the water project

Aliens, oil on canvas by Abdul Mazid

"The Water Project" is one of SMC's upcoming Student Art Exhibits. This year, the idea behind this exhibit is to establish a dialogue about our relationship with water. Amber Katherine, Chair of the SMC Environmental Affairs Committee, will be there to discuss the objectives of each students' project related to that of water and environmental awareness. In addition, several Art Mentor Program students will have their work "on display", and I am rather anxious to take a gander.

The opening reception will be held on Friday, March 19 from 6-8 pm at the Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery located inside the Performing Arts Center on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and 11th Street. The exhibit will run until April 2, 2010.

what is my intention?

As I embark on a semester full of studio hours, lectures, readings and critique, I'm excited to discover my inner "art student" once again. In addition to work and my theatrical pursuits, this should leave me little time for worry or insecure conclusions.

The assignment: physical evidence of self . In order to understand my intention, I must study myself or at least the form and content (via objects, thoughts and doodles) in which I associate. The goal this semester is to piece together a strand of ideas that will, at some point, represent a strong voice... my voice. Currently, my artistic focus is on my vagina (ahem). Yes, that's right, v-a-g-i-n-a. And, the goal is reclamation while maintaining my belief that I can produce a series of works incorporating found objects, reclaimed wood, video and other materials that are conducive to a low-impact, creative process.

As I journey through the making of this installation, I will begin to disclose more (in detail) and hopefully find a better understanding of my intention. Here, here... to the evidence of self!

farmlab & artist mel chin

Farmlab hosts artist Mel Chin who will present an abridged version of his works of art as political critique. Chin is known for his sculptural woks, which are then planted in unlikely places, including his interests in land reclamation. His projects provoke a greater sense of social awareness for the public. In 1989, Chin developed a "greening" project called Revival Field that continues to evolve: the use of plants to remove toxins from the soil. Projects like Revival Filed will be discussed further at the Farmlab's studio, February 11th from 7-9 pm. For more information, visit www.farmlab.org.

avant-guardians: textlets in ecology and art by linda weintraub

Linda Weintraub, you are my eco-art hero... truly. It is only recently that I have discovered Weintraub's ''textlet'' series on art ecology. Each textlet has a thematic approach and features an array of contemporary artists who continue to pioneer for environmental principals.

It's safe to say that I have already purchased one of the delightful textlets for myself; "Eco-centric Topics: Pioneering Themes for Eco-Art". For information about the series, "Avant-Guardians: Textlets on Art and Ecology", visit www.avant-guardians.com.

saving the northern white rhino

This story was taken directly from npr.org. For more information, visit www.npr.org or you can listen via podcast at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121980888.

This month, conservationists in the Czech Republic and Kenya launched an audacious bid to save one of the world's rarest animals: the northern white rhinoceros. Four of the last eight known northern whites in the world, two male and two female, were packed into wooden crates and sent from a Czech zoo to Kenya, where scientists hope they will get down to the business of breeding.

preserving robert smithson's spiral jetty...

Back in early 2008, Dia Art Foundation discovered an application filed by the Canadian oil and gas company, Pearl Montana Exploration and Production, which WOULD of allowed exploratory drilling in the Great Salt Lake. This "development" would have disrupted the physical sculpture of Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty (located 3-5 miles from the development site)... not to mention the possible degradation of the natural ecosystem(s) within the Lake itself. However, the sate of Utah denied Pearl Montana's application... and for now, immediate drilling has ceased.

However, as of July, 2009, Dia has discovered yet another application, which was filed by the Great Salt Lake Minerals. This proposal relates to expansion re: solar evaporation ponds (i.e. extraction of potassium sulfate). Dia immediately issued public comments to Utah's Dept. of Water Quality and the US Army Corps of Engineers expressing their numerous concerns. Moreover, the Army Corps of Engineers is working on an Environmental Impact Study for the project and is slated for completion in early 2010.

We'll see... I am hopeful that conservation and preservation will prevail, but my skepticism seems to creep in from time-to-time. For more information on this topic visit the Dia Art Foundation site or click on the following link: http://www.diaart.org/sites/page/59/1245