Journal
Writing from the art.
Design Collaboration: Less Waste, More Food
At the beginning of March, I kicked off the Less Waste, More Food Art in Action Project with 4 design workshops, involving 100 students, at Salish Middle School and North Thurston High School. In these workshops, I presented about the problems of wasting food. In the US we waste 40% of the food we grow! This wasted food has huge social and environmental impacts, including:
Artist Statement
I recently updated my artist statement for a proposal and thought I would share! My artworks explore the interface between participant, viewer, and subject, resulting in immersive works that compel change. They are process oriented, drawing from relevant environmental and social issues. The finished artworks themselves are multi-layered, pulling the viewer in. The underlying collaboration and community participation is Art in Action.
I Am Thrilled to Share This News!
I am thrilled to share this news with you: I was chosen to lead a groundbreaking project for the Thurston County Food Bank, as their Artist in Residence! This would not have been possible without the support of so many amazing people.
Thanks to a waste prevention grant from the Department of Ecology, we are embarking on a collaborative, multi-faceted Art and Action project. The focus of the project is:
Adventures in Ferrocement, Featuring the Pollinator Project
One of the wonderful aspects of the Pollinator Project was learning a new art medium, ferrocement. Ferrocement is essentially concrete mortar over a metal armature. Using a metal armature and mesh makes the concrete much stronger, allowing shapes and forms that would be impossible with concrete alone.
The Pollinator Extravaganza!
Over the summer, we celebrated the unveiling of an art sculpture and pollinator garden. At the event, there were local beekeepers, a live observation hive, honey vendors, education stations, a pollinator photographer, musicians and even a juggler! It was so much fun that we are thinking of making it an annual day-long education and family fun event.
Well, Here Goes Something
Hey Friends, Do you ever get sidetracked by those silly online quizzes? I just did. I woke up early to write, and ended up checking my email, reading a blog post, and taking this Life Assessment quiz. It was all a way to procrastinate actually writing, which is one of the things I’m actively practicing right now. My writing muscles are still weak, so it’s not easy.
The Unseen Spiral
This Leatherback Sea Turtle was commissioned by the Oregon Country Fair (OCF), summer 2015. It was a collaboration between myself, Annie Douglas, and many amazing volunteers! The intention of the piece was to shed light on some of the problem materials at OCF. The shell of the turtle is made from Asceptic containers (soy milk and the like), other upcycled materials, and bamboo. Inside the turtle is a…
Rise Above Plastics: The Butterfly Effect
As part of their work for Thurston County, Carrie Ziegler and Jennifer Johnson teamed up in 2014 to create a unique art piece that educates about the waste and health concerns related to plastics. With the help of more than 600 Thurston County students, they created the large-scale art piece titled “Rise Above Plastics: The Butterfly Effect.”