50th Anniversary

Paddling Theater on the Minnesota River

This post comes to you from Cultura21

Theater in canoes as part of the Minnesota River History Weekend &Minnesota State Water Trails 50th Anniversary

On May 18, 2013, PlaceBase Productions and performers from the Upper Minnesota River Valley area (in the USA) will stage a Paddling Theater Production on the Minnesota River as part ofMinnesota River History Weekend and Minnesota State Water Trails 50th Anniversary. From their canoes, the audience will engage with stories, songs and characters from local river lore, presented both as live theatre and live-action radio drama in the original production: With the Future on the Line: Paddling Theater from Granite Falls to Yellow Medicine. Characters from throughout history will emerge on the river’s banks, to lead the audience on an interactive journey into the past, bringing the stories of the Minnesota River Valley.

The production is based on historical research and interviews with local residents, historians, and naturalists and written, produced and directed by Ashley Hanson & Andrew Gaylord of PlaceBase Productions. Guided 10-person voyageur canoes and a plethora of private canoes and kayaks will paddle from Kinney’s Landing, just South of Granite Falls, to the confluence of the Minnesota and Yellow Medicine Rivers. Along the way paddlers will meet with a host of explorers, scientists, river reprobates and prairie politicians, and learn about the ecology, stories, and history of the stretch of river between Granite Falls and the Upper Sioux Agency State Park. Hanson states, “the performance is a starting point for deeper discussion and connection with each other and with the place… by watching our history and stories unfold before us through interaction with lively characters and playful scenes, we learn about who we are and where we came from; then we can begin to envision our future together in a way that is creative and joyful.”

Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have partnered with PlaceBase Productions (PBP) and Wilderness Inquiry (WI) to produce the Paddling Theater Production, as part of a larger weekend festival, Minnesota River History Weekend and Minnesota State Water Trails 50th Anniversary. The full event runs from May 17-19. For more festival information and schedule of events, visit www.cureriver.org.

Event Details:

Starting Location: K.K. Berge Building (807 Prentice Street, Granite Falls)

Starting Time: Event Welcome 10:00am; Final scene at Memorial Park, Granite Falls at 7:30pm

Cost: $10 for a spot on Wilderness Inquiry Voyageur Canoes in advance and $15 on-site

Ages: ALL ages and abilities welcome to participate; Shuttle service provided.

Register at: www.wildernessinquiry.org/cure

Cultura21 is a transversal, translocal network, constituted of an international level grounded in several Cultura21 organizations around the world.

Cultura21′s international network, launched in April 2007, offers the online and offline platform for exchanges and mutual learning among its members.

The activities of Cultura21 at the international level are coordinated by a team representing the different Cultura21 organizations worldwide, and currently constituted of:

– Sacha Kagan (based in Lüneburg, Germany) and Rana Öztürk (based in Berlin, Germany)
– Oleg Koefoed and Kajsa Paludan (both based in Copenhagen, Denmark)
– Hans Dieleman (based in Mexico-City, Mexico)
– Francesca Cozzolino and David Knaute (both based in Paris, France)

Cultura21 is not only an informal network. Its strength and vitality relies upon the activities of several organizations around the world which are sharing the vision and mission of Cultura21

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Artist Stacy Levy unveils “Straw Garden”

This post comes to you from Green Public Art
Stacy Levy's Straw GardenAs a sculptor, Stacy Levy uses art as a vehicle for translating the patterns and processes of the natural world into the language of human understanding. Her projects are designed so that the site tells the ecological story of itself. Meshing the clarity of maps and diagrams, and the accessibility of science with the visceral sense of the site, Levy tries to create an instant wonder and understanding for the viewer.

Straw Garden is a six month project at the Seattle Center in Seattle, WA. The piece is made of erosion control wattles, in the shape of a baroque garden that spools out into a watershed form; all planted in native species of perennials and shrubs. At the end of the exhibition and the growing season, the garden will be divided and delivered to other landscapes in need of restoration and erosion control.

Straw Garden uses modern landscape restoration materials in a baroque garden configuration. The symmetrical parterre are based on Le Notre’s design for Versailles. The straw wattles are most commonly used for sedimentation control while the coir (coconut fiber) wattles are used for erosion control, on slopes and stream banks. The baroque garden relied on two views, from within the garden and from high above in the manor house. This new garden also has multiple vantages: the lawn, and the elevated views from the monorail and space needle. This temporary work will have a second life as a plant source for landscapes that need restoration and native plant diversity. In several years the wattles will biodegrade, while the native perennials continue to take root and thrive.

Straw Garden is part of The Next Fifty Seattle Center 2012, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, exploring critical issues affecting the Pacific Northwest and the world, and creating synergies that inspire a shared future vision.

Rebecca Ansert, founder of Green Public Art, is an art consultant who specializes in artist solicitation, artist selection, and public art project management for both private and public agencies. She is a graduate of the master’s degree program in Public Art Studies at the University of Southern California and has a unique interest in how art can demonstrate green processes or utilize green design theories and techniques in LEED certified buildings.

Green Public Art is a Los Angeles-based consultancy that was founded in 2009 in an effort to advance the conversation of public art’s role in green building. The consultancy specializes in public art project development and management, artist solicitation and selection, creative community involvement and knowledge of LEED building requirements. Green Public Art also works with emerging and mid-career studio artists to demystify the public art process. The consultancy acts as a resource for artists to receive one-on-one consultation before, during, and after applying for a public art project.
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