Monday, June 27, 2011

Good Ol' Photography





Louise Millmann's history of photography class is the only thing that could have enticed me to give up the first day of summer vacation. Louise's insights about photography moved at such a swift pace that I was afraid to take a bathroom break for fear I would miss a century or two. We paused at 1874 to become both photographers and models-- and sometimes even gentlemen.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Nadine in the 19th Century



As Louise prepares to teach the history of photography, her mode of attack is to purchase every form of antique photography methods. Forget the tin type, she's talking all sorts of types that I ain't never heard no nothin' about. Thank goodness I am enrolled to get the inside scoop. We are also going to be playing in the darkroom and. . . having our historical (hysterical) portraits taken. A master of disguise and photoshop, Louise has the eerie skill of swiftly turning the most hip Greenpoint fabunista into a Civil War widow. Here's a view of my life in the 19th century...the two sides of me that still exist in 2011. Let me know if you are around doing nothing on Monday or Tuesday next week and I'll see if I can sneak you into this wonderful and wonderfully unpredictable workshop.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Going LOCA(L)




Have you ever played the game "What-if-all-the-gasoline-disappeared-how-would-I-survive?" game. Sadly, I've run through the scenario a couple of times while caught in traffic on my way to work. After a few moments of cold panic, I decide, by golly, that I'd just grow my own food in the yard. End of story. Or is it?
Not if monster corporate conglomerate seed manufacturer Monsanto has anything to do with it. No they'd rather create seeds for crops which can't seed themselves, reducing the number of plant species and keeping us chained to them for our food supply.
The way I see it, the only way to combat this type of corporate greed, as well as cut gasoline consumption, is to purchase locally grown, unmodified foods. Of course, those who are part of the growing CSA farming movement already know the satisfaction of putting organic, heirloom produce on their tables. For me, while upstate this weekend I went over to Athens to Black Horse Farms buy a cart of groceries: local eggs, fiddlehead ferns, strawberries, and several bee-friendly flowering plants. Around the corner at Crossroads, I picked up a couple of growlers of locally brewed beer. After making a father's day meal with my local finds, it was not only gratifying to know that my feast supported an ideal in which I believe, but it was exceptionally delicious.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Champions of Change: White House Panel





As the Obama administration looks to its domestic policy goals, the reality of financial woes and a political stalemate leads it to take a different tact. The White House has organized a series of panel discussions with those they have cited as 'Champions of Change', people who have performed Herculean tasks starting at the grassroots level. On Tuesday, June 7th, Olivia was asked to participate in the New Orleans Panel, joined by 11 others creating social change in unique ways. The round table, held at a convention for volunteer efforts, was led by Melody Barnes and Marta Unquilla, who are involved with the service initiatives of the Obama Administration. According to James, it was incredible to listen to individuals talk about what they are accomplishing, mostly on a shoestring budget. Here's a list of a few of the participants, many of whom were women:

- Liz McCartney, who is rebuilding the 9th ward in NOLA.
- Lan Diep, who is connecting with Vietnamese fisherman for the BP oil spill claims.
- Brenda Krause Eheart, Ph.D. who is building an interesting community housing model in Chicago (retired individuals who pay less rent in exchange for working in the community day care).
- Ivye Allen, Ph.D., who is president of Foundation of the Mid-South, whose mission is economic development in the mid-south.
- Dianna Daley, Director of Centro Compesino, education programs for south Florida.

Other programs included schools in the 9th ward, Muslim community collaborative, Alabama disaster relief, Hispanic community collaboratives. Each panelist was able to connect his or her initiative with the greater good of our nation.
Olivia was the sole participant whose initiative was about the environment and, as the only child, was singled out by Melody Barnes as part of the nation's future. Olivia had the opportunity to address the round table where she discussed her fundraiser, the partnership with Audubon, and putting the 'eco' back in the economy.
Not only did the participants connect with each other, their stories will be shared on the White House web site. Also in attendace at the conference were corporations looking to expand their outreach programs by collaborating with not-for-profits-- a corporate trend that I can truly support.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

ABAD: The Ties that Bind


An homage to the ultimate unknown artist, Ray Johnson among others. Check out the other entries for the upcoming show.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

In Memory


Jackson at Calverton Veterans' Cemetery picking up flags from Memorial Day-- a sight I wanted to commit to memory.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Ties That Bind: A New ABAD Exhibition




Here are my sketches for the upcoming A Book About Death exhibition. With tornadoes racing across the United States, including a warning tonight for the metropolitan NY area, the topic of 'The Ties that Bind' seem ominously connected to our environment.