Buy Local

Tis' the season and I know a lot of you are counting your pennies so you can go out and get a gift for everyone on your list. Money is tight for a lot of people but it is tight for many small businesses right now too. The city of Louisville has a wealth of small, locally owned businesses that offer great products at really good deals. A lot of the stores support artists, students and other people trying to make this world a better place. Shop locally and keep your cash flowing in your city.

A city that supports small-business, locally produced goods, the arts, and their overall community is city that will flourish.

Here are a couple of interesting quotes from a article, "How Your Community Can Thrive-- Even in Tough Times" by Philip Myrick, vice president of Projects for Public Space.

"To thrive in the coming years we have to do a better job of protecting local resources. People naturally take pride in their local food, places, history, landscape, and businesses. It is time to make sure to give these local assets as much support, if not more, as we do chain stores, multinational corporations and outside culture"

"Cities and regions that thrive in the 21st Century will be differentiated by their lively neighborhoods and business districts, cultural and recreational attractions, great sense of place, protected natural areas, and deep pride in local character, products and foods. They will achieve this through and open collaborative process with their citizens."

Here are some ideas for small, affordable gifts that show you care, but also help support the small business community as well.

For your Beer lovers:

Locally owned Louisville Beer Store offers a exciting number of specialty craft beers, both imported and regional. Pick up a six pack of Christmas, Spiced and Strong ales...

because nothing shows you care more than a six pack of warmth even in the coldest of days.

Steak Lovers:

At Palermo Viejo Argentinian Beef is grilled to perfection at this locally owned steak house on Bardstown Road. Take you steak lover out for a Lomo and a bottle of Malbec that is sure to sastify any carnivore. Palermo is also a member of Louisville Originals, which offers a program that gives you $10 for every $150 spent at any of their business members... you would be surprised at how fast it adds up.

For your Special Lady:

There are several small boutiques located on the Bardstown Road block of Bonnycastle and Alta. With Dot Fox, WHY? Louisville, The Makery, Cherry Bomb and General Eccentric the gift buying experience should be a fun endeavor. Each store offers unique, hand-made and locally crafted jewelry, accessories, clothing... what have you.

If you can't find a fun gift for your lady at one of these locally owned businesses than I just don't know what where to send you.

LIBA, Louisville Independent Business Alliance, has lists of many businesses that are integral to their community.

Keep Chickens!

Keeping chickens has been a common practice for thousands of years... one could say it is part of human nature, or at least it was, until the modern convenience of the supermarket. Although I do not keep chickens yet, keeping the birds for eggs has been a dream of mine ever since I tasted my first farm fresh egg about eight years ago. The topic of raising chickens in the city limits has always brought me peculiar and questionable looks, but it really is not that uncommon... and yes it is legal in the city of Louisville. I am allowed up to six birds, one of which can be a rooster... which is not recommended if you want to stay friends with your neighbors.

Anyways, I was daydreaming about the my backyard chickens today and wanted to share my thoughts on the subject. There is plenty of information about keeping chickens in the city, I especially like Mother Earth News, they are a great source for these kinds of topics.

Copenhagen

As I am writing this, world leaders are awaking in Copenhagen, Denmark for a United Nations Conference on Climate Change. What will be done? What can be done? What will be promised?

There is plenty of scientific evidence that the carbon emissions we release into the earth everyday are impacting the earth negatively, and that our unsustainable way of living is... unsustainable. But this information is not new, and the subject of climate change has been "talked over" before, remember Kyoto? Since 1997 the earth's environment has continued to be trashed further, with the polluting of our water, air and land. Hey, what have we gained sine Kyoto? How about a giant island of plastic garbage floating in the Pacific... Maybe if the United States had actually signed the Kyoto Protocol things would be different now, but I doubt it.

Not only do we have the challenge of reducing our own emissions as a country, but the greater challenge can be found in the developing countries and the newly industrialized powers, especially China and India. With rapid population growth, the necessity and consumption for all things is only going to grow exponentially.

Climate change and global warming are tough issues to discuss. There are many different factors and sides to all of these issues, and hey, it's not going to be easy for anyone to change. I honestly think we are going to need a miracle to change everyone on this planet's mind about how they live with the earth.

I guess all we can do right now is live the best way we can individually and do our best to stay informed and help educate others. Living sustainably is a lot easier that some people think, we just need to shake ourselves out of the mindset of the consumer culture that so many of us were raised in. We are going to have to change the way we live no matter what, resources are only dwindling and the planet is changing. Might as well have some fun with it and live creatively... after all we are human and capable of magnificent invention and great intellectual thought.

just wanted to share

Agnes Denes, Wheatfield, 1982

Beef- Its whats for dinner.

I love roast beef, I loooove tender little filets cooked almost rare, a bison burger... I could eat it every other day. The point is that I really like my beef and bison. I tried the whole vegetarian thing for five years and was broken by the bison burger at Cumberland Brews... it really haunted my dreams.

However, the truth about beef is that the manufacturing and industrial farming of cattle is ruining the environment and our health. Most cattle raised in a factory farm setting are kept in crowded environments and are pumped with antibiotics and growth horomones. These animals are then slaughtered and the meat is processed with preservatives and other additives to keep it looking fresh and juicy. What about the environment? Did you know that possibly 15 -20 % of methan emmissions are produced by livestock and the leading cause of the deforestization of the Brasilian Amazon is cattle ranching and clearing of forest for pasture land.

It's not all bad... you don't have to give up the occasional steak and burger just yet. But, this consuming culture really needs to cut out all the bigmacs and royales with cheese. We need to start supporting local farmers, who raise their cattle naturally and on a farm where they are allowed to graze and soak up the sun. Wholefoods may not carry all local, but they do run specials on free range steak and ground beef all the time. Also, Cumberland Brews has an awesome Bison Burger, from KY BISON, that rocks my world everytime I eat one... ( I am biased because I work there). Eat more vegetables and save that steak for a special occasion... if everyone would do that, we would be healthier and live on a cleaner earth.

Want more?

Check out this article from Mother Earth News.

Anthotypes

The top image is created using crushed rose petals and the bottom is made with pokeberry juice. Both images were exposed in the sun for approximately two months.

BBC's radio broadcast on WFPL had a story this morning about sewage pollution and the Ganges river in India. I thought it was a coincidence considering yesterday I was researching the MSD sewage spill into the Ohio River and ranting to my boyfriend about how horrible it is that something like this could happen in Louisville. Listening to this story really put everything into perspective...

Please watch this video.

My Favorite Products

I've often said that I don't know what I would do without my Dr. Bronners. Dr. Bronners Magic Pure-Castile Liquid Soap is one of the most wonderful cleaning products available. The soaps are offered in both liquid and bar form, however I use the liquid because a little goes a long way. A 32 ounce bottle has lasted me up to six months and runs about $15 dollars. I have seen the product at all natural and whole food grocery stores, as well as Krogers and Valumarket. The company has set high standards, both ethically and environmentally, in every aspect of the business, from ingredients, production, and employment to staying active in support of issues to better our world. They use all organic, fair-trade products and are active supporters of movements to recommercialize industrial hemp, a plant that is both sustainable and beneficial to agriculture, manufacturing and trade. The liquid soap comes it many different varieties as well as a mild, unscented formula for babies and people with sensitive skin. My favorites are lavender and peppermint, the latter being a cooling refresher for a hot summer day or long one at work.

Plus - The bottles make for very interesting reading and contemplation in the bath.

DR. BRONNERS MAGIC "ALL-ONE"

Check out the writing on the Peppermint label.

WTF

Talk about social injustice. Apparently MSD accidentally released over 8 MILLION GALLONS of RAW SEWAGE into the Ohio River on November 11. Guess where it happened... West Louisville. I bet that if this happened in the east end there would have been a lot more "stink" about it in the media.

Read the Courier Journals article.

People I admire

This fall, in NYC, I visited the ICP (International Center of Photography) and was captivated by a video portrait of Cate Blanchett. Many of us know her as an actress who is famous for her role as Queen Elizabeth, however she is very active in the environmental movement as well. She was recently featured on the Diane Rehm Show (11-18-2009) in which she discussed her role on stage in "A Street Car Named Desire" and her work to raise awareness about climate change. Cate has done a lot of work to educate and raise awareness about climate change and how to combat it with better technologies and by restructuring of how we live. She is native to Australia, a land that has had to deal with the effects of climate change first hand. She and her husband, Andrew Upton, recently became artistic co-directors for the Sydney Theatre Company. They plan to take steps to move the theatre company "off-grid", by adding solar panels and recycling rainwater.

Subscribe to the podcast for the Diane Rehm Show to listen to the episode

I wish I could find a clip of the video portrait of Cate Blanchett, by David Rosetzky, but...

Check out ICP anyway...

Kentucky Engagement Coference

I get to represent U of L, as well as the art department, at NKU tomorrow. I will be speaking on a panel with three other students from other universities in the state about projects we have done in the community. I am going to talk about the project I did with the Collaborative Arts course from last Spring (2009)... maybe I'll put in a word or two about this class... Check out the blog from the class. Kentucky Engagement Conference November 20, 2009 Join us at the 4th annual Kentucky Engagement Conference where you can dramatically increase your knowledge and skills relating to students’ civic learning and civic engagement. You’ll find nationally known speakers, expert panels, roundtable discussions, tips from students and community members, 30 displays of projects at Kentucky’s college and universities, and plenty of opportunity to network with faculty and administrative colleagues. This year’s conference promises to provide you with lots of ideas for your classroom and campus. Go To Website

The Leaves Are Falling

The artist, Jane Hammond, has created several installations using fallen leaves. Each individual leaf is inscribed with the name of soldier that has died in Iraq. The most recent installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, began with 4229 leaves.

"Jane Hammond’s Fallen Text by the Artist

There is something about leaves in the autumn, at the zenith of their coloration that is transcendent: they are both dematerializing and intensifying simultaneously. As their bodies become lighter, their color is becoming more and more intense. I’ve tried to gather leaves just at this moment when the chroma is so strong it transcends the body of the leaf and becomes a kind of pure light. It does rhyme with the idea of “the spirit” but I think in a way that is accessible and earthly. It’s more Emerson than Aquinas.

One of the things that has been interesting for me is how much more particular leaves have become for me—like the lives themselves. I see them now as such individuals. It is a kind of miracle how attention to something makes it so much more interesting.

Besides thinking about leaves, both in the general and in the particular, it is also useful to think a moment about the nature of numbers. Numbers were invented for agricultural record keeping. They served a useful function of distilling the manyness of hundreds and thousands of sacks of wheat into a unitary phenomenon—a single number. Sometimes I think we have grown up so completely with the abstraction that is numbers that we forget the manyness and multitude that they actually represent. Every person whom I have heard say of “Fallen,” “Oh My God, it is so many” also knows, intellectually, what four thousand is, but there is something about seeing the number concretized that undoes a lifetime of thinking in the abstract.

It started out as something specific and concrete—the equation in my mind between lives and leaves. But more and more time has entered into the equation. The ongoingness of the piece is reallyits essential nature. It is a work of art in which the artist is not in control of when it is finished nor how large it is. I am something between an author and a witness. It has a performative quality but it is not a script I wrote.

I suppose it also has a performative nature in the sense that it is not a fixed arrangement of leaves. So far, everywhere the piece has gone, I go and arrange the leaves and in a sense “make” the piece. It’s hard for me to imagine not doing this myself.

Three concepts that inform most of my work are collecting, collage and collaboration. The gathering of the leaves themselves has now extended over several Autumns and in places as far apart as Hawaii, Texas and Vermont. The marriage of each name and leaf is a kind of collage and while I don’t know how to perfectly extend the “collaboration” metaphor the piece definitely feels bigger to me than my ideas or my craftsmanship or my authorship. It has at its heart our collectivity."

My Favorite Products

I've decided I am going to post products that I use regularly and are recycled, biodegradable or in some way sustainable or better for the environment.

Earlier I posted about white vinegar as a great option for cleaning, it is not as toxic as bleach and some other products out there, and it is very affordable.

ECOVER is a brand of products I use and really like. I have consistently used the dish soap and cream scrub for years. I just recently started using the laundry detergent, because I finally got a washing machine, and love it. All the products have a nice, natural smell and have never irritated my skin. They are biodegradable with low impact on aquatic life, based on plant ingredients and are not animal tested. The only downside is that this brand is more expensive and cannot be found an all stores. However, I have found that I don't go through the products as quickly as some others, especially the laundry soap and dish soap.

Where do I go?

What's going to happen to these old television sets? I have at least two in my home that haven't worked since the digital conversion. Imagine how many tv sets are out there just waiting to be trashed. FYI they are toxic, full of lead of other substances.

You can recycle your old television sets in Louisville (very close to UofL, I go back it almost daily) at...

Louisville Waste Reduction Center

636 Meriwether Avenue
Hours of Operation: Tuesday through Friday 8 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 3 PM.

I came across this website that reuses wrappers to make all kinds of things. Terracycle also offers a program that donates money to schools for collected wrappers. Check out the website.

Significant Place

This building had been empty for as long as I can remember. There are so many incredible buildings in the city of Louisville that sit vacant. WHY?

SO... I'm not trying to single out smokers, I just wish they wouldn't throw their cigarette butts into my yard when I have a party. It's a bitch to clean up and I worry about all the little animals that graze in my backyard.

Take a look at this fancy thing... These are free (while supplies last) and were part of RJ Reynolds Tobacco's "Smokers for a Clean America" program. Click here to get to the site.

Crime Scene

Q. How long do cigarette butts last in the environment?
A. Cigarette butt : 18 months - 10 years
Cigarette Butts are made of plastic, of the same type of plastic as is found in plastic bags and soda bottles. They will eventually degrade, especially if the environment is right for that sort of thing (moist, warm, and shady) but they will take much longer to degrade if flicked away on a beach or some other sandy, dry, hot area.
The nicotine contained in 200 leftover cigarette butts, however, is enough to kill a full-sized human being (according to the admittedly biased http://www.whyquit.com/), and can have a negative impact on the wildlife in the area.

Thanks WikiAnswers

Skullptures

Artist Brian Dettmer creates skulls out of recycled cassette tapes.

Mud Graffiti

Jesse Graves, graffiti artist, created this stencil using mud.

New Enviro Blog

My friend pointed me in the direction to this blog. I thought it would be a good idea to share with everyone. It's always good to see what others are doing. :)

Inhabitat

Native Fish for the Home Aquarium

I stumbled upon this article and thought it could be an interesting project. I have kept aquariums for several years now because I find them to be extremely relaxing to watch. I haven't really thought about keeping fish that I catch locally, but I think I could be an educational experience. I wouldn't mind getting to know some of the wild fishies from the beargrass, they might even enjoy living in a tank that isn't filled with sewage and drain runoff.

To read further go to Mother Earth News.

tRashy trashy

I couldn't help but notice the hundreds of cards tossed on to the ground after they had been used. There has got to be a better way of recycling them. I did see a man on a bike in Time's Square with a couple hundred wrapped around the frame of his bicycle, but that was the only case in which I notice someone reusing their metro cards.

Roxy Paine

This sculpture was installed on the roof of the Met overlooking central park. It was a marvelous. Mary and I enjoyed a couple cocktails on the roof after a long day of contemplating art.

Check out Roxy Paine's "Maelstrom" at the Met's Website

U of L Hosts "Bioneers"

The University of Louisville will be hosting this event via satellite. Go cards!!

Check it out at WFPL

Bioneers Website

Significant place

The last time I walked down to this part of Beargrass, the water was up to the street. During the August flash flooding, my friend and I walked down to the creek and were dumbstruck by the amount of trash that was being carried through the creek, presumably to the river. Mostly plastic bottles and cups, with the occasional basketball or football, made the rushing water look like a river of garbage. Although this is not the case, right now, the sides of the creek are littered with remains of garbage that got stuck to the creeks edge.

Garbage

Hans Haacke

I am interested in the concepts behind Hans Haacke's work and the materials that he chose to use, especially between 1968 to 1972.

Is an animal a material?

The animal is not the art, it is the process in which they live and grow that is significant... I think.

I'm interested.

Sunflowers make me Smile :)

This is interesting... but, this isn't new technology.

"Sunflower Power? An Entrepreneur's First Steps" Read Article

Three summers ago I spent several weeks in Brasil studying with UNESP (a public university in Sao Paulo). We visited a sugarcane processing plant, as well as an orange processing plant, which were both very interesting field trips. Both plants ran a large portion of the facility on leftover waste from the sugarcane and oranges.

I don't understand why, if this technology is available, that the article from NPR would be considered news.

Walton Ford

Walton Ford's work may look as though it were painted two hundred years ago, however he is a contemporary artist born in 1960. The allegorical nature of his work may not be recognized at first, but the content of his prints and paintings are rich with meaning. The most poignant of his work, for myself, are the pieces that reflect the species that have ultimately been wiped out because of man's ignorance to the natural environment.

Pokeberry

My first attempt at producing an image onto the sidewalk did not work. The concrete is too porous and absorbs the pokeberry ink too easily. Although I had a photogram image when I removed the glass, it quickly disappeared. I am interested in exploring other possible surfaces that are not as porous. I have a limestone wall that I may try to print on next time.

Chlorophyll print

Bihn Dahn (b. October 9th, 1977) is a contemporary artist that prints photographic images onto leaves. These images are created using a negative and the sunlight to bleach out the white. It is a similar to the anthotype , using the sun to naturally bleach out the whites of the image, however this process is different in that the image is printed directly onto the leaf, rather than using the pulp of flowers or vegetables for the emulsion. He preserves his images by casting them in resin.

He was born in Vietnam. The subjects of his work include the Vietnam War, as well as other political turmoil relating to Vietnam and that region.

Anthotypes

I found this anthotype made with beet... I have used beets before in some of my drawings. I believe I could create one that has a more intense color.

Maya Lin

I want to go and lay between the waves and lose myself in nature.

Clean with Vinegar

photo courtesy of blessedearth.org


Vinegar is a great way to clean without using toxic chemicals. I use white vinegar, the kind you get in a gallon jug at the grocery store for 3 dollars, and water to clean just about everything in my home. Occasionally I throw in some salt or baking soda for the extra nasty stuff. I put maybe a quarter of vinegar into a spray bottle and fill the rest with water and voila... I use vinegar to clean my bathroom, floor, countertops, refrigerator, stove-top, just about anything. It doesn't leave any chemical smell, it is better for the air quality of your home, and better for the environment. Plus it is so much cheaper and lasts for so much longer. And don't worry, it will kill germs... well maybe not swine flu.

Brick is Better

This brick alley has been here as long as the limestone wall on the right, which means it is probably as old as my home, which was built circa 1890.

Think about how often you see a concrete or asphalt road repaved.

Not every hundred years, most likely every 10 years, if not more on some of the busier roads. (I lived on Bradstown Road for 6 years and saw it repaved twice)

I know brick roads are bumpy and you can't go so fast... but maybe we all need to slow down and enjoy the ride.
I too enjoy the smooth ride of a freshly paved street on my bike or board, but how toxic, really, is the asphalt that we are inhaling into out lungs... probably as toxic as a lot of the air we breathe.
Brick also helps reduce the amount of water that is being dumped into the drainage system during a freak downpour. Remember August?

I understand that the city is not going to put new bricks roads down, but if they even think about repaving my alley... I will protest.
Just remember, the next time you're walking or driving on brick that that sidewalk or road has most likely been there for a very long time and that the concrete and asphalt shit we're putting down won't be around for even half of the bricks lifetime.

taxes at work

I don't know why there was a dozen or so cans strung out in the road in front of my house... we picked them up. I'm hoping that someone did not notice that they dropped a bag of groceries, but how could someone not realize they dropped a bag of can goods? One would think that they would hear it or feel the weight change. Maybe they just didn't care. Either way, I got my trash pic for the week and didn't have to go far for it.

Makes me smile

Many urban areas see animals as pests and problems, and do much to keep them away or get rid of them. We forget that these spaces are just as much their home as it is ours. This wall not only functions as a structural form, but it also has added homes for the birds and the bats. What is more pleasant? A blank or graffiti laden wall(not that I don't appreciate street art) or a wall with little boxes full of animals... my vote goes to the animals.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

"A fossil is made over four-hundred-fifty million years - it takes that much time. But photography, it's instant. So, to me, photography functions as a fossilization of time."
- Hiroshi Sugimoto

Ephemeral Art on Campus