Just Posted:
360-Degree QuickTime Virtual Tours


Visit this web page to see and navigate through 360-degree QuickTime Virtual Tours of recent and current Farmlab exhibitions, projects, and facilities.

The initial virtual tours are of:

  • "AMAZE" by Farmlab Team -- four tours from August, 2007

  • Ag Bins on Skid Row project-- Delivery day, June 16, 2007

  • "Cascade," by Edward Porter, an Under Spring exhibition -- April, 2007

  • More coming soon

  • View All Tours

    Farmlab images by James Goodnight

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    Ag Bins on Skid Row Are
    A 'Gifted, Brilliant Idea,'
    Says Downtown News Editorial

    The current edition of the Los Angeles Downtown News features an editorial titled, "Another Side of Skid Row."

    The editorial closes with the following words:

    "Bringing gardens into Skid Row could have seemed an odd undertaking. But Farmlab, and the new urban gardeners, have proved that it works. We think it is a gifted, brilliant idea."

    Read the complete editorial here.

    The News ran a front-page article last week about the Farmlab project.

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    Farmlab Public Salons
    Change in Food Service Policy

    Dear Friends,

    Effective Friday, September 7, 2007, Farmlab will begin charging a $5 fee to purchase a lunch plate at our weekly Farmlab Public Salons.

    Complimentary lunch tickets will be available for salon attendees who request them. Please see any of the Farmlab team members prior to taking your meal.

    Friday's menu is still being finalized, but visitors can expect a homemade, multi-course meal; if last week is a guide, plates will likely brim with hot vegetables, cold salad, and other side and entree selections.

    Farmlab continues to be committed to presenting Farmlab Public Salons. These weekly, free-of-charge educational lectures; discussions; documentary films; and other forms of illuminating public programming have been a regular feature of Farmlab and, previously, the Not A Cornfield project.

    All money raised from the new lunch fee will go towards funding the salon series.

    Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments about the new policy. Contact info is located here.

    For our complete Farmlab Public Salon schedule, please click here.

    Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you this and every Friday @ noon.

    Best,
    The Farmlab Team

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    This Week @ Farmlab
    News + Projects +
    Salons + Exhibitions

    August 29-September 5, 2007


    News + Projects
    Farmlab Ag Bins on Skid Row Project Makes Front Page
    'Skid Row Grows Green,' Writes L.A. Newspaper
    Today's edition of the weekly Downtown News features a dispatch about Farmlab's "Ag Bins on Skid Row" project as its cross-columns, above-the-fold front-page top story ..... full text

    Another City is Possible
    New Neon Sign Debuts at Farmlab
    Friday, August 24, 2007, mid-morning...The latest neon sign to grace the multi-warehouse bay compound that is Farmlab & Under Spring...The sign, in deepwater ocean blue, reads, "Another City is Possible." ..... full text

    Farmlab Public Salons
    Friday, August 31, 2007 @ Noon
    Kristina Haddad | Save Sheldon
    Save Sheldon is a short, one-woman play that follows the journey of environmental activist and performer Kristina Haddad as she attempts to save the ancient tree, Sheldon, from the hands of...... full text

    Friday, Spetember 7, 2007 @ Noon
    Mike Blockstein & Reanne Estrada W/ Special Guest Aurora Flores
    This week's Farmlab Public Salon asks: Do you have chemistry? Are you compatible? What does it mean to step outside your comfort zone? What does it take to make meaningful, long-term relationships thrive? ..... full text

    Under Spring
    September 15 @ 7:30pm: Puppets After Hours
    Leading L.A. Puppeteers To Perform Free at Under Spring
    This fully immersive evening of adult-themed cabaret theater, interactive performance art, and live music will feature the best and brightest in puppetry arts. This free-of-charge program is ..... full text

    Exhibitions
    Checking Up On 'AMAZE'
    Farmlab's Installation in Beverly Hills, Closing This Week
    "AMAZE" -- the Farmlab-conceived and constructed (and then destructed) portion of the joint Farmlab-George Herms exhibition titled, "Opera Workshop" -- has transformed..... full text

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    Farmlab Ag Bins on Skid Row Project Makes Front Page
    'Skid Row Grows Green,' writes L.A. Newspaper


    Today's edition of the weekly Downtown News paper features a dispatch about Farmlab's "Ag Bins on Skid Row" project as its cross-columns, above-the-fold front-page top story.

    The article, titled, "Skid Row Grows Green," and written by staffer Evan George with photography by Gary Leonard, is subheaded: "Art Project to Remove Urban Blight Touches More Than Street Corners."

    Here's an excerpt from the piece:

    "The garden not only gives Burris a reason to wake up before sunrise and get to work, he said, but has inspired a mindset of problem-solving rarely required by the day-to-day activities in transitional housing.

    "It's a sentiment echoed by Jack Cooley, 42, a member of the new gardening club at the Rainbow Apartments at 643 S. San Pedro St. When bean plants started struggling, the group had to read up on worms and other insects. As tomato plants withered in the heat, the gardeners used umbrellas to shade them from the mid-day sun.

    ""This has been a really great diversion," Cooley said. "It diverts from what seems to be the primary discussion around here - staying off drugs and getting your act together.""


    Click here to read the August 27, 2007 complete story.

    Click here for the Farmlab projects homepage, featuring links to "Ag Bins on Skid Row" information, photos, and updates


    Screen shot taken from online version of story, available at www.downtownnews.com

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    'Another City is Possible'
    New Neon at Farmlab & Under Spring


    Just arrived:

    Friday, August 24, 2007, mid-morning...

    The latest neon sign to grace the multi-warehouse bay compound that is Farmlab & Under Spring...

    The sign, in deepwater ocean blue, reads, "Another city is Possible."

    Call it a philosophy. Call it a motto. And in a book you'll be hearing more about soon, call it a chapter title, to a conversation between Manuel Castells (USC) and Lauren Bon (Farmlab and Not A Cornfield).



    More, better neon pix soon**...

    And don't sleep on Farmlab & Under Spring's previous neon, seen below:



    **like the new shot at the top of this page

    Farmlab photos by James Goodnight (top and bottom) and Kate Balug (middle)

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    Checking up on 'AMAZE,'
    Farmlab's installation in Beverly Hills


    "AMAZE" has changed.

    The Farmlab-conceived and constructed (and then destructed, and then reconstructed) portion of the joint Farmlab-George Herms exhibition that carries the greater exhibition title of "Opera Workshop" no longer resembles the serpentine mixed-media bramble that it was barely one week ago.

    That metamorphosis is in keeping with the original intent of "AMAZE," which was described in Farmlab's original announcement as a "an experimental labyrinth," and "a zone of play, flexibility, and collaboration."

    Farmlab team members Kate Balug and Rich Neilsen provide the following commentaries regarding "AMAZE."

    First, from Balug:

    "Amaze is a work in progress.

    "Initially a steel framework with a skin dependent on the participation of outside forces, it responds to its surroundings. It ebbs and flows, and in preparation for an opera performance, participation in it comes to mean a present and listening audience.

    "To this extent, the maze shrinks back, leaving behind a constellation of silver and brass where previously steel rods dotted the ground, as well as a highly polished floor, doubling the audience in its reflection.

    "The destruction took two hours, where the month-long consideration of placement was negated by speed. The maze was literally uprooted and uncoiled, left in piles in the window fronts. The [exercise] bike remains to quench the thirst of new participants. ValleyCrest orchestrated the removal of the debris, and the serenade for George continued."




    And now, from Neilson:

    "Beverly Hills serenade.

    "The inverted cleansing of the improbable space as a theater that will swell with the sounds and sights of sweet opera. The polished floor will reflect a presence of form and humanity. Stars will sparkle and serenade the players from bellow as if the whole world has been flipped for the benefit of one sound.

    "The serenade, a poetic conclusion to the acts of hope and construction through the violent actions of quick destruction becomes the trumpeting of spirit and love, welcoming the symphony.

    "Farmlab releases the perfect inverted cube to BH and George for his opera.

    "The archeological remains a gift to the people."




    Photo captions:
    Top of page - "AMAZE" as it looked prior to George Herms' August 25 performance.

    Middle of page - "AMAZE" when it was at its visual busiest; included in the shot is a dangling tires construction spearheaded by Farmlab team member Rich Neilsen.

    Bottom of page - George Herms (far left), costumed-up and posing with fellow "Free Jazz Workshop" musicians.


    Farmlab photos by Kate Balug.

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    AMAZE: In Three Shots



    Farmlab photo collage by Kate Balug

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    This Week @ Farmlab
    News + Projects +
    Salons + Exhibitions

    August 22-August 27, 2007



    News + Projects
    Salon Series Celebrates Golden Anniversary
    This Week Marks 50th Weekly Program
    The Farmlab Public Salon speaker series, along with its predecessor, the Friday Night @ Not A Cornfield Salon series, is an ongoing lecture, workshop, discussion, and ..... full text

    Open Call: 'The Salon of Found (and stolen) Dance'
    Submission Deadline: 9/5 @ 2pm PST
    Choreographer Melinda Ring is curating The Salon of Found (and stolen) Dance to be held at Farmlab on Friday, September 14, 2007, at 7 pm. This will be an evening of live ..... full text

    Farmlab Public Salons
    Friday, August 24, 2007 @ Noon
    Andy Lipkis | Helping Nature Heal Our Cities
    Join Andy Lipkis, founder of TreePeople, for a discussion about all things urban and arboreal ..... full text

    Friday, August 31, 2007 @ Noon
    Kristina Haddad | Save Sheldon
    Save Sheldon" is a short, one-woman play that follows the journey of environmental activist and performer Kristina Haddad as she attempts to save the ancient tree, Sheldon, from the hands of ..... full text

    Jazz Music and Installation -- in Beverly Hills
    Farmlab + George Herms Team Up at Phantom Galleries
    August 25 @ 10pm: Free Jazz Opera performance by George Herms & jazz musicians
    Opera Workshop featuring art installations Amaze by Farmlab Team and The Artist's Life: A Free Jazz Opera by George Herms at Phantom Galleries LA, 269 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA ..... full text

    Photo by Melinda Kelley, courtesy of TreePeople

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    What the LA Weekly Recommends About George Herms & Farmlab

    The current issue of the LA Weekly has the following to say about the Saturday night, 8/25/07 @ 10pm upcoming live performance of George Herms' "Free Jazz Workshop," which is part of the Herms & Farmlab collaborative installation, Opera Workshop:

    "Not sure about the unpretentious vibe at this next one, but Farmlab and artist George Herms are assembling a strange salute to John Coltrane on Saturday night in Beverly Hills. Something about an elevating spiral staircase and a spherical buoy . . . and for the Trane part, an awesome band including crazed tenor Azar Lawrence alongside trombonist David Dahlsten, pianist Theo Saunders, mainman bassist Skipper Franklin and drummer Ramon Banda. Even if the stairs-and-sphere shtick doesn’t move you, the music is guaranteed to be intense. Might even scare some of them Beverly Hills folk, and that itself is something Trane would probably dig. Things kick off at 10 p.m. at Phantom Galleries, 269 N. Beverly Drive; for more information, call (213) 626-2854. And it’s free."
    -- Brick Wahl, LA Weekly, 8/22/07


    Click here for PHOTOS BY DAN SCOTT / AMERICAN IMAGE GALLERY of the August 18 free jazz workshop

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    Farmlab Public Salon
    Peter Diamandis
    Of the X PRIZE Foundation
    Friday, November 2, 2007 @ Noon
    Free-of-Charge




    The Prize is Right: Using X PRIZEs to Benefit Humanity


    About the Salon

    Innovation prizes are not a new idea – it was the $25,000 Orteig Prize that lured Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic back in 1927.

    Come join a discussion on how the X PRIZE Foundation is reviving an old idea to address the major challenges of the modern world.

    X PRIZEs are most effective where progress is blocked and where market forces, government, and non-profits cannot readily solve a problem. They mobilize individuals, companies and organizations across all boundaries to think creatively about complex problems and achieve breakthroughs. Thanks to the original $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for suborbital spaceflight, Sir Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and others are actively creating a personal spaceflight industry.

    The X PRIZE Foundation intends to be a similar catalyst for breakthroughs in many other sectors including health, energy/environment, education and international development through entrepreneurship.

    About the Salon Presenter

    Peter H. Diamandis, M.D., is the Chairman & CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation (www.xprize.org), which awarded the $10,000 Ansari X PRiZE for private spaceflight. Diamandis is now focused on building the X PRIZE Foundation into a world-class prize institute whose mission is to bring about radical breakthroghs for the benefit of humanity. The X PRIZE is now developing X PRIZEs in fields such as Genomics, Automotive, Education, Medicine, Energy, and Social arenas.

    Diamandis is an international leader in the commercial space arena, having founded and run many of the leading entrepreneurial companies in this sector. Diamandis also serves as the CEO of Zero Gravity Corporation (www.gozerog.com) a commercial space company developing private, FAA-certified parabolic flight Boeing 727-200 aircraft. He is the Chairman & Co-Founder of the Rocket Racing League (www.rocketracingleague.com). Diamandis is a co-founder and Director of Space Adventures (www.spaceadventures.com), the company which brokered the launches of four private citizens to the International Space Station.

    In 1987, Diamandis co-founded the International Space University (ISU) (www.isunet.edu) where he served as the University's first managing director. Today he serves as a Trustee of the $30M ISU that is based in Strasbourg, France. Prior to ISU, Diamandis served as Chairman of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) an organization he founded at MIT in 1980. SEDS is the world's largest student pro space organization.

    Diamandis attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he received his undergraduate degree in molecular genetics and graduate degree in aerospace engineering. After MIT he attended Harvard Medical School where he received his M.D. In 2005 he was also awarded an honorary Doctorate from the International Space University.

    He is the winner of the 2006 (innagural) Heinlein Award, the 2006 Lindbergh Award, the 2006 Wired RAVE Award, the Konstantine Tsiolkovsky Award, twice the winner of the Aviation & Space Technology Laurel, and the 2003 World Technology Award for Space. In 8th grade, while living in New York, Dr. Diamandis won first place in the Estes motor design contest.

    Diamandis' mission is to open the space frontier for humanity. His personal motto is: "The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself!"

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    Tongva Cultural Workshops
    Sept. 8th, 15th, 29th & Oct. 13 2007
    10am-12noon



    All workshops are free-of-charge and open to all ages

    Stories/Songs/Basket Making workshop
    September 15 @ 10am-12noon
    October 3 @ 10am- 12noon

    Stories/Songs/Regalia Materials workshop
    September 8 @ 10am-12noon
    September 29 @ 10am-12noon

    About the Tongva Cultural Workshops
    Farmlab offers a series of workshops to honor November as Native American Heritage month. These workshops will be led by the descendants of the Tongva people, of the Los Angeles basin area.

    The programs will include a brief cultural history, storytelling and songs, a presentation of regalia materials, and will culminate with a hands-on cultural artifacts project.

    The instrruments and baskets created during each of the four workshops will then be used during upcoming ceremonies that Farmlab is co-hosting, or otherwise participating in.

    Those ceremonies include: La Ofrenda (more info. coming soon) -- and in particular an ancestral pole ceremony to be held during a November 2, 2007 Sunrise Ceremony; and a living sand sculpture ceremony, to be held in the Puvunga village, in long beach, on november 17, 2007.

    Materials will be available for all the workshops.

    A Note About "Stories/Songs/Basket Making" workshop
    The Ti'at Society/Traditional Council of Pimu leads this two-part workshop.

    A Note About Stories/Songs/Regalia Materials workshop
    The September 29 workshop will consist of, "Shell Bead Bracelets & Shell Rattles" -- making shell bead bracelets from cordage and sanded down shells.

    About the Workshop Organizers
    Cindi Moar Alvitre has been Director of Ti’at Society since its inception in the late 1980s. She is a Tongva descendant of the Moompetam (Salt Water Clan). She is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of World Arts and Culture, specializing in folklore, traditional medicine and California Indians. She is a lecturer at California State University Long Beach in American Indian Studies and has been a cultural/environmental educator and activist for nearly three decades.

    Alvitre is the mother of four children, aged 34, 32, 27 & 24, and the grandmother of two. She was the organizer and first woman chair of the Gabrieleno-Tongva Tribal Council, and is currently the chair of the Traditional Council of Pimu. As the daughter of the late Bernard "Nino" Alvitre, for nearly 30 years Cindi Alvitre has continued the family's tradition of social activism. She has represented her community domestically and internationally in a number of different venues including opening for Nobel Laureates, Rigoberta Menchu Tum and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She was the first woman paddler on the Moomat Ahiko, and continues in her love of paddling both outrigger and kayaks. She continues to dedicate her life to the preservation and protection of the Tongva culture.

    Craig T is a descendant of the Yaavitam (Yaanga/Los Angeles) and the Komiikravitam (Komiikrangna/Santa Monica Canyon) ancestral communities of the Tongva in the Los Angeles Basin. He has spent much of his adult life freelancing as a cultural educator in Arts & Education presenting to schools, cultural centers and docent training at museums. He has an intensive knowledge and experience in the traditional tribal mediums of shell and soapstone. Recently, he has been exploring the world of digital media arts and computer graphic design. Much of what is expressed in his artwork is his cultural background and life experiences as an indigenous person.

    "Wa'at Guata Tayiy Hunuka….remember our ancestors."

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    Salon Series Celebrates Golden 50th

    Andy Lipkis, of TreePeople, to Speak Fri., August 24 @ Noon

    Joins List of 49 Previous Free Salons



    LOS ANGELES --

    The Farmlab Public Salon speaker series, along with its predecessor, the Friday Night @ Not A Cornfield Salon series, celebrates this week the golden 50th weekly turn of this ongoing lecture, workshop, discussion, and film program.

    This week's Farmlab Public Salon features Andy Lipkis, of TreePeople. Lipkis' presentation is titled, "Helping Nature Heal Our Cities," and is about all things urban and arboreal.

    The salon takes place Friday, August 24 @ noon. Location: Farmlab; 1745 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

    More information available at www.farmlab.org; or by calling 323 226 1158; or by e-mailing: info [at] farmlab [dot] org.

    Coming soon: Mike Blockstein & Reanne Estrada, of Public Matters, with special guest Aurora Flores, on September 7 @ noon; and Adolfo V. Nodal, Farmlab's Executive Director and President of the City of L.A. Planning Commission, with special introduction by L.A. City Controller Laura Chick, on September 14 @ noon.

    About Farmlab Public Salons

    Farmlab Public Salons began in earnest in mid-January, 2007, and continue weekly, with presentations every Friday @ noon about fine art, the environment, cultural history, economics, and other relevant topics.

    Past Farmlab Public Salon speakers have included: Mycologist Paul Stamets; NASA JPL climatologist William Patzert; artists such as Fritz Haeg, Stephen Glassman, and Joel Tauper; gallerist Mark Allen; planning commissioners Jane Usher, Diego Cordoso, and Farmlab consultant Mike Woo; as well as a long list of likewise distinguished and personable experts in a variety of endeveors.

    Prior to the Farmlab Public Salon series, the Not A Cornfield project -- from which Farmlab grew out of -- featured biweekly Friday Night @ Not A Cornfield Salons.

    Among the presenters in that series were: Manuel Castells; Michael Dear; Larry Santoyo; James Rojas; Galen Cranz; the group, Ajpop Tecum; and again, many distinguished others.

    The Farmlab team thanks everyone who has participated in the series so far -- whether by attending, speaking, writing about, providing food for, or otherwise helping out.

    Farmlab Public Salons are free-of-charge and open to the public.

    For a complete schedule of upcoming -- and past -- Farmlab Public Salons, please visit this web page.

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    The performing arts group, Great Leap, recently used the Under Spring venue...

    Here's what they had to say afterwards about the work they rehearsed and put on:

    "On the weekend of August 18-19, 2007, Great Leap had the opportunity to present our “Collaboratory” mentorship’s culminating show at the Farmlab/Under Spring performance space.

    "As our theme for this year’s Collaboratory is on the environment and sustainability, the Farmlab was the perfect location. Not only is the Farmlab’s mission and programming aligned well with the work of this year’s mentorship theme, but the entire venue in itself was incredibly well suited to the performance that the artists had put together.

    "While somewhat hard to find through the labyrinth of Downtown Los Angeles’ streets, once it’s found, the Farmlab is inspiring to all who come in contact with it. We at Great Leap hope to maintain a long and fruitful relationship with the Farmlab/Under Spring! Thanks again!

    "Peace,
    The Great Leap staff"

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    Tongva Sunrise Ceremony
    Friday, November 2, 2007 @ Sunrise (6:14 am SHARP)



    Join indigenous people from the Los Angeles Basin area for a historic special sunrise ceremony.

    This will be the first time, since contact, that the Tongva people will be allowed to participate in their ancestral pole ceremony on the original village site of Yangna, an area that now includes the current Metabolic Structure located within the park.

    Location: Metabolic Sculpture – Los Angeles State Historical Park. (Across from Farmlab at the former Not A Cornfield site)

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    Liberty / Ancestor Pole Project
    Long Beach, CA
    November 17 @ Sunrise-Sunset
    Free Admission



    Location: Long Beach, CA @ Granada Ave & East Ocean Blvd. (on the beach)

    Join the Farmlab Team as we continue to honor November as Native American Heritage Month by participating in the Liberty/Ancestor Pole Day Celebration at Granada Launch in Long Beach, Ca.

    Join the group in building a Toroovetaam, a living sand sculpture, right on the beach. Bring your buckets, your shovels, and the family, as all are encouraged to join in the fun.

    Please dress warmly -- the coast can be chilly this time of year.

    More Info

    Liberty/Ancestor Pole Project:
    Toorovetam Sand Sculpture

    Prepared by: Cindi Alvitre, Olivia Chumacero & Craig Torres, Cultural Workers/Curators
    October 1, 2007

    Project Summary

    Objective
    Members of the local tribal community as a public event to observe Native American Month in Los Angeles County created the Liberty/Ancestor Pole project. This project serves as a community collaboration including indigenous communities of the Los Angeles Basin, selected environmental and cultural organizations, and the general public.

    Two projects are included in the overall event: The Day of Dead Ofrenda, and the Toroovetam Living Sculpture. Both events were organized to create awareness of indigenous presence in Los Angeles County and their continued connection to our Mother Earth, at a time of global crisis. Most importantly, this project fulfills a prophecy given by elders in prior generations who predicted that we, as humans, would find ourselves in a time of crisis resulting from exploitation and abuse to our planet. It was also stated that the indigenous people of this nation would teach American society how to be” humans beings” again, as we consciously enter into the realization of prophecy in 2007.

    Project Description: Toroovetaam Living Sculpture
    Location: Granada Launch, Long Beach
    Date: November 17, 2007
    Time: sunrise to sunset

    Beginning at sunrise, tribal community will gather with advocates, and the public, on the beach to create a sand sculpture of the sacred four dolphins circling the planet. The logo for this project embraces the image of the Toroovetam, caretakers of the earth, as they circle the planet, connecting the sun and the earth, and the four cardinal directions.

    It was predicted by our elders, that our generation would find ourselves in a time of deep human/environmental crisis. Additionally, the elders stated that we, as indigenous people, play a critical role to fulfill our responsibilities as caretakers. The connection of the dolphin (the human being of the underworld) to the middle world, ceremonially gather together to perform ceremony for healing of the past, present and guidance of the future. Ceremony has been separated from our everyday act, as evident from the actions of humans in the destruction of our mother earth.

    The Day will Proceed as Follows:

    Water Song: At sunrise all cultural workers will gather on the beach to conduct sunrise ceremony and prepare the beach for the construction of the sand-sculpture

    Clean-up – a part of the ceremony will be trash pick up

    Creation: The remainder of the day will be dedicated to community in the construction of the Toorovetam Sand Sculpture, a symbolic act of community collaboration through environmental education, art, and activism.

    Moomat Ahiko: At sunset, and upon completion of the sculpture, we will dedicate the piece and conclude with sunset ceremony.

    The DREAM:

    IN the beginning of time, honoko...honoko...the descendants of the Tongva people lived on the islands off the coast of, what is now, southern California. They lived good lives, and the land provided for the people for many generations until the population grew to a point when the land could no longer sustain them. Creator saw this and instructed the people that they would have to leave the island. He wove a bridge that extended all the way across the ocean to the mainland. The people were told to pack their things and walk, but on this very long journey they were never to look down. The journey was long and as curiosity would have it, somebody looked down as they crossed the rope bridge, high up into the sky. As he looked down he became dizzy and fell off the side of the bridge. Down, down, down he went towards the ocean. As others looked to see him, they also fell....the people were falling from high above, down into the ocean waters where they would ultimately drown. Creator saw this and did not want to see these good people suffer such a fate. The miracle occurred as the people on the bridge watched in shock and sadness anticipating the drowning of all those who fell. Instead what they saw was human bodies turning into grey, sleek shinning dolphins, half water-being and half-human. Today, those ancestors still swim the sea and hold the status as Torovim, the caretakers of the world.

    2007 - the reversal of dream came to an elder in the tribal community. In her dreamtime the Torovitam came back to the land, to take their place and teach the humans how to take care of mother earth in a time of deepest devastation. The Dreamtime of the people comes alive as we honor their message through the creation of the sand sculpture, bringing ceremonial form to these sacred ancestors.

    Additional information: 323 226-1158 or [email protected]

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    Mayan and Azteca Mask Making Workshop.
    Friday, October 20 and October 27 @ 10am-noon


    Join artist Christi Burgos, of Mayan Inspirations, in creating a mask to honoring ancestors.

    Make a jaguar, skull, or any type of mask that you wish and learn some history behind mask making as well as about La Ofrenda.

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    This Week @ Farmlab
    August 15-August 21, 2007


    News + Projects
    Open Call: 'The Salon of Found (and stolen) Dance'
    Submission Deadline: 9/5 @ 2pm PST
    Choreographer Melinda Ring is curating The Salon of Found (and stolen) Dance to be held at Farmlab on Friday, September 14, 2007, at 7 pm. This will be an evening of live ..... full text

    Los Angeles Times Runs Article on Farmlab
    Piece Appears in Calendar Section on Thursday, August 9, 2007
    The piece, written by Shana Ting Lipton, says, in part, that: "Farmlab began as a temporary sounding board for green, community-oriented artistic initiatives. It has since taken root and ..... full text

    Farmlab Public Salons
    Friday, August 17, 2007 @ Noon
    Park(ing) Day Los Angeles | Creating Ephemeral Parks
    Park(ing) Day creates micro-sized parks, as well as a dialog about cities, creativity, lack of open space, and how much real estate we give over to our cars...... full text

    Friday, August 24, 2007 @ Noon
    Andy Lipkis | Helping Nature Heal Our Cities
    Join Andy Lipkis, founder of TreePeople, for a discussion about all things urban and arboreal ...... full text

    Farmlab + Under Spring
    Farmlab + George Herms Team Up at Phantom Galleries
    August 11-31, 2007 - See Schedule for Special Performances
    Opera Workshop featuring art installations Amaze by Farmlab Team and The Artist's Life: A Free Jazz Opera by George Herms at Phantom Galleries LA, 269 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA ..... full text

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    OPEN CALL:
    The Salon of Found (and stolen) Dance
    Submission Deadline: 9/5 @ 2pm PST


    Choreographer Melinda Ring is curating The Salon of Found (and stolen) Dance to be held at Farmlab on Friday, September 14, 2007, at 7 pm. This will be an evening of live demonstrations, video footage, performance and conversation on the topics of appropriation, stealing, transforming, and inspiration.

    Please consider participating in this event by showing video footage of “Found Dance,” and/or a live demonstration of, or choreography inspired by, “Found Dance.”

    For this event, we’ll use the following definitions:

    Dance = people, animals or objects that appear to move in an organized manner.

    Found Dance = An episode of movement not choreographed by you, that someone else consciously or unconsciously created, or that just happens to exist in the urban or natural environment, and that you find curious, intriguing, amusing, or inspiring.

    Salon = a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring hostess or host, partly to amuse one another and partly to refine their taste and increase their knowledge through conversation and performance.

    To participate:

    - To show video, submit your footage in any of the following formats: DVD, Mini DV Tape, Quicktime, or Mpeg.

    - To show something live, submit documentation of the dance on DVD or VHS.

    Please cue and clearly indicate the section to be viewed. Include your contact information, and briefly describe your personal interest in your selection, and its relevance to the event. Indicate if you are able to attend the salon and introduce your example. If your work is inspired by “found dance” please include the original source material if it’s available.

    Send to Melinda Ring 171 West 79th Street #163, New York NY 10024. All submissions must arrive by Wednesday, September 5th at 2PM PST. Include postage and a self-addressed envelope if you would like your materials returned.

    Please call or write Melinda Ring, 917-846-7665, [email protected], for further information, or with questions, ideas, thoughts, and suggestions.


    CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SEPTEMBER 14, 2007 PROGRAM @ FARMLAB

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    Farmlab Public Salon
    Angela Johnson Meszaros
    Friday, October 26, 2007 @ Noon
    Free-of-Charge



    AB 32—California's Climate Change Law and What It Says About our Values and Society


    About the Salon

    When California adopted the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) it sent a statement heard around the world. The question is, what was the statement? Join an exploration of AB 32—what the law calls for and what it says about policy, values, and the fight against climate change.

    About the Salon Presenter

    Angela Johnson Meszaros is Director of Policy and General Counsel for the California Environmental Rights Alliance (CERA). She has nearly 15 years of experience working with communities and organizations on environmental justice issues in the Los Angeles region. During this time, Angela has used a range of tools to enhance the health, safety, and quality of life of low-income communities of color negatively impacted by environmental hazards including: litigation in federal and state court; filing regulatory challenges; lobbying state legislators; providing community legal education; providing community technical assistance in campaign development, strategic planning, fundraising, document analysis, and regulatory agency operations; testifying before relevant committees, boards and commissions; serving on agency policy workgroups; engaging in media advocacy; and mediating negotiations with a wide range of stakeholders. Angela’s efforts have been focused on policy development, implementation, and enforcement in a variety of environmental issues including: the impacts climate change policy on communities of color, enforcement of the provisions of the Clean Air Act, enhanced public participation in environmental decision-making, reducing childhood lead poisoning, defending against destructive freeway siting, stopping inappropriate siting of sources of air pollution, understanding land use policies and their impact on community health, reducing health impacts of air toxics from mobile and stationary sources, and air permit development and compliance.

    Prior to joining CERA, Angela was a Research Associate at the University of Southern California’s Sustainable Cities Program where she explored the intersections between environmental sustainability and social justice, the role of networks in environmental justice work in the Los Angeles region, and the need for more parks in the urban core of cities. Previously, Angela was the Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund where she worked to understand, encourage, and engage voters of color on environmental issues. Angela also has served as a staff attorney with Environmental Defense and she was an echoing green fellow for three years during which she provided legal, community organizing, and policy development support to several Los Angeles area communities and organizations.

    Angela is currently co-chair of the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee on the Implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32); a member of the Land Use Subgroup of the California Climate Action Team; the Chair of the Board of the Economic Roundtable, a non-profit organization that conducts research and implements programs that contribute to the economic self-sufficiency of individuals and communities; and a member of the California State Bar.

    Angela holds both a degree in philosophy and a law degree from the University of Southern California.

    Farmlab Photo by Sarah McCabe

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    A Report From Opera Workshop's August 11 Opening Reception


    Farmlab team member Kate Balug filed the following dispatch after the August 11, 2007 Beverly Hills Phantom Galleries opening reception for Opera Workshop, the umbrella title for installations by George Herms ("Live Jazz Workshop") and Farmlab Team ("AMAZE"):

    "During its installation and opening, AMAZE transformed the corner of Beverly Drive and Dayton Way into a playground of means rather than any sort of end. The space was gently lit by cheap clamp lamps and twinkle lights, along with a few harsh overhead bulbs to satisfy the fire department's requests for ample lighting.

    "Throughout the night, Farmlab fans, art-goers, and unsuspecting passers-by wandered inside and were immediately confronted with… action. Whether it was drumming with found wooden sticks on the 600-lb buoy, small children hurriedly wrapping smaller and smaller passageways around the metal framework with VHS tape, or adults cautiously placing plastic skeletons within tattered hanging kimonos, the action inspired reaction and thus the majority of guests participated in adding to AMAZE.

    "During the course of the night, the structure grew a large quantity of new skin, even including consumables from opening night -– empty two-buck chuck bottles are now part of the installation they helped celebrate.The key aspect of AMAZE is that it presents an open, flexible environment in the heart of an orderly business district. During the opening, visitors appeared to first become enchanted with the overall look of chaotic order of the maze, then got lost in leaving their mark on the structure. As it turns out, both adults and children seem to enjoy this spontaneous chance to create rather than merely consume."

    Farmlab's Balug also stresses that the August 11 reception was:

    "...part of a larger process that's gone from mid-July until the end of August, and that Farmlab's 'piece' there is in a state of constant reaction to inside and outside forces -- be they the City, pedestrians, George, Phantom Galleries, etc.

    For more information about the installations, and the public workshops featuring George Herms and various highly-regarded jazz musicians -- to be held the nights of August 18 and August 25 -- please CLICK HERE.



    Photos by Farmlab Team

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    Beverly Hills -- Special Location
    Farmlab + George Herms
    Exhibition Opening Reception
    Saturday, August 11 @ 7-10pm


    CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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    Farmlab Public Salon
    Michael Davis
    Friday, October 12 @ Noon
    Free-of-Charge


    Progress: IN SEARCH OF THE AMERICAN ESTHETIC


    Salon Presenters:
    Michael Davis and Stephen Moore
    ("Stephen passed away Oct. 19, 2006, he will be there in spirit" - Michael Davis)

    About the Salon:
    An Artistl/video presentation on Progress-1970-2005-parallel deja vu, documentary from two separate cross-country trips in search of the American esthetic, social consciousness, politics and road-side attractions.

    About the Presenters:
    Michael Davis, 1971 M.F.A. graduate of CSU Fullerton, maintains a studio in San Pedro, CA. He has exhibited in over ninety-seven solo and group exhibitions and created over forty public art installations in the U.S. and abroad. He has received two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, the Hand Hollow Arts Fellowship, and an AIA Award of Excellence. He has been honored as a visiting artist and guest lecturer and is an active advisory board member for the University Arts Museum, CSU Long Beach and LA Cultural Affairs. He recently completed public artworks for the cities of New York and Los Angeles, and is currently working on artworks for San Francisco, Ventura and Arcadia. Progress, a multi-media exhibition, created by Michael Davis and Stephen Moore, was on view last year at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, CA. A book-length catalog accompanies the exhibition, which is planned to travel to various US venues.

    Stephen Moore
    October 31, 1939-October 19, 2006

    Stephen Moore was an artist, curator, and writer involved with visual art since the early 1970's. His interest in marginal and experimental art activity, with an emphasis on alternative exhibition venues, led him to be the founding co-director of "58F Plaza" (1971-75) with Michael Davis in Orange, CA, +LOCUS+ (1981-86) with Ann Rosenthal in Los Angeles, and therart.net.

    Stephen's work explores the edge between content and image and the potential of publishing as an art medium. His print and online works have been included in numerous exhibitions of Artist Books and digital media. He was a contributing writer and editor for various art publications, including Artweek, and an editor of several art journals, including BOXCAR (Los Angeles) and WordWorks (San Jose), which won a publications award from the Western Association of Art Museums.

    His pioneering website "Infinity City" (infcty.net) in 1994 with Ann T. Rosenthal, was included in the VI Salon Internationale de Arte Digital (Havana). He created "NewWebWorks", a series of digital art for the web; and developed "Infinity City: Critical Path", for the sixtieth anniversary of the atomic bomb in 2005. Stephen's unwavering vision of art as a catalyst for social change and public dialogue gave hope and courage to many. He will be sorely missed.

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    Los Angeles Times Calendar Section Runs Article on Farmlab

    The Thursday, August 9, 2007 edition of the Los Angeles Times featured a calendar section story about Farmlab.

    The piece, written by Shana Ting Lipton, says, in part, that: "Farmlab began as a temporary sounding board for green, community-oriented artistic initiatives. It has since taken root and grown into a fertile launching pad for such projects, as well as an arts hub for weekly salons, eco-themed art shows, workshops and music events."

    The story notes the history of Farmlab and of Not A Cornfield, the progenitor of Farmlab.

    Both Lauren Bon, Farmlab's founder, project artist, and creative director; and Adolfo V. Nodal, Farmlab's executive director, are quoted.

    (Subscription may be required.)

     



     

    Ag Bins on Skid Row
    Project Update, August 8, 2007

    Farmlab.org checks in today with colleague Jaime Lopez Wolters, a Farmlab agriculturalist who has long been involved with Farmlab's Ag Bins on Skid Row project.

    Below is Wolter's report on topics including plant health, newly delivered bins, and rumors from the Row:

    "On July 27th Farmlab delivered three more ag bin gardens to Travelers Aid, a.k.a The Teen Canteen, in Hollywood. This agency prepares three meals daily for youth in need and will be using the produce from the gardens to supplement these with fresh herbs and vegetables. At least ten teens were present during the delivery and they showed great interest the gardens.

    "It has been eight weeks since the delivery of Farmlab’s ag bins to Skid Row. During that time, Farmlab team members have been monitoring the project and documenting some of the stories unfolding around these pockets of green.

    "Interestingly, each group of ag bins has either sprouted a devoted local gardener or an entire gardening group, composed of people who either live at or frequent the various agencies that are hosting the gardens. The groups have weekly get-togethers at which they plant, water and harvest the bins.

    "There is a definite variability in the productivity of the various gardens, which is likely the result of differing water and fertilizer applications. Master gardeners, who have now been paired with four of the five agencies, are paying weekly visits to the sites to assist with any gardening needs or questions.

    "The two vandalized agbins at the corner of 6th & Crocker St., have been painted and replanted with much larger plants. One of the local gardeners said he overheard people saying they thought the bins had been placed to deter them from sleeping on the sidewalk. We hope a sign explaining the project will help people understand that this is not the intent.

    "One of the most fulfilling things about this project is seeing people’s enthusiasm about these gardens. Whenever one is working on one of the bins, local residents come up and ask questions or share stories about their involvement with the project at one of the agencies. There seems to be quite a bit of cross-pollinating going on, with residents frequenting various agencies and sharing their experiences."


    Click here to visit the Farmlab projects homepage, and from there, read more information about the Ag Bins on Skid Row project - including photos and updates

     



     

    This Week @ Farmlab
    August 8-August 14, 2007

    News + Projects
    Farmlab + George Herms Team Up at Phantom Galleries
    Opening Reception August 11 @ 7-10 pm - Open To the Public
    Opera Workshop featuring art installations Amaze by Farmlab Team and The Artist's Life: A Free Jazz Opera by George Herms at Phantom Galleries LA, 269 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA ..... full text (coming soon)

    Blissed-Out Crowd of 1,500 Participates in Farmlab-Dublab 'Tonalism' Accidentally-On-Purpose Happening
    A large and tranquil crowd of both curious newcomers and Dublab and Farmlab fanatics turned up Saturday night and into sunrise Sunday morning, August 4-5, 2007 ..... full text (coming soon)

    Farmlab Public Salons
    Friday, August 10, 2007 @ Noon
    Deborah Kaufman | "Thirst" -- Discussion & Documentary Film Screening
    Deborah Kaufman, along with Alan Snitow, have produced and directed three films, including their latest, "Thirst." The pair, along with co-author Michael Fox, wrote the related book, "Thirst: Fighting ...... full text (coming soon)

    Friday, August 17, 2007 @ Noon
    Park(ing) Day Los Angeles | Creating Ephemeral Parks
    Park(ing) Day Los Angeles will be held on Friday September 21, 2007. Come join us and learn about this exciting event and how you can get involved. Park(ing) Day is based on ...... full text (coming soon)

    Farmlab + Under Spring
    Exhibition Extended
    Farmlab Team | Garden of Brokenness
    Farmlab's Garden of Brokenness celebrates Los Angeles as a broken paradise. The project is proposed for Confluence Park, a location that has been described as one of the ugliest ..... full text (coming soon)

     



     

    'Found Dance' Workshop
    Saturday, September, 15, 2007 @ 10am-3pm
    Free Admission

    [CLICK HERE FOR RELATED INFORMATION ABOUT THE SALON OF FOUND (AND STOLEN) DANCE PROGRAM SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 14 @ 8PM; AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEADLINE FOR THE OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS, DUE SEPTEMBER 5 @ 2PM.]

    Melinda Ring leads this workshop in exploring "found dance" as source material for movement based performance.
    Participants should bring with them one to three minutes of "found dance" on DVD. Please use the same definitions used to curate the salon.

    Dance = People, animals or objects that appear to move in an organized manner.

    Found Dance = An episode of movement not choreographed by you, that someone else consciously or unconsciously created, or that just happens to exist in the urban or natural environment, and that you find curious, intriguing, amusing, or inspiring.

    To register send an email to [email protected]. Include your contact information, a brief statement describing your interest in the workshop, and your CV.

    [CLICK HERE FOR RELATED INFORMATION ABOUT THE SALON OF FOUND (AND STOLEN) DANCE PROGRAM SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 14 @ 8PM; AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEADLINE FOR THE OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS, DUE SEPTEMBER 5 @ 2PM.]

     



     

    Blissed-Out Crowd of 1,500 Participates in Farmlab-Dublab 'Tonalism' Accidentally-On-Purpose Happening


    A large and tranquil crowd of both curious newcomers and Dublab and Farmlab fanatics turned up Saturday night and into sunrise, Sunday morning, August 4-5, 2007, to witness the deejay stylings, video projections, and live music interludes of various members of the Dublab extended family.

    Mellow revelers brought blankets, picnic baskets, and like the jazz cats used to say, big ears to Under Spring.

    Following the conclusion of the all-night event, Farmlab Public Programs Director Irene Tsatsos e-mailed the following observations along to this blog:

    "This event was a very compelling, very gentle, and accommodating way to reach out to another audience with interests that overlap Farmlab's. I had many conversations throughout the night with people who were drawn in because of dublab, but absolutely transfixed by Farmlab.



    "From 2-4am I was at the front entrance, where I had many casual conversations with people who looked closely at what we had up and around; they were awed at what we have at Farmlab, were coming back for more information, more printe matter, more conversation. At c. 4am I moved to the kitchen to prepare the bagels and coffee, where a 15-minute action ended up taking nearly an hour. I and found myself at the counter, standing over a breakfast spread, repeating the Farmlab story over and over again to people who simply couldn't get enough information (or bagels).

    "This event was really interesting to me because while dublab was the initial hook for this audience, the event was structured in such a way that allowed people to just come and hang out, to learn about Farmlab, to wander at their own pace, and, quite simply, have unstructured conversation.

    "This is an increasingly rare opportunity in any urban context, especially among strangers, and with the expanding privatization of public space, I feel it's important to encourage any constructive form of public engagement. I like the idea that many in Saturday's audience will return at some point, with friends, during the day, perhaps to a [Farmlab Public] Salon, and simply hang out -- walk the Ramblas, check out the Garden of Brokenness, maybe have a picnic, etc.



    "I spoke at length with an attorney from the Peoples College of Law, a law school with a progressive mandate; a recent UC/Berkeley grad, where she studied art and urban planning, who is now here attending LA Film School, and who was fascinated by the generosity of spirit of Farmlab; a professional hula-hooper (he makes his living doing this!) and so many others, quite a few who were new to LA, interestingly. All were inquiring about Farmlab, who/what it is, its history, etc. There was a lovely drum/vocal performance at the very end of the night, just before dawn, a really wonderful way to close down the event.

    "As I observed this, I was reminded of Lauren [Bon's] overlapping circles on the [office chalk]board -- each of these wonderful Under Spring events is a circle, and where they overlap is where we find core Farmlab supporters. And as I thought about the potential range and variety of potential programs Under Spring, I was also reminded of the importance of this range -- that there are many paths to a single point."

    Farmlab Photos by James Goodnight