I am part of a group working on a National Endowment for the Arts Placemaking grant called Our Town to explore the mutuality of arts in building and sustaining agriculture. How can Arts and Agriculture work together in the service of Placemeaking?
There are several areas we are working in. Im looking right now for world-wide pioneers in this area who have already tried this. AND local partners right here in the New York City Foodshed -- specially Brooklyn, NY. We are only 50 miles from New York City and still quite rural with onions, apples and rich Black Dirt as our signatures. Whos been working in Arts and Ag? And whos interested in working with us?? Daniel Mack www.danielmack.com [email protected]
Daniel Mack
United States
Arts & Agriculture: Working together for Better Communities
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Hi Daniel and in on this conversation,
I just wanted to add an idea to the pile for engaging the public through art in the out doors.
For the past three year Metro Vancouver has been holding a very popular event called Forest Symphony. We invited 14 classical musicians to play in Pacific Spirit Park (a coastal temperate rain forest adjacent to Vancouver, BC). The last year that I worked on it we had more than 3000 people attend! People came in from great distances and the feedback was fantastic.
Here is a short video from this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRlnAPE6H5c
Good luck,
Celina Starnes
Program Coordinator
SNAP (Surreys Natural Areas Partnership)
Surrey, BC
www.surrey.ca/SNAP
Green Timbers
Program Coordinator
SNAP Surrey's Natural Areas Partnership
Canada
http://www.surrey.ca/SNAP
Thank, Jean. This looks like a very parallel project! and Elizabeth, lots of good ideas-- several laps ahead of us. I so appreciate this kind of response. We're meeting on Friday, July 29, 2011 for the first time and I'll bring all these references. Daniel Mack
Daniel Mack
United States
www.danielmack.com
Thanks, John for the comment. The documentary approach, whether romantic or critical is often a good way to start. But it's not enough. It'll be nice to volley ideas back and forth as we start our other programming. The County is doing an Economic Impact study of both Arts and Ag; We're holding very focussed discussions all over the County about possible futures, possible visions for development; there are plein air painting classes every weekend on a different farm and finally we are making seriopus overtures to Ag/Art interested people in NYC to come visit and get involved. A kind of arts/ag tourism. Our thinking is making things family-oriented: You've come to pick apples, but "hey look at those dancers. Doing What? Inviting my child to join in!"
Daniel Mack
United States
www.danielmack.com
One approach is Marin Agricultural Land Trust's "Ranches and Rolling Hills" art show and sale in Marin County, California. The event showcases visual arts that highlight the agricultural landscape of the place while providing an exhibition and sales opportunity for the artists, with publicity and some proceeds going to the agricultural land preservation non-profit. More at: http://www.malt.org/programs/sale.php
Don Hodge
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, Agriculture Program
United States
There is a group in the Newburyport MA area called the Green Artists League: http://greenartistsleague.org/
One of their recent "articulture" projects is The Alchemical Garden, a multi-year project to create an edible food garden adjacent to a newly opened rail-trail. Details about the project and contact information are available on their website. They have received grant funding from the New England Foundation for the Arts for this project.
Elizabeth Marcus
Transition Newburyport
United States
transitionnewburyport.org
Iowa has an AgArts group that has been working on this issue for two to three years. The group has a loosely organized network of folks who are approaching the topic as poets, painters, chefs, sus ag farmers, eaters, and thespians. Try http://agarts.eserver.org/ to find out more about what we've been doing.
Jean Eells
E Resources Group
United States
I would like to be keep in touch with your developments as I have exactly the same interest here. A photo (arty) record of the agricultural area has been completed and we are now working with our local artists to develop a program. Wish you all the best!!
John Troughton
John Troughton
Australia
...
It's been a little over a month since the last post.Suimmer/Hurricane/Work by Committee. The Arts and Ag project here in Orange County, NY is just getting going with our first forum --ugh--on Thursday, September 8 as President Obama speaks and the NFL kicks off... and as our local farmers are still watching waters recede.
I have been continuing to research and look for related projects. You all have been very helpful. I hope you don't mind that I listed your comments and suggestions on a blog. http://artsandagriculture.blogspot.com
No one has signed on yet, so I can remove anything you don't want on there.
We've digested the project to two questions, as we sit in the New York City Food Shed:
How can arts and artists contribute to a more vigorous agricultural economy?
How can the farms and farmers help develop new venues for arts and artists?
We're planning a FarmFest in October to raise some $$relief for the loss of crops.
I'd appreciate staying in touch either here or/and on that blog.
Dan Mack
Daniel Mack
United States
www.danielmack.com