Patricia Watts

Methodologies: HighWaterLine

This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

Patricia Watts of ecoartspace recently highlighted the collaboration with artist Eve Mosher producing an Action Guide for HighWaterLine.  Eve Mosher developed HighWaterLine as a personal project, but following Sandy’s impact on New York it went viral (covered by the New York Times and the New Yorker), and rather than travelling around the world doing projects, Eve has worked with ecoartspace to produce an action guide so that people can do it for themselves.  ecoartspace are promising 10 of these based on artists’ projects.

Artists such as Eve increasingly recognising that making their methods explicit so that other people can adopt them is important.  You can find the guide that Eve and ecoartspace have developed here http://ecoartspaceactionguides.blogspot.co.uk/ and more will follow.  We will also categorise posts where methodologies are explicit and reproducible.

Eve just spoke as part of the Marfa Dialogues in New York, and this is how it was described,

Artist Eve Mosher will tell the story of her public art project titled HighWaterLine where she marked the ten feet above sea level line in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn with a baseball line marker over the summer of 2007. Mosher receives many requests to fly to cities around the world to duplicate this project. Since this would be an impossible task, she has recently collaborated with ecoartspace to develop an ACTION GUIDE so that communities around the world can learn about her work and now mark their own line using Mosher’s HighWaterLine as inspiration. The guide was developed for educators, nonprofit organizations and individuals, combining art and science to engage aesthetics while addressing environmental issues. Guide author Patricia Watts and curator Amy Lipton will participate with Eve Mosher for this discussion.

ecoartspace High Water Line

There’s a good video on the project

ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.
Go to EcoArtScotland

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Shifting Baselines Residency and Exhibition Project

This post comes to you from Cultura21

Gallery Talk & Exhibition Opening
Monday, January 7, 2013 – 6pm @ Santa Fe Art Institute

Shifting Baselines Exhibition
January 8 – 25 – Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm @ Santa Fe Art Institute

Shifting Baselines, an exhibition curated by ecoartspace founder Patricia Watts, opening on the 7th of January, 2013,  will show existing and new work from installation artist Hugh Pocock and painter Cynthia Hooper, a Northern California painter and video artist who teaches at College of the Redwoods in Eureka.

Shifting baseline is a scientific term used to describe the way changes in the environment can be measured against previous reference points (baselines) that represent significant changes from the “original state.” For example, places that swarmed with a particular species hundreds of years ago may have experienced long-term decline, but it is the level of recent decades that are considered the appropriate reference point for current populations. In this way large declines in ecosystems or species over long periods of time were, and are, masked. There is a loss of perception of change that occurs when each generation redefines what is “natural.” This term has become widely used to describe the shift over time in the expectation of what a healthy ecosystem baseline looks like.

The exhibition will also be the inaugural event of the Santa Fe Art Institute’s 2013-14 season of programming – Contested Space, focusing on arts role in communicating and exploring new territory in an already mapped out world.

To learn more about the Shifting Baselines residency and exhibition, please go to the Santa Fe Art Institute blog.

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

Go to Cultura21

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Green Building: Where Does The Art Fit In?

This post comes to you from Green Public Art

On May 4, 2011, Rebecca Ansert, Founder & Principal of Green Public Art co-presented an American for the Arts webinar Going Green: How to Align Public with Green Building and Infrastructure with

The premise of the webinar was this: Increasingly, various levels of government are demanding that new and retrofitted public buildings and urban infrastructure meet green standards. Through case studies and policy examples we will cover fundamental approaches for integrating art that makes green technologies visible into the design and construction of green buildings, as well as public infrastructure. Participants will learn key language that describes approaches to public art that showcases green building and infrastructure technologies such as stormwater capture and energy production and how these kinds of public art can be integrated into existing and new ordinances and modifications to comprehensive plans. Productive strategies for the artist selection process, as well as green building standards materials resources and maintenance will also be covered.

The following was my ten-minute contribution to the conversation which included the examination of a LEED certification checklist, where I believe public art can play a role. I hope this will enable others to continue to advance the conversation of public art in green building in their own organizations.

I believe that the public art community has a great opportunity to take a critical and creative approach to finding sustainable strategies to incorporate into our built environment. We need a green public art movement that can set a course to increase the aesthetic appeal of new construction and city planning; to encourage projects to take a holistic approach; and encourage artists to take an active role in creating works which demonstrate green processes, and utilize green design, materials and techniques in green building projects.

THREE LEADING GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method)was launched in 1990. It is a performance based assessment method and certification program for new building`s. The primary aim of BREEAM is to mitigate the life cycle impacts of new buildings on the environment in a robust and cost effective manner. There are ten categories for award points in this program

The Living Building Challenge is a program of the International Living Building Institute that was launched in 2006. It is an independent non-profit organization. The underlying principle of the Living Building Challenge is that all development projects should use nature as the ultimate measurement stick for performance. There are a total of twenty checkpoints in the Living Building Challenge and they are organized into seven categories. The major difference of this program is that certification is based on actual performance instead of modeled outcomes like LEED and BREEAM. Projects must be fully operational for at least twelve consecutive months prior to certification.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Enviromental Design) was launched in 1998 by the United States Green Building Council, or USGBC. I will focus most of my discussion on this certification program primarily because it is widely being accepted by municipalities as the green building certification of choice.

VS. TABLE

This table enables you to view each program’s certification criteria side-by-side. Notice the high amount of overlap. For instance, every certification program awards points for water efficiency and renewable energy sources. A couple of certification criteria unique to their respectful programs are BREEAM’s Management category and the Living Building Challenge’s Equity category.  It is also interesting that the Living Building Challenge is the only certification program that awards points specifically for aesthetics in their Beauty category.

The conversation continues here… PUBLIC ART and LEED – Sustainable Sites and Water Efficiency

 

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.

Go to Green Public Art

MAKE:CRAFT at the Ben Maltz Gallery opens Oct. 2nd

Ben Maltz Gallery

Otis College of Art and Design

October 2 – December 4, 2010

Kim Abeles, Jonah Brucker-Cohen, Frau Fiber, Garnet Hertz, Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, Seth Kinmont, Liza Lou, David Prince, Mark Newport, Alyce Santoro, Shada/Jahn (Steve Shada and Marisa Jahn), Eddo Stern.

Inspired by the cultural currents represented in the popular magazines MAKE and CRAFT published out of Northern California, MAKE:CRAFT includes contemporary artists who combine handmaking and building techniques to create, engineer and hack unique, mostly functional devices, objects, machines and accessories; making either a sociopolitical statement, creating new markets for individual styled products, or creating inventive ways to experience the tactile world, non-virtual, the “real.”

The exhibition is guest curated by Patricia Watts, founder and west coast curator of ecoartspace, who feels that recent trends in the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) movement of making and crafting have empowered contemporary artists and designers to create more socially relevant work that supports sustainable communities.

Go to the Maker blog HERE

Go to MAKE:CRAFT Facebook page HERE

Go to EcoLOGIC LA

Free Convergence Session TOMORROW Sunday 9/5/10 at the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf

This year, we’re taking the convergence to the road.  We’ll be converging in two cities, and in between, on an all-inclusive weekend getaway!  Exploring human impact on the Earth, and Art’s impact on human impact, we’ll discuss environmental justice, urban nature, and what it means to be an artist who brings environmental issues to the public.

MISS THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE?

Join us for our Sunday afternoon session in San Francisco, featuring Amy Balkin, Patricia Watts, Laura Parker, and Nik Bertulis.  Curated by Moe Beitiks.  You can also check out our “a la carte” events.  Book your own ticket and meet us there!

Held at the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf:

555 North Point Street

San Francisco, California 94133

Sunday, September 5th.  1pm-5pm.

Seating is limited.  Reserve your space at

http://cspaconvergence.eventbrite.com/

AGENDA

Saturday, September 4 LOS ANGELES  TO SAN FRANCISCO

  • 10am Depart Los Angeles.  Carpool/Caravan will feature the Invisible 5 Audio Tour and select stops.
  • 5pm Arrive San Francisco
  • 6pm Dinner Break
  • 7pm Shotgun Players: Solar Powered Theater Discussion
  • 8pm Performance: Living Together at Shotgun Players

Sunday September 5 SAN FRANCISCO

  • 8am Nature Tour
  • 12pm Lunch Break
  • 1pm Afternoon Sessions featuring Patricia Watts/EcoArtSpace, Amy Balkin, Laura Parker, and Nik Bertulis.  Curated by Moe Beitiks
  • 6pm Art Walk & Dinner

Monday, September 6 SAN FRANCISCO TO LOS ANGELES

  • 8am Depart for guided highway tour down the 101.  We’ll be following the Urban Ranger’s Field Guide to the American Road Trip.
  • 6pm Arrive Los Angeles

CSPA Quarterly

The second edition of the CSPA Quarterly is close to publication!  It will be available by the end of the month.  The second issue focuses on international eco-policy; policy’s effect on the arts, and arts’ effect on policy.  Events and installations from COP15 will be featured, including the CO2 Cube, the Seven Meters installations leading to the Bella Center, and others.  

In celebration of the new year, we’ll be publishing last quarter’s articles to the blog.  Keep your eye out for articles written by Sam Goldblatt, Moe Beitiks, Linda Weintraub, Patricia Watts, Thomas Rhodes, and Olivia Campbell.  

Submissions are accepted year-round for the quarterly, and all content is volunteer-based.  Articles, Academic Papers, Case Studies, and photos can be sent to me at: Miranda @SustainablePractice.org

To subscribe to the Quarterly, or to become a member of the CSPA: https://www.sustainablepractice.org/join-the-cspa/

CSPA Quarterly Available!

We are pleased to announce the first edition of the CSPA Quarterly! This edition of The Quarterly explores sustainable arts practices in performance, visual art & installation, green touring, and eco-policy. Articles include ‘Code Green: A Comparative Look at Worldwide Cultural Policies for Green Events,’ by Sam Goldblatt. This edition’s featured artist is Dianna Cohen, a Los Angeles based multi-media artist who is best known for her works using recycled plastic bags. Other contributors include Moe Beitiks, Linda Weintraub, Patricia Watts, Thomas Rhodes, and Olivia Campbell.

CSPA Fall 09 Cover

 

The issue is available through CSPA Subscriptions, or through our website at:

https://www.sustainablepractice.org/join-the-cspa

San Francisco from Eugene

Our little blog has recently recovered from a little death and a little upgrade. Right now I’m in the middle of the Earth Matters on Stage EcoDrama Symposium (and working on plans to build an eco-art-blogger treehouse with my buddies Ian Garrett and Mike Lawler. You’re invited,  Matt Merkel-Hess!). There’s a lot to cover, including a greenmuseum-sponsored panel about Bioremediatve Performance, but for tonight I’d like to repost this overview of a Bay Area eco-art shout-out.

First off: the inaugural exhibit for Art at the Cheese Factory, Terrior: A sense of place. Guest Curated by Patricia Watts (and Guest Juried by gm’s Sam Bower), the exhibit includes photos, paintings, installations and performances by a breathtaking array of environmental artists. Yes. The exhibit continues until June 21st for those of you in the Marin area. Check out the website for a nice cranial buzz.

In San Francisco, New Langton Arts just opened an exhibition from Pae White called In Between the Outside-In. The central piece is a trapezoidal greenhouse/room framing a video screen. The projected image is a series of curling lines and unfolding patterns based on three-dimensional scans of an oak tree, a wild raspberry bush, and a manzanita grove. Those guys were all outside of Nevada City in California. White’s all about blurring the lines between site and non-site, I hear. The exhibit is up until the 18th of July.

Lastly: the Brower Center just opened. It’s a new center for environmental action with its own exhibition space in Berkeley, CA. Currently they’re running a series of photos by Sebastiao Salgado entitled Then and Now. They are big and black and white and stunning. They are people in environments. Upstairs in the space is an exhibit about activist David Brower, the building’s namesake: it’s what greenmuseum.org’s Sam Bower has been spending most of his time on these days.

Go to the Green Museum

San Francisco Bay Area Exhibitions and Happenings

There’s been a buzz of eco-art activity out here in the SF Bay Area that I’ve been meaning to shout-out, Matt Merkel-Hess-style. It’s good work, and yes. Here we go.

First off: the amazing ladies at ecoartspace put together an inaugural exhibit for Art at the Cheese Factory, Terrior: A sense of place. Curated by Patricia Watts, the exhibit includes photos, paintings, installations and performances by a breathtaking array of environmental artists. That’s Emily Payne above installing in a lake. Yes. The exhibit continues until June 21st for those of you in the Marin area. Check out the website for a nice cranial buzz.

In San Francisco, New Langton Arts just opened an exhibition from Pae White called In Between the Outside-In. The central piece is a trapezoidal greenhouse/room framing a video screen. The projected image is a series of curling lines and unfolding patterns based on three-dimensional scans of an oak tree, a wild raspberry bush, and a manzanita grove. Those guys were all outside of Nevada City in California. White’s all about blurring the lines between site and non-site, I hear. The exhibit is up until the 18th of July.

Lastly: the Brower Center just opened. It’s a new center for environmental action with its own exhibition space in Berkeley, CA. Currently they’re running a series of photos by Sebastiao Salgado entitled Then and Now. They are big and black and white and stunning. They are people in environments. Upstairs in the space is an exhibit about activist David Brower, the building’s namesake: it’s what greenmuseum.org’s Sam Bower has been spending most of his time on these days.

Go to the Green Museum

ecoartspace: ecoLOGIC opens in Los Angeles


ecoLOGIC was inspired by the College Art Association CAA conference, which took place in Los Angeles in 1999, where a group of dedicated artists joined together to present a comprehensive studio session entitled Off the Mainstream, Into The Mainstream. The session included three chairs and nine artists presenting the state of environmental art in the 1990s.

 

West coast curator Patricia Watts, who lived in Southern California for over twenty years and attended the CAA conference in 1999, has participated in and observed this evolution of artists addressing environmental issues in the greater Los Angeles area. EcoLOGIC was developed to coincide with the 2009 CAA conference, once again in Los Angeles, to provide a survey of Southern California artists, architects and designers who pose aesthetic inquiries that express a unique logic, ecological reasoning or discourse including Calvin Abe, Kim Abeles, Samantha Fields, Sant Khalsa, Manfred Menz, Kathryn Miller, Lothar Schmitz, Glen Small, and Joel Tauber.

Cypress College Art Gallery

January 28 – February 28th, 2009

Opening reception January 28th 7-9pm

For more information go to http://ecologicla.blogspot.com

via ecoartspace: ecoLOGIC opens in Los Angeles.