturday May 22nd May Halesworth Thoroughfare saw an upcycling event, complete with hand-powered sewing machine converting cloth into shopping bags, companionable knitting of one garment by two knitters, and making logs from old newspapers.

The event stopped shoppers in their tracks. They were delighted to be given (no cost, no strings attached) a cloth bag to replace their plastic ones and many took patterns to make their own. The organisers now intend to continue their bag-making evenings at the Library, helped by the on-the-spot donation of a stunning Singer hand-powered machine by a generous passer-by. Brampton Primary School, who helped make bags for the event, will be continuing their sewing sessions.

Upcycling is a new word for taking old or unused things and making them into something better.

Organisers Halesworth in Transition (HinT) are part of a widespread and growing grassroots movement of people who are taking a positive attitude to preparing for the impacts of climate change and peak oil (when cheap and easy oil runs out).

For this event HinT had gathered material from generous Halesworth people including members of ‘Time Out’, Halesworth library’s social group for older people. HinT volunteers have been sewing up bags in evenings in the library. Brampton’s Primary School, who already have a reputation for their environmental awareness, also helped to make bags in the week before the event.

Every minute hundreds of thousands of plastic bags go into circulation globally. This wastes precious oil, creates mountains of waste and kills wildlife.

Many towns are already affiliated to the international Transition movement. Locally, this includes Bungay, Beccles, Framlingham, Woodbridge, Norwich, and Ipswich. HinT is not affiliated to any political party and is a non-profit-making organisation run entirely by volunteers.

For more information about this event and other activities phone 01986 875323 or email hint@talktalk.net