Monthly Archives: July 2011

H20: The Art of Conservation – Artist Talks

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H20: The Art of Conservation

Evenings in the Garden – Artist Talks begin on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 from 5:00-7:00pm

Register by email info@thegarden.org or call 619-660-0614

Participating artists include:

Christopher Puzio

Bociek & Bociek

Benjamin Lavender

Terri Hughes-Oelrich

Dia Bassett

Artists will discuss their inspiration, materials they chose to use and give the audience a deeper insight to their individual art practice.

 

 

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

New metaphors for sustainability: the sailboat

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We continue our series of New metaphors for sustainability with the sailboat, suggested by James Marriott, artist, activist, member of PLATFORM. 

The boat for me is a very powerful metaphor. Sustainability is a rather grey and unclear term, but if it means anything, it means that we have to live with the finite resources of the earth. We have to deal with this in our generation and pass it on to future generations.

It is this sense of the finite capacity that I find interesting and comes to me through the experience of boats. I mean boats which are driven by sail and by oar – that use the motive power of the wind and the tide captured through wood and flax and hemp and use that to move from ‘a’ to ‘b’.

I’ve been learning to sail, and it’s been a wonderful experience. It makes you extremely aware of the forces of nature – it makes it very intimate. You’re at the mercy of the winds. You have to work with the tides – the skill comes from using whatever is there, that finite amount of power.

The finiteness, too, comes from the space of the boat itself. You have to pack everything in it that you might need or want. The boat frames my needs and desires about where I can go and how long it’s going to take me.

It concentrates the mind about the nature of the space in which I’m in, and about the wind and the water and the movement of the tide and the flow of the river.

“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)

The editors are Robert Butler and Wallace Heim. The associate editor is Kellie Gutman. The editorial adviser is Patricia Morison.

Robert Butler’s most recent publication is The Alchemist Exposed (Oberon 2006). From 1995-2000 he was drama critic of the Independent on Sunday. See www.robertbutler.info

Wallace Heim has written on social practice art and the work of PLATFORM, Basia Irland and Shelley Sacks. Her doctorate in philosophy investigated nature and performance. Her previous career was as a set designer for theatre and television/film.

Kellie Gutman worked with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture for twenty years, producing video programmes and slide presentations for both the Aga Khan Foundation and the Award for Architecture.

Patricia Morison is an executive officer of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, a group of grant-making trusts of which the Ashden Trust is one.

Go to The Ashden Directory

PUBLIC ART and LEED – Innovation & Design

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continued from … PUBLIC ART and LEED – Materials & Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality

INNOVATION & DESIGN

The purpose of this LEED category is to recognize projects for innovative building features and sustainable building knowledge. Projects are allowed 5 ID points. I personally have found it challenging to convince my building PMs to use one of their ID credit points for art…its not to say that it cannot be done but usually these points are spoken for pretty quickly.

Ways to achieve ID points include:

  • Artist is a LEED-accredited professional
  • In my opinion, Educational Outreach is the easiest ID point available to any project. Basically you need to do two of the following three:
  1. make the building actively instructional – signs, displays, kiosks, etc.
  2. provide promotional materials – brochures, web sites, etc.
  3. develop an outreach plan – tours, presentations, web site, etc.
  • ID Credits are awarded for exceptional performance such as doubling the credit requirements and/or achieving the next incremental percentage threshold.
  • Credits can also be achieved for comprehensive strategies which demonstrate quantifiable environmental benefits.
  • I highly suggest reading through the ID Credit Catalog as a brainstorming exercise to see what other project have achieved.

To go back to the beginning of the PUBLIC ART and LEED conversation go here: Green Building: Where Does The Art Fit In?

ARTIST GENERATED CHECKLISTS

Chrysalis Arts Public Art Sustainability Assessment Toolkit – The Public Art Sustainability Assessment (PASA) is a set of guidelines and an assessment method being developed by Chrysalis Arts, an artist-led public art company in the UK. PASA is intended as a tool for use at any point during the development, creation, maintenance and decommissioning of a public art project.

Arts:Earth Partnership – is an official green certification for cultural facilities, art galleries, performing arts companies and individual artists. The Los Angeles based program, founded in 2006, is forming a coalition of certified artists and facilities committed to achieving environmental sustainability.

PROJECTS OF INTEREST

concept proposal for Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI)

Climate Clock – The Climate Clock is a unique educational public art project sponsored by the City of San Jose and San Jose State University. The project challenges artists to conceptualize a 100-year public art project to help measure climate change, make the process more visible, and engage and inspire the community to personally explore and modify their individual carbon footprints. The realization of the Climate Clock landmark will be the result of combined resources from partnering organizations and private philanthropy. To date, SJSU and the City of San José have contributed more than $150,000 toward the incubation of the Climate Clock concept.

Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) – In 2010 the Land Art Generator Initiative, which is based in Dubai, challenged artists, architects, engineers and the like to design public art installations to continuously distribute clean energy into the electrical grid, with each having the potential to provide power to thousands of homes.

 

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

The Southbank re-designed with the tides in mind

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Ella-Marie Fowler got in touch about her BA project on sustainability, and here she describes it.

I’m a graduating student from Design for Performance (BA Hons) at Wimbledon College of Art, University of the Arts London. For my final project, I chose to focus on sustainability within theatre and how the arts can affect climate change awareness.

I designed a proposal for a Sustainable Arts Centre on the Southbank, London (pictured). The centre would provide space for visiting artists, performers and theatre companies to respond to climate change awareness. The building would be constructed from reclaimed materials and use green energy sources. Visitors to the centre would encounter different experiences throughout the day due to the changing tide of the Thames.

Last year, I visited the Jellyfish Theatre and researched art organisations such as TippingPoint through the Ashden Directory. This sparked ideas about my final year project. As a graduating student in theatre design, I wanted my work to reflect contemporary issues and consider how to develop a sustainable approach to my future work.

“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)

The editors are Robert Butler and Wallace Heim. The associate editor is Kellie Gutman. The editorial adviser is Patricia Morison.

Robert Butler’s most recent publication is The Alchemist Exposed (Oberon 2006). From 1995-2000 he was drama critic of the Independent on Sunday. See www.robertbutler.info

Wallace Heim has written on social practice art and the work of PLATFORM, Basia Irland and Shelley Sacks. Her doctorate in philosophy investigated nature and performance. Her previous career was as a set designer for theatre and television/film.

Kellie Gutman worked with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture for twenty years, producing video programmes and slide presentations for both the Aga Khan Foundation and the Award for Architecture.

Patricia Morison is an executive officer of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, a group of grant-making trusts of which the Ashden Trust is one.

Go to The Ashden Directory

PUBLIC ART and LEED – Materials & Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality

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continued from… PUBLIC ART and LEED – Energy & Atmosphere

MATERIALS & RESOURCES

Recycled Content – should be self explanatory. Use post-industrial or post-consumer recycled materials

Regional Materials –means all materials used in a project are sources within 500 miles of project site

rendering of Erwin Timmers recycled glass artwork

Construction Waste Management – To earn a credit in Construction Waste Management the project must Divert construction waste from landfills towards recycling or reuse.

rendering of Didier Hess' Orit Haj

Example: The artist, Erwin Timmers, dug through the site demolition to remove glass for this 30 feet long by 9 feet high artwork. The recycled glass was then melted down and recast into the new colorful forms.

Example: Didier Hess’ Orit Haj will incorporate rammed earth from excavation of interpretive center, stainless steel rod, concrete and concrete fiberboard scraps from building construction.

Rapidly Renewable Materials – are natural materials that regenerate in less than 10 years, like bamboo, straw, cork, natural linoleum products (such as Marmoleum), wool, wheatboard, and strawboard.

Certified Wood – And you can use wood if it is a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood product.

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Low-Emitting materials – If artwork will be indoors the material must have Low or no VOC (volatile organic compound) content.

And projects should enhance the Daylight & Views

The conversation continues here: PUBLIC ART and LEED – Innovation & Design

 

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

PUBLIC ART and LEED – Energy & Atmosphere

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continued from… PUBLIC ART and LEED – Sustainable Sites and Water Efficiency

ENERGY & ATMOSPHERE

Decker Yeadon

Refrigerant Management – is a great opportunity for glass curtains. Points will be awarded if the project does not increase and/or reduces a building heat load.

False Creek Energy Centre

Example: Architectural material technologists, Decker Yeadon, have developed a material that regulates a building’s climate by automatically responding to environmental conditions, without need of people, or energy intensive machinery. Watch the video to get a real sense of how revolutionary their Homeostatic Facade Systemcould be for building design.

On-site renewable energy – must always be used if artwork needs to be powered

Example: In Vancouver, at the False Creek Energy Centre, public art is activated by the operations of the facility, which produces domestic hot water and space heating for the adjacent community. At the top of each stack is a LED light fixture which changes color from blue – orange – red relative to the heat output of the plant.

piezoelectric walkway

Example: PIEZOELECTRIC WALKWAYS is a power technology which uses pressure generated by people walking to produce electricity. Toulouse, France is now using the technology to generate enough electricity to run streetlights.

Green Power – to earn credits in the Green Power category projects must use renewable energy and make it visible and traceable. By definition green power produces no manmade greenhouse gas emissions and can be solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and hydroelectric

Mags Harries & Lajos Heder's SunFlower: An Electric Garden

Example: Mags Harries & Lajos Hedder’s SunFlower, An Electric Garden is a public art project in Austin, Texas feeds about 15 KW of electricity into the grid for credit, which funds the maintenance and operating costs for the project.

The conversation continues here: PUBLIC ART and LEED – Materials & Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality

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

PUBLIC ART and LEED – Sustainable Sites & Water Efficiency

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This post comes to you from Green Public Art

continued from the conversation… Green Building: Where Does The Art Fit In?

Within a standard new construction LEED checklist there are several entry points where I believe public art could have a contributing role to the final tally of certification points and the following should be viewed as place to START. I am sure there are many more possibilities.

SUSTAINABLE SITES

Gitta Gschwendtner's Animal Wall. Photo: Safle

Site Development – Points are available for restoring or protecting native habitats & maximizing or creating better open space

Example: Gitta Gschwendtner‘s Animal Wall is part of a 50 meter long wall, running along the edge of a new residential development. The approach taken for this artwork is to assist wildlife in the area and encourage further habitation. The Artist’s design for the ’Animal Wall’ matches the number of new homes with about 1,000 nest boxes made from custom woodcrete cladding for different bird and bat species, integrated into the fabric of the wall that separates the development from the adjacent public riverside walk.

Jackie Brookner's Urban Rain

Stormwater Design – Points are available if the project converts impervious surfaces to pervious surfaces to mitigate contribution of stormwater runoff

Example: Jackie Brookner’s, Urban Rain project aerates the stormwater runoff as it drops into the rock basin below, where it is detained and filtered before flowing into a bioswale.  The second component is a translucent rock filter that allows the infiltration processes that usually happen underground to be visible.

Heat Island effect – Points are achieved if the project reduces urban heat island effect on the roof or non-roof surfaces

Example: Molly Dillworth’s, Cool Water, Hot Island installation served as an artistic relief to the heat island effect, acting somewhat like a white roof, reflecting heat instead of absorbing it.

Light Pollution Reduction – Simple – The project must not contribute to light pollution

WATER EFFICIENCY

Water Efficient Landscaping – If you are going to build a project out of natural materials use Indigenous plants and Xeriscaping to mitigate water in landscaping to earn Water Efficient Landscaping points.

Innovative Wastewater Technologies –points are available for projects that Use non-toilet wastewater or run-off water in an innovative way.

The conversation continues here: PUBLIC ART and LEED – Energy & Atmosphere

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

Common Cause | WWF Articles | WWF UK

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This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

Ben Twist highlighted this document at the Steep Trail event this weekend.  Common Cause sets out,

“to explore the central importance of cultural values in underpinning concern about the issues upon which we each work.

Common Cause: The Case for Working with our Cultural Values makes the case that civil society organisations can find common cause in working to activate and strengthen a set of helpful ‘intrinsic’ values, while working to diminish the importance of unhelpful ‘extrinsic’ values. The report highlights some of the ways in which communications, campaigns, and even government policy, inevitably serve to activate and strengthen some values rather than others.”

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

Lofoten Whale Festival

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Henningsvaer, Norway; August 1st – 6th, 2011

We all know about the beauty of the largest animal on Earth, but still the whale lives under constant existential fear. Often, human beings do not see how important parts of the ecosystem are being threatened because the used medium for environmental communication is not attractive enough.
The “Lofoten Whale Festival” combines important educational work with “artist and fun activities” such as sailing trips, film interactions, talks and presentation, but also concerts, discussion rounds and party.

The meeting of humans and whales wants to appeal to children such as grown ups and is also aiming at boosting the local tourist economy.

For more information, such as the program, the participants and general info, click here.

This post is also available in: French

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

Cultivation Field

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 Cultivation Field is a Postgrad exhibition and symposium at the University of Reading (thanks to RANE for circulating) deadline for abstracts 29 July – exhibition and symposium end September 2011.

The premise for this Symposium and accompanying Exhibition is that cultivation is leading to new art practices deserving of critical inquiry and articulation. Whether in the garden or allotment, the soup kitchen or the road, on wasteland or the tower block, or wherever there are cracks in the system, cultivation provokes questions about human being’s relation to and encounter with the earth and its growth systems and operations. The purpose of this Symposium and Exhibition is to encourage discursive exchange and productive encounter between art practitioners and researchers within the cultivation field.   more…

 

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