LA STAGE Alliance, Arts:Earth Partnership, and partners have several new services and features that can help you improve and manage your space, venue or facility, and help members of the Los Angeles community who are eager to use your space find you!
Terence McFarland of LA STAGE Alliance will talk about the inception of SpacefinderLA.org in Los Angeles, the growth the service has experienced in the last year, explain the history of the inception of Arts:Earth Partnership and how they are transforming the cultural facilities of our region.
Adam Meltzer and Justin Yoffe of AEP will share details about how your organization can benefit by becoming a part of AEP’s expanding Green Business Certification program exclusively for the cultural sector – with 38 cultural facility members in the greater Los Angeles area already and 18 certified, AEP is leading the way in greening the cultural sector. Expanding missions and funding opportunities through the greening of your spaces will also be discussed.
Lisa Niedermeyer of Fractured Atlas will be visiting from New York to share the exciting new features available on SpaceFinderLA – learn how to maximize your space’s listing with new features like Share My Calendar, allowing SpaceFinder users to search for venues based on availability. (I need a meeting space on Saturday morning!)
SpaceFinderLA will now also include the ability to search for film and visual arts related spaces – as the second largest directory of it’s kind in the country, SpaceFinderLA continues to add spaces on a daily basis, and to increase web traffic and searches by people who are looking for your space!
This event is supported by the LA County Arts Commission and the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.
Just click on the link below and register. It’s free.
In Nottingham, there’s a three-day celebration of the apple.In Edinburgh, David Abram, author of The Spell of the Sensuous, and Being Animal: An Earthy Cosmology,  gives a public talk.
In the bookshops, David Rothenberg’s Survival of the Beautiful investigates why nature is beautiful and how it has influenced science, Brendon Larson explores how metaphors entangle scientific facts with social values and Mojisola Adebayo’s Plays One includes ‘Moj of the Antarctic: An African Odyssey’.
There’s a new funding stream for public art by Creative Scotland, and a call for runners to participate in NVA’s Speed of Light at the Edinburgh Festival.
On the international scene, Conversation between Trees uses sensors and mobile phones in the forest canopies in Brazil and the UK to communicate the light and colour of the trees and the changing climate around them.
“ashdenizen blog and twitter are consistently among the best sources for information and reflection on developments in the field of arts and climate change in the UK†(2020 Network)
ashdenizen is edited by Robert Butler, and is the blog associated with the Ashden Directory, a website focusing on environment and performance.
The Ashden Directory is edited by Robert Butler and Wallace Heim, with associate editor Kellie Gutman. The Directory includes features, interviews, news, a timeline and a database of ecologically – themed productions since 1893 in the United Kingdom. Our own projects include ‘New Metaphors for Sustainability’, ‘Flowers Onstage’ and ‘Six ways to look at climate change and theatre’.
Per its mission statement, Atlanta’s 7 Stages Theatre devotes itself to “engaging artists and audiences by focusing on the social, political and spiritual values of contemporary culture.†One such value—environmentalism—has yielded a clever campaign that simultaneously promotes the theatre and sustainability.
…marketing director Charles Swint says the theatre asked itself, “What are some creative ways we can promote our shows without spending a lot of money?†Piggybacking off the green kick, 7 Stages partnered with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in a campaign where, in return for select buses featuring theatre advertising, 7 Stages will encourage its audience to use environmentally-conscious modes of transportation, like MARTA. “Our staff carpools, bikes and takes MARTA to the office and around town,†says Swint. “We want to encourage our patrons to do the same.†The deal is sweetened by a $5 discount offered to MARTA Breeze Card–holders.
Mo’olelo just received a letter from the Education Director of Vital Theatre Company in New York(www.vitaltheatre.org), informing us how they made use of Mo`olelo’s Green Theatre Choices Toolkit. Here’s what she wrote:
“My Theater Company Vital Theatre Company partners with many at-risk schools in NYC. One of the schools, Fordham High School for the Arts in the West Bronx was asked to apply for capital funding through the Bronx Borough President to allow for upgrades for their arts facilities, which are in desperate needs of upgrades so that the student can be competitive with more privileged schools. The only caveat was that our proposal had to be “greenâ€. I used your Toolkit as support grant materials to indicate the kind of choices we could make while doing our upgrades in the Department of Education buildings. I spent quite a bit of time researching “green theatre choices†online and your Toolkit was by far the most specific, most concise and useful back up materials that I could find. Thanks so much for making such an invaluable tool available.
P.S. We got the funding and plan to use your Toolkit as a guide while working with School Construction Authority to make the renovations.â€
Historic preservation and sustainability go hand in hand. There is a misconception that historic preservation tax credit (HTC) projects and LEED certified projects are mutually exclusive. On the contrary, green development and preservation can both be achieved when rehabilitating a historic building; thus, opening the door for developers and property owners to benefit from using federal, state and local historic incentives while meeting green building standards.
At present, the federal government offers a 20 percent investment tax credit for the rehabilitation of certified historic buildings. The rehabilitation of a historic building must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. These standards provide guidance on the appropriateness of work on a historic building, through the preservation of the building’s significant historic features. The program is administered by the State Historic Preservation Offices and the National Park Service.
The most recognizable program in green building certification is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED is a green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving a building’s performance. LEED certification is based on seven credit categories including: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in Design/Regional Priority. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
The most common concern when performing a green rehabilitation of a historic building is energy efficiency. There is a bias throughout the green building community that if you want to achieve energy efficiency in a building you need to start from scratch. Historic buildings have embodied energy that can balance the goal in the green building community for energy efficiency improvements that may be difficult to achieve otherwise. The LEED certification system does award points for building and materials reuse. Making the LEED system work within the standards can be a challenge, as the standards have clear guidelines on retaining historic materials during rehabilitation. These challenges are illustrated through two successful LEED certified historic preservation tax credit projects: The Oregon National Guard Armory Annex and the Meier & Frank Department Store Building both located in Portland, Oregon. These projects demonstrate the amount of flexibility available for greening buildings utilizing the federal historic tax credits.
The Oregon National Guard Armory Annex, built in 1891, has thick masonry walls and a fortress-like appearance, and with more gun slits than windows it might not seem like an obvious candidate for a green rehabilitation. But the Gerding Edlen Development Company had a vision to rehabilitate this historic building into a state-of-the-art theatre while meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and achieving LEED Platinum certification, the highest level in the LEED program.
The Armory is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is significant as the first armory built in Oregon for the newly organized Oregon National Guard. It is also significant as an excellent example of the Castellated architectural style. Throughout the building’s history it has been utilized for various functions including arms storage, shooting range, drill hall, event hall and, prior to its rehab, beer warehouse.
In 2006 the building was rehabilitated as the home of Portland Center Stage. The primary challenge of rehabilitating what was essentially a warehouse into a theatre, was to fit 55,000 square feet of program space within a 20,000-square-foot footprint while preserving and exposing the Douglas fir truss ceiling. The masonry structure also had to be braced seismically and the two performance spaces had to be isolated acoustically. The solution involved excavating 30 feet below the level of the original basement and building a concrete box inside the existing shell with access via two 14-foot-wide doors.
On the historic preservation side, the exposed roof trusses and exterior of the building were determined to be character defining features that had to be preserved. The roof trusses remained exposed in the building lobby and an oculus opening was created to provide views from the first floor to the roof trusses above. The distinctive masonry exterior was rehabilitated with no major changes.
On the green side, the spaces are distinctly contemporary in appearance and in function. The building has excellent lighting, air quality and energy efficiency with a 30 percent improvement over code standards. To improve water efficiency, rainwater is captured from the roof and used to flush toilets and urinals. The building is also equipped with dual-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads and faucets, reducing the building’s potable water use by 88 percent. Its windows also have advanced glazing to maximize daylighting while minimizing winter heat loss and summer heat gain. Where appropriate, lighting in the building is controlled by photo-sensors, occupancy sensors and dimming switches. These features all contributed to the LEED Platinum rating. Reuse of the existing building conserved not only the embodied energy of the existing materials but also the craftsmanship of the unique façade, preserving this Portland Landmark for future generations. The newly christened Gerding Theater has the distinct honor of being the first building on the National Register of Historic Places to receive federal historic tax credits and to achieve LEED Platinum status.
The Meier & Frank Department Store Building consists of three interconnected structures built over a 23-year period from 1909 to 1932. When completed, it was Oregon’s largest building. Like so many department stores, the building gradually became underutilized in the late 20th century. Sage Hospitality Resources’ renovation included modernization of the lower five floors and basement as a state-of-the-industry retail space and transformation of floors 6 and above into Oregon’s first five-star hotel. The hotel contains 331 rooms, destination atrium restaurant, rooftop lounge, 7,200-square-foot grand ballroom and 13 additional meeting rooms.
Adaptive reuse of this department store into a hotel was not a simple task. The building required seismic, fire, life safety and other code upgrades. The full-block floor plate was unwieldy, and built as three structures, the floor and ceiling levels did not always align.
On the historic preservation side, the white terra cotta exterior, original windows, and ground floor entrances and elevator lobby were determined to be character defining features that had to be preserved. These features were preserved while making way for a state-of-the-art interior that included a new atrium for the hotel.
On the green side, the effective reuse of the Meier & Frank Department Store represents an enormous accomplishment in sustainable design. This accomplishment takes two forms: first, the preservation of embodied energy and materials of one of Oregon’s largest buildings; second, the sustainable initiatives to green the building and its operations. Apart from the eco-savings accomplished through preservation, the project team embraced a number of pro-active steps towards sustainable design. Specifically, during construction the project committed to recycling removed materials, achieving 90 percent recycle rate.
Major work included the use of interior storm windows and high-performance glazing in infill elements, maximizing access to natural light. The installation of high efficiency lighting systems resulted in a savings of 26 percent energy consumption over comparable hotels. Finally, the installation of high efficiency water systems, with low-flow faucets and dual-flush toilets, collectively will save a half million gallons of water per year.
In addition to the development aspects of the project, green operations focused on the core tenets of reduce, reuse and recycle. These operations included using 100 percent renewable energy, including wind power and carbon offsets, using only Green Seal-certified products and encouraging employees to bike to work. In total, these eco-actions are anticipated to save the hotel $1 million in operating costs in its first 10 years. The Nines Hotel achieved LEED Silver certification; one of only 10 five-star hotels that are LEED certified projects. More broadly, the project demonstrates that sustainable practices and luxury hotel operations are not mutually exclusive, but that “eco-luxury” is mutually compatible.
Contrary to the misconception that historic and green projects do not work together, our experience proves that it can be done. Other recent historic tax credit projects we have been involved in that either have achieved LEED certification or are in the process of seeking LEED certification include the Palomar Hotel in Philadelphia, Pa., Court Square Center in Memphis, Tenn., Mercy Corps Headquarters in Portland, Ore., the Deco and Barclay Buildings in Milwaukee, Wis., and the IBM Building in Chicago, Ill.
Often, the owners and developers of historic buildings simply assume that their building cannot secure both historic tax credits and LEED certification, believing that the preservation standards will work against the green priorities. In the process, they forego the potential green or financial incentives, benefits that often make the difference in the viability of a project. It is important when contemplating the redevelopment of these resources that all opportunities are explored as historic buildings are often environmentally friendly and contain opportunities for becoming greener.
Where are you? In the present? In the future? See my lament for clues:
Things only happen here to make what happens next.
Is LinkedIn a viable artistic community in your opinion? How would you improve it?
I don’t think so, and I don’t think i wish it to be. I don’t know if LinkedIn represents a community really as much as an infrastructure. I think it exists separate from something like Facebook without competition because one is about social networks and one is about businesses networks. I also don’t see how it accommodates the needs of an artistic community.
I don’t think there is a social network that does effectively represent an artistic community out there. How specific do you allow it to sort itself? the arts are too expansive with too many points of access to be represented effectively through a network with a defined set of sortable criteria. For self-sorting facebook is more effective because it is focused on individuals not labels. For curated sorting a wiki is better since everything is of equal weight.
That’s the issue with getting past post-modernism isn’t it? Modernism was about the universal, post-modernism was about the categorized, and post-post-modernism is about the unique.
What new symbols, songs, secrets, myths are you driving in the green movement?
I can tell you that I’m trying to drive it away from the color green and images of leaves. The image that bugs me the most is actually grass, since in most places it’s impractical and wasteful regardless of it’s green-ness. I think an era’s aesthetics speak to values and I think we’re pushing the value of the first nature and something more raw, less processed. It’s happening in design, supply chains and our food. I’m also trying to break the myth of technological solutions.
I’m irked by the layering of systems over existing systems to solve problems with the existing system. I’d rather break it down to it’s elemental parts. I’m a big promoter of archaic technology, like using steamed banana leaves or not vitrified drink ware in Indian. Things that were discarded as incorrect in a modern manufactured world that persists into the contemporary era.
Are you an alchemist?
No, there is plenty of magic in real science.
Tell us about your favorite modern painter and how you feel when you gaze at the work.
Are we saying modern or contemporary. I’m a traditionalist when I define the Modern era as something that happened in the beginning of the 20th century out of industrialization. If we’re talking painters though I can name a few. Magritte for being clever and questioning the mudane, Haring for balancing accessibility, message, and challenging art world constructs. I do however find myself most drawing to the infrastructural and phenomenological though and insofar as that is concerned am more trilled by visual are that engages those parts of my brain. That’s not always present in painting, so I have to mention Olafur Eliasson, who fascinates me.
How do you manage the bureaucracy that you’ve created at The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts? How do you personally support your members?
There isn’t much Bureaucracy. We’re extremely small and nimble. We’re the least incorporated we can be and have foregone 501c3 status to stay lean. I suppose we deal with the bureaucracy of partnership with more cumbersome organizations and then it’s oftentimes working within their structure.
We can make our decisions and change methodology rapidly to best accommodate our members and partners since all of the power rests between two equal executives. We’ve yet to expand our power-sharing, outside of partnerships, and those are all project based. It’s not the most profitable, but it’s in line with our core mission, which is really about information and infrastructure. We’re like the opposite of the CIA, we don’t see value in protecting our information, and support ourselves through others valuing sharing information as a desired act.
For the second part of the question though, it’s hard to say. I mean, we don’t have funds to directly support their activities. But, we try and talk directly to all of them. They have our address, phone numbers, email addresses, and ultimately all of our lines of communication like our website, social networks, twitter and so on is all us personally. If you get in touch with the CSPA, you’re getting in touch with us directly. We don’t filter that, and don’t understand ecologically mind organizations that put up blocks, since we gain absolutely zero (aside from profit I guess) from not talking and being transparent if we plan to not destroy the planet and the billions of lives that will impact.
And, ultimately, it helps that I’m the web guy too. It’s part of what I do, so there is nothing standing in the way of our web presence, we do.
What were the 3 – 5 best innovations from last year’s CSPA Convergence?
The Convergence itself. I go to a lot of conferences and I deal with but don’t like the hierarchy and artifice that often surrounds them. I prefer the camp model which, like wikis, aims to gather people around a topic and allow all of them to offer something. So I think it’s in expanding the convergence model to get between these models of conference and camp and add on more doing, not just talking.
Marbles in a Jar – This is Avery simple re-use model we’ve been working on. It looks at volume of material used as a marble in a jar. You fill the jar until you’re done and then add a second jar for the next and so on to next iterations. For each unit of reused material you move a marble from the first jar to the one for the current project, if you use new material you add new marbles. It doesn’t have to be marbles and jars, but it’s a very simple way to engage your use of raw material
Energy Budgets – We’re trying to get theaters to incorporate the expenditures of energy into budgets for making. It incentivizes energy innovation by the user. If no one uses energy efficient devices, it doesn’t matter.
Eliminating recycling programs – this idea started at this convergence in response to the 6 receptacles the University of Oregon had for waste. It’s too much. The idea waste receptacle is only one for compost-ables. It’s not entirely feasible though. When speaking at APAP last month I brought this into a more realist goal. Not recycling because you don’t have anything to recycle. At the CSPA we print proofs of the Quarterly for editing that we share and otherwise we don’t generate material waste by our business. That sort of blows people’s minds.
I think Jack Capitalism and Eli Sustainability are headed for a blow-out, down and dirty fist fight in the months ahead? Ready?
I’m ready, but I don’t think it’s necessarily going to be particularly violent. I think that the necessity of sustainability will be the biggest check on a capitalist future. I think about the labor movements of the post-industrial world and the evolution of that “conflict”. I also think about the 4 roles in the actor-centric model of political change and the political pendulum. Sustainability is different still, it’s an opportunity if we want it to be, but as with all of these models of shift, the future is hybrid, not contrary.
* * * * * * *
Ian Garrett Bio –
Executive Director of The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA), a non-non-profit arts infrastructure organization where he collaborates with others like the LA Stage Alliance, University of Oregon, York University, The Arcola Theater, EcoArtSpace, the Royal Society of the Arts, Diverseworks ArtSpace and others to work towards sustainability in the arts, ecological and otherwise.
Programs at the CSPA include a rich online resource guide, curricular development, a quarterly journal, annual convergence, and the development of collaborative local materials re-use programs and a certification program for arts making being initiated through an international partnership between US, Canadian and British producers. The center was founded by funds received through the 2007 Richard E. Sherwood award for emerging theater artists from the Center Theater Group (CTG) awarded to be used forming a working relationship consulting with CTG on the integration of ecologically sustainable practice into their production.
Ian teaches Sustainable Theater and Management Technology courses at the California Institute of the Arts and has been featured in American Theater, DramaBiz, and The Design Magazine and has spoken at The Central School for Speech and Drama, St. Louis University, and the Indy Convergence along with most arts conferences in the United States.
He originally studied architecture and art history at Rice University in Houston, Texas, but has since come to build an awarding winning practice in live performance and installation art, having also attended California Institute of the Arts to complete MFAs in Lighting Design and Producing.
Profile Summary: William “Willi” George Paul Green Business Certified Sustainability Consultant and strategic vision planner, writer and program designer for environmental planning, civil engineering and non-profits for over 15 years. Executive producer at PlanetShifter.com generating 125+ thought leader interviews and 1200 posts to-date since EarthDay ’09. Produced two innovative online community building projects as a PhD Student in Environmental Planning and Design at Virginia Tech. Designed the electronic charrette while earning MA in Urban Planning. Developed marketing and online community building strategies for over thirty Internet start-ups.
Willi Paul, Art and Sustainability Consultant
415-407-4688 | willipaul1 at gmail dot com Current Portfolio |Â Linkedin Profile |Â Digital Archive
Reprinted from NewsBlaze: “Raising the Roof with ‘Green’ Entertainment to Benefit the Environment†by Rajdeep K. Bhathal, November 3, 2009
Manhattan’s Theater for the New City will present “Raising the Roof†November 9, 2009 at 7 PM to benefit its green roof garden project. The event will feature actress and singer Tammy Grimes singing “It’s Not Easy Being Greenâ€; actress Betsy von Furstenberg with a “green†reading; singer Judy Gorman with her repertoire of songs about peace and justice; post-vaudevillian (and author of NYC Fringe hit “Willy Nillyâ€) Trav S. D. performing songs from his show “Kitsch,†or “Two for the Price of One†which is upcoming at TNC; Richmond Shepard and Alex Simmons in a new play, “Luncheon or Two Men, a Park & Pigeons†by Paulanne Simmons; a concert reading of “Long time Passing,†a fable set in the ruins of a war-torn Central Park by award-winning playwright Barbara Kahn; environmentally friendly and funny songs by Lissa Moira and Richard West; and much more.
Betsy von Furstenberg, a longtime Theater for the New City friend, says, “I cannot speak highly enough of Crystal Field and TNC. She has achieved the unachievable every year.†“What makes you think that will work?†a board member once asked about an unlikely goal.†“Because I’m doing it,†she answered with such conviction there was no room for doubt. “And the theater’s green roof (the first in New York City!) will eventually blossom no matter what the hurdles TNC has to overcome. I’ll bet my life on it.â€
Green roofs, building roofs that are covered with soil and vegetation, grant many benefits for urban environments: they absorb rainwater, provide insulation, combat pollution and offer a habitat for birds. Crystal Field, who initiated the project, hopes Theater for the New City’s green roof will be a beacon for the entire city. “We will be the first theater in New York City to have a green roof,†she says. “It will help our neighborhood. It will help the air quality on our block. There should be a green roof on every flat roof in New York City. Then we will have a green grid.â€
“Raising the Roof†will take place at Theater for the New City, located at 155 First Avenue, between Ninth and Tenth Streets, in Manhattan. Tickets to the event are $10 and are availible online at www.theaterforthenewcity.net or through the box office phone at (212) 254-1109.
Theatres Trust announced a new three-year programme, called ECOVENUE, to provide environmental advice and assessments to 48 small scale theatres in London. The announcement was made on 14 September, the first anniversary of the Mayor of London’s Green Theatre Initiative.
After the Mayor’s Theatre Plan was announced last year, many large-scale theatres signed up to reduce their carbon emissions by 65% by 2025, but the smaller theatres did not have the budget to participate. With this grant, smaller venues will be able to apply for help to address environmental issues associated with climate change, and to reduce their energy use and to achieve Display Energy Certificates (DECs).
The Trust will be inviting theatres to apply, and details will be advertised in the coming months.
Reprinted from PRNewswire: “Theatres Trust Announces ECOVENUE Green Theatre Project for London†September 9, 2009
On 14 September 2009 at Plasa 09The Theatres Trust will announce a new three year programme to provide specialist theatre environmental advice and undertake free DEC assessments with 48 small scale theatres in London.
One year on from the launch of the Mayor of London’s ‘Green Theatre: Taking Action on Climate Change‘ initiative at Plasa 08, The Theatres Trust will announce it is to receive GBP450,000 over the next three years from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in London to deliver the ECOVENUE advisory programme.
Mhora Samuel, Director of The Theatres Trust said “When the Mayor of London’s Green Theatre Plan was launched last year to help theatres in London achieve reductions in carbon emissions by 60% by 2025, commercial and subsidised theatres in London were quick to sign up. We recognised that smaller theatres with less resources would find it harder to participate, and so made an application for funding to the LDA at the beginning of 2009 to help address the gap. I’m delighted that we can announce the ERDF award at Plasa 09 and help more London theatres to address environmental issues associated with climate change and reduce their energy use.â€
The ECOVENUE project provides each participating theatre with a free theatre-specific Environmental Audit, and free Display Energy Certificates in 2010 and 2011. A DEC is a publicly displayed certificate that informs the public about the energy use of a building. This free environmental improvement advice will be delivered by a new Theatre Building Services Adviser to be employed by the Trust.
The Trust will be inviting 48 theatres to apply to participate in the project, which will run until spring 2012. Application details will be advertised over the following months.
Reprinted from PRNewswire: “Theatres Trust Announces ECOVENUE Green Theatre Project for London†September 9, 2009
On 14 September 2009 at Plasa 09The Theatres Trust will announce a new three year programme to provide specialist theatre environmental advice and undertake free DEC assessments with 48 small scale theatres in London.
One year on from the launch of the Mayor of London’s ‘Green Theatre: Taking Action on Climate Change‘ initiative at Plasa 08, The Theatres Trust will announce it is to receive GBP450,000 over the next three years from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in London to deliver the ECOVENUE advisory programme.
Mhora Samuel, Director of The Theatres Trust said “When the Mayor of London’s Green Theatre Plan was launched last year to help theatres in London achieve reductions in carbon emissions by 60% by 2025, commercial and subsidised theatres in London were quick to sign up. We recognised that smaller theatres with less resources would find it harder to participate, and so made an application for funding to the LDA at the beginning of 2009 to help address the gap. I’m delighted that we can announce the ERDF award at Plasa 09 and help more London theatres to address environmental issues associated with climate change and reduce their energy use.â€
The ECOVENUE project provides each participating theatre with a free theatre-specific Environmental Audit, and free Display Energy Certificates in 2010 and 2011. A DEC is a publicly displayed certificate that informs the public about the energy use of a building. This free environmental improvement advice will be delivered by a new Theatre Building Services Adviser to be employed by the Trust.
The Trust will be inviting 48 theatres to apply to participate in the project, which will run until spring 2012. Application details will be advertised over the following months.