Friday, October 30, 2009

HARLEM TALK RADIO at WORK SPACE HARLEM EXHIBIT

This past Wednesday , October 28th , we were lucky enough to be invited to share our thoughts at the Closing Reception of the exhibit at Work Space Harlem with Talk Radio Harlem . Thankyou to Danielle and Nizer for coming out on what was a wet and blustery evening , to see what was going on at 2340 5th Ave .  After a brief interview with me about the project , Vincent Smythe who along with Tiwana Jackson had made the habitat studio happen for the Expo last Saturday , took the role as interviewer with the artists who were part of the Corner Stone show at WSH.  A  wonderful event and one filled with inspired conversations on a variety of topics .

The show runs until NOVEMBER 7th .

The interviews will be available shortly , details to follow .

Saturday, October 24, 2009

SCHEDULED PANELS AND SPEAKERS AT URBAN GO GREEN EXPO

SATURDAY OCTOBER 24TH,   As well as being the International Day of Climate Action, see www.350.org  .   its the 2nd Urban Go Green Expo at the Harlem Armory at 1 W 142nd St /5th Ave..

Shannon Ayala of  350. ORG. will be on the panel "Greening the Culture " at 4 30 pm ,as well as CSA farmer Tim Heuer , from Common Grounds . 

Manhattan Borough President , Scott Stringer  to address the Expo at 1 pm to 2 pm . Among his green projects are " Go Green East Harlem " . a collaborative community -based initiative aimed at breaking the pattern of harmful environmental conditions that have been part of East Harlem's history for decades. Dealing also with reduction and treatment of Asthma since 2008 , he has led the planting of hundreds of trees in the area .  As well as opening green markets to the community with the introduction of healthy ,locally grown food in the East Harlem community . In addition to these actions he has allocated $4,225, 000 to parks and playgrounds in the borough of Manhattan.

Michael Caslin III , CEO & Chairman ( Urgent VC ) The Sustainable City Solution , will be on the Green Entrepreneurship and Careers Opportunities Panel at 3 45 pm . 

Sharon Griffith of NYSERDA will be a panelist on the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Panel at 2.00pm  .The Community Outreach Manager for New York Energy Smart Communities program and NYC "s Special projects for NYS Energy research and Development Authority .

There is alot more scheduled to happen , so despite the weather make an effort to stop by ,...
further details at www.urbangogreenexpo.com  .

Thursday, October 22, 2009

NEW HABITAT STUDIO AT THE URBAN GO GREEN EXPO

Its coming right up so start clearing your schedules ,....   THE 2ND URBAN GO GREEN EXPO at the Harlem Armory this SATURDAY  OCTOBER 24TH ,.....  10 to 6 pm . The Habitat for Artists project is happy to be a focal point of this green event with the installation of a NEW habitat studio by artists from Harlem and the surrounding NYC area . Featured artists will be :

DIANNE SMITH  ,  ALEATHIA BROWN , WILLHELMINA GRANT ,  JEREMIAH KYLE DRAKE,VINCENT SMYTHE , BARBARA RUSSELL aka Ms B the Doodle Queen , CHANDRA TRAVIS , GLORIA ADAMS , JILL AUSTEN and RAY A. LLANOS .

I would like to thank Dionis Ortis from "Work Space Harlem " for allowing the use of work space in which we were able to build and coordinate the new studio prior to the Expo event . The studio will be on display after the Expo at the WORK SPACE HARLEM building at 2340 5th Ave .

There will be presentations by the artists on their work during the day , Tim Heuer from the Common Grounds CSA at Stonykill will be on hand to discuss other green matters as well as being a featured panelist at 4 pm ,....   there will also be a speaker who is concerned with the initiatives to LOWER Carbon emissions from the 350 Group !! Want to know more ,....drop by !

I'll be posting further details as  I get confirmation of speakers and scheduled events .

ENTRY  is on 142nd St off 5th Ave , 2nd floor .  Look for a large brick Deco building next to an AMERICAN Storage facility (yes it is red / blue and white).  Thats the 369th Armory building !

Hope to see you there for things of a greener nature !    Best SD 


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

HABITAT STUDIOS COME IN FOR THE WINTER

We are getting ready for this week end at the Harlem Armory with the Urban Go Green Expo 09 .
And next week we finish taking down the studios in New Paltz . The Studio at SCEE in Philadelphia will stay there as it looks as if it may play forward to a college near by .  The Poets Walk Studio is getting refurbished and will be reinstalled next Spring. (Look for details) . We do have an errant studio upstate which will probably return to the fold in the spring and the studio at Solar 1 will be being dismantled some time in November . 

People ask what happens to the studios ?  Well , after getting taken apart , all the parts get stacked and we sort through them .We check which pieces need attention or replacing and we store them ready for use the next year . The point is to mix the material up as much as possible and to add new reclaimed components the next project . This way a history of material begins and each rendition becomes a part of the next chapter.  

We'll be looking to build the studios this coming year more on site . That means we'll be formatting a downloadable set of plans and hopefully a video to aid in the building of a studio. This means that other artists can resource material where they are being built and we are not transporting components long distances . This will be the case with the project in Stowe ,VT.

What about the pile of studios ?  We have several individual applications we are working on one looking to go to a local kid's doctor at his practice , another with a group locally in Beacon and we want more to appear at the CSA at Stonykill . 

There is a larger plan a foot , but we're still in planning stage so I can't say exactly what that will be ,....YET !

Enjoy the better weather we're currently having and get out side as much as possible Best SD

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

URBAN GO GREEN EXPO at Harlem Armory OCT 24th

This week as the leaves are turning I hope you get a chance to stop by at a Green Event ! NOW Saturday only 10 to 6 there is the Urban Go Green expo at the Harlem Armory at 142nd St and 5th Ave .  (Just off the FDR heading south actually still the Harlem River Drive at that point !) There will be a number of  NEW artists who have contributed to a NEW habitat studio . All materials were specifically repurposed for the habitat studio which will be showing its new art cladding this Saturday . Currently on view by appmnt at the work space Harlem at 141st St ,......

A number of the artists will be talking about their work , I'll be catching people up on things HFA with various new projects on the horizon and trying to find a HOME for this new habitat in the Harlem community . I also hope to have some of the artists who have experienced a short term residency at a habitat studio over the past couple of years to answer questions and give a short presentation . 

I'm going into today to see how things are looking and check it all goes together , so it can come apart to come together for this SATURDAY , so more soon         Later SD

PS   The SUNY Campus Habitat Studio officially came down October 15th despite the snow flurries that accompanied the journey home . The two remaining are up until the 26th so stop by to take a look , that's Main St and Huguenot St   (NOW only 6 days left !!)   NEW PALTZ NY.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

WORK SPACE HARLEM studios hosts Habitat Studio

This weekend and in collaboration with HOAST (Harlem Open Artist Tour) there will be a group exhibition at the WORK SPACE HARLEM studios at 234o 5th Ave (btwn W 141st and 142nd St).

The studios will be open Saturday , October 10th , 12 to 6pm and Sunday 11th Oct 1 to 6 pm .

In room P23 the habitat studio will be part of a group exhibit of work from the studios at 2340 5th Ave.  The studio is being worked on for the next 3 weeks by a variety of artists including some from the studios , before it becomes part of the Expo at the 369th Harlem Armory , next door on October 24th (10 to 6 pm )  organized by URBAN GO GREEN .

We hope to have some of the artists from the previous HFA projects at the open studios this week end . WE will keep the habitat studio at this location and erect a new habitat at the Armory to exhibit the panels which are currently being worked on as the NEW Urban GO Green studio. This will allow new artists to have an opportunity to work in and on the habitat at the Work space Harlem studios .

We are seeking a more permanent home for the habitat studio after the EXPO and hope to engage more artists in the project through a series of short term residencies .

HFA is currently seeking sponsorship to facilitate this venture , please contact us at 
habitatforartists @gmail.com 


Saturday, October 3, 2009

NEW PROJECT IN BEACON NY 2010

I know we haven't finished with 2009 yet and there are projects still going on at various locations, BUT I did want to get the ball rolling with a project that is very close to me for various reasons. This our partnering with the CSA at Stonykill , Beacon NY .

As you may already know we have one studio there NOW and it will provide storage for various items over the winter . With recent conversations and more to come with the farmers Tim and Devin , the idea of putting more studios for artists to use next year came about .

BUT it depends on your input , and this is where I 'd like to have readers participate (in a number of ways) conceptually and if in the region , physically . Added to this I would also like to start a campaign to raise money to pay for the installation of two additional studios and to try and have $ for each artist's residency . This is our model for community sponsored art . It's success depends on YOU !

IF you are an ARTIST in the Hudson Valley Region please contact me if you would like to be considered for a short term residency at the CSA . We hope to have a summer program with courses for kids of all ages . BUT this will depend obviously on interest and funds.

IF you would like to DONATE to this PROJECT at the CSA , ECOARTSPACE is involved with the project and contributions are TAX deductible , any amount will be welcome . Again contact me at habitatforartists@gmail.com for those details .

Once again more details will be forthcoming as we pack things away and use the winter to gather interest and ideas , as well as work on making the project available in a number of ways through the internet and small press , or downloadable book versions . Who knows we may do a HOW TO RAISE YOUR STUDIO ROOF video , available at coffee shops nearer YOU !? Later SD.

RAIN POSTPONES OUTDOOR EVENT

OCTOBER 3RD the event at Solar 1 is NOW tomorrow SUNDAY OCT.4TH .This is due to the bad weather which seems to be socked in . So JOIN us tomorrow around 10 am to Raise the
Studio Roof !! All hands welcome to rebuild the Habitat Studio at E 23rd St by the East River.

ECOARTSPACE : The project room at 53 Mercer St NYC has an OPENING RECEPTION for the "DOWN TO EARTH " exhibit , PART 2 . TONIGHT at 6pm !! All the artists from the project started in Philadelphia at SCEE and some NEW additions (see listing link below).

Hope to see you at these events and to catch up on what has been developing with the project .We have an opportunity to work with a group in Germany , but we will be providing the plans through the net and hope to have a video HOW TO BUILD component as well !

Scott Gibson is hatching some wild plans with ECOPIONEER partnering with HFA and ecoartspace. BUT more on this later .

URBANGOGREEN HABITAT STUDIO is being played forward from Solar 1 to a site opposite the Harlem Armory where it will be worked on by a new group of artists , led by Vincent Smythe . Press Release with details will be posted shortly .

Stay well , stay dry see you at one of these events SOON . SD

Friday, October 2, 2009

HABITAT STUDIO TO MOVE TO HARLEM

YES   October 3rd at SOLAR 1   ....tomorrow providing we DON'T get rained out !!
We are at E 23rd St  re locating and building the habitat studio .

Monday 5th and any one who wants to help , I will be taking apart the 'other' habitat so it can be moved to a new site in Harlem .  We have a donated site where we can place the habitat studio so it can be worked on by several artists from the metropolitan area ready for the URBANGO GREEN expo at the Harlem Armory  October 24 and 25th  !!

More details to follow ,this is fresh off the wire  .....so stay posted !   SD

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