This post comes to you from Green Public Art
On May 6, 2011, H20: The Art of Conservation, at the Water Conservation Garden, San Diego, CA, will open to the public. Green Public Art reviewed over 1100 artists portfolios before inviting 14 San Diego artists to participate in the exhibition which offers San Diego homeowners an artistic alternative to incorporate water conservation into their own garden spaces. Green Public Art awarded each artist a mini-grant to develop their site-specific sculptures. In the weeks leading up to the exhibition opening the artist’s concepts will be revealed on this site. Questions? Contact Rebecca Ansert, Curator, Green Public Art at rebecca@greenpublicart.com.
CONCEPT: The Drop (steel barrel rings, plexiglass, approx. 4′ x 4′ x 8′ ht.). When thinking about water conservation, words like recycle, and reuse are commonly associated with it. The creation of “The Drop†is closely associated to this notion. Made primarily out of reclaimed wine barrel rings, “The Dropâ€Â symbolizes the importance of our most precious resource, water, while emphasizing the importance of using recylcled materials whenever possible. After many years of holding a wine barrel together as the juice ferments, the wine barrel rings are reused again, taking the viewer back to where the whole process started, with water.
ABOUT: Benjamin Lavender returns this year to participate for a third time in SDFAS’ annual sculpture exhibition. He received his Associates of Fine Art from Watkins College of Art and Design and later a BA in sculpture from San Diego State University in 2003. The artist self-describes his work as Abstract Naturism and Industrially-Organic which he defines as the outcome of mimicking nature through intense hours of manipulating metal, concrete, paint and found or reclaimed objects into organically formed art. Lavender recently held a solo exhibition at the Oceanside Museum of Art and installed his largest permanent sculpture Kite of Paradise in the annual Kites over Vista, Vista, CA.
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.