Category: Art Contest

Sow the Seeds of Victory

by Megan McDonough

Brief description of submission: Encourage people in the Pioneer Valley to make compost and plant
Victory Gardens to provide food security, combat global warming and address the underlying issue of
sustainability – creating systems that are life-giving and regenerative. Sustainability is about more than
maintaining the status quo, it’s about learning from the past and discovering the possibilities of the future.

“Contemporary Art embraces the maverick and the traditionalist. No topic, no medium, no process, no intention, no professional protocols, and no aesthetic principles are exempt from the field of art …”
– Linda Weintraub, In the Making: Creative Options for Contemporary Art

“The Stone Age did not end because humans ran out of stones. It ended because it was time for a re-think about how we live.”
– William McDonough, architect

William McDonough in his book, Cradle to Cradle, jokes that if someone told you their marriage was
“sustainable” you’d ask them what’s wrong. The environmental movement in its search for equilibrium
in a changing world has gotten stuck on sustainability for years, but many are looking beyond what
sustains us to what is rejuvenating and regenerative. How can we learn from nature and create systems that are self-renewing and create no “waste”?

I propose to give Victory Garden Kits to people in the Pioneer Valley. These kits would include a combination of informational literature, supplies and promotional signage. The promotional signage would be made of reclaimed or locally harvested wood. The signs could either be displayed near a garden or used as part of a raised bed.

The goal of the kits would be to give people information to make their own victory garden, supplies to start immediately and signage that would let others know they have started a victory garden. These kits would be distributed at seed swaps, farmers markets, green fairs and through other relevant events and community organizations.

OUTREACH PLAN
The Pioneer Valley is a great location to promote Sustainability through Victory Gardens. There is a long
legacy of farming in the hills and valleys, access to knowledgeable people and activists with a sense of purpose. In Northampton activists have turned parking lots into parks, so the idea of planting food not lawns is an idea whose time had come.

I will let people know about the project through a combination of advertising, grassroots networking, victory garden signs and by contacting key organizations in all three counties of the Pioneer Valley. Advertising may include running ads on buses, in newspapers or something more creative – like doing a mural on a farmer’s barn. My goal will be to coordinate Victory Garden distribution points in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties by partnering with organizations or events in all three counties.

See Below for Experience

EDUCATION
January 2004 — May 2008 UMASS Amherst Amherst, MA
• Masters Degree in Regional Planning with a concentration in housing & social issues

Fall 2002 – February 2004 UMASS Amherst Amherst, MA
• Self-Designed degree in Arts-Based Community Development.
• Graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.96.
• Earned a professional development certificate in non-profit arts management from the UMASS Arts Extension Service while an undergraduate.

Fall 1999 – Spring 2001 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
• Completed two years towards a BA in Visual Arts with a concentration in Community Arts.

CONTINUING EDUCATION
February 17, 2006 UMASS Amherst, MA
• “Housing Within Reach” conference on affordable housing put on by the UMass architecture and wood technology departments

Summer 2004 Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
• Internationally attended week long conference on “local currencies” put on by the EF Schumacher Society

August 3-9, 2003 Smith College Northampton, MA
• Summer Institute by the Center for Popular Economics – Internationally attended conference about economics.
• Received scholarship to attend.

June 19-21, 2003 UMASS Amherst, MA
• “Work Smart Build Community Arts” – Internationally attended arts management conference put on by the UMASS Arts Extension Service.
• Received Venman Fellowship to attend.

June 30, 2003 UMASS Amherst, MA
• “Creativity Sparks Economy” – one day conference on cultural tourism in western MA put on by the Arts Extension Service of UMASS and the Western Massachusetts Arts Alliance.

WORK EXPERIENCE
May 2007 – Present Valley Community Land Trust Colrain, MA
Administrative Consultant
• Organize records and facilitate projects and committees

August 2006 – Present Center for Ecological Technology Northampton, MA
Builder Services Administrator & LEED for Homes assistant manager
• Administrative & managerial functions in support of green building program

June 2005 – May 2006 GEO/UAW Local 2322 Amherst, MA
President of the Graduate Employee Organization – a unit of UAW local 2322
• Elected president of 2,500 member labor union
• Supervised staff of 10 graduate student employees
• Responsible for facilitating the creation and execution of campaigns, overseeing union operations, public representation of the union, and running meetings

September 2004 – May 2005 GEO/UAW Local 2322 Amherst, MA
Family Issues Advocate
• Identified issues facing graduate student families on campus and developed strategies and campaigns to address these issues
• Worked as a part of the GEO staff to answer member questions, hold office hours, and work on our contract campaign

September 2004 – August 2005 Commuter Services – UMASS Amherst, MA
HomeSharing Coordinator

• Facilitated matches between “home seekers” and “home offerers” which often involved a rent reduction for services like childcare or eldercare
• Coordinated the successful operation of the program with a Franklin County Elder Coordinator and the Commuter Services office staff
• Helped with initial conflict mediation when problems arose between homeshare matches

July 2004 – September 2004 Cooperative Development Institute Greenfield, MA
Interim Office Manager
• Maintained and updated Microsoft Access database
•Trouble-shooted computer and office machine problems

• Acted as a point person for the office – doing intakes, planning for events, submitting grant applications, etc.

May 2004 – July 2004 Northampton Planning and Development Northampton, MA
Intern
• Assisted in the research and writing of an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing study
• Assisted in the completion of a Commonwealth Capital Application and a recreation and conservation space accessibility inventory

January 2004 – May 2004 Environmental Design Dept. UMass Amherst, MA
Teaching Assistant
• Grade papers and maintain records for 90 student undergraduate course.

February 2003 – December 2003 Amherst Cinema Center Amherst, MA
Office Assistant & Volunteer
• Did research for grant applications and promotion of the center.
•  Assisted in database management for mailing list and donations.
• Used Gift Maker Pro software, Microsoft project, Word & Excel on a PC.
• Assisted in office organization, filing, and planning.

May 2001 – August 2001 Child at Heart Art Gallery Newburyport, MA
Intern
• Used various computer programs on both an iMac and a PC to enter inventory, create invoices, signs and labels (File Maker Pro, Apple Works 6, Microsoft Word, Excel, & Publisher).
• Acted as a reference point for customers, answering questions about the art on display, the artists, and the store.
•Assisted in research and display.

Jan — May 2001 The Henry Street Settlement New York, NY
Visual Arts/Arts in Education Intern
• Learned about the structure and organization of a large non-profit.
• Clerical duties: Typing (PC & Typewriter), Filing, Faxing, Photocopying, etc.
• Assisted in the planning of educational arts programs for youths and seniors.
• Assisted with display of their Annual Student Art Show.

Jan – May 2001 The 16 Beaver Street Group, Inc. New York, NY
Intern
•  Learned about how a small grassroots non-profit is run.
• Developed an organizational system for future interns to manage mailing lists, press releases, and other contacts with the public.

VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP
Spring 2003 – 2005 The Earth & Sky Collective Amherst, MA
• Founded the Earth & Sky Collective for cooperative exchange (EarthSkyExchange.org).
• Organized workshop series with Collective on cooperative economic strategies such as barter and local currency.
• Press contact and spokesperson for the Collective.
• Led meetings and facilitated workshops.

Spring 2005 – present United Auto Workers Local 2322 Holyoke, MA
• Elected to the Joint Council of UAW Local 2322
• Responsible for personnel, financial and campaign decisions made between bi-annual membership meetings

Fall 2005 – present United Auto Workers Local 2322 Holyoke, MA
• Elected to the executive board of UAW local as the “guide”
• Entrusted with maintaining compliance with union bylaws and constitution
• Responsible for personnel, financial and campaign decisions made between monthly joint council meetings

Concept Description Submitted by David Maynes

Sustainability in the Pioneer Valley Art Competition

Concept
The idea of sustainability is vast and multifaceted.  At the core of sustainability are the so-called “three E’s of Sustainability”; Economy, Equity, and Environment.  Within each of these lies the elements that define them; clean water, renewable energy, localized food production, land/resource preservation, working, living, prospering, etc.  Although vital in fostering sustainability, these elements are only catalysts that allow for the evolution of resilient systems, systems that respond, adapt, and react to one another over time.  The earth has been following this ecological flow from the beginning, and will continue to do so with or without human influence.

The anthropocentric idea of sustainability is born out of the human exclusion and actions that have impacted the system we have forgotten we are a part of.  The western world view dominates society and continues to imagine an ecology separate of humans, one that is its own entity, only existing for the manipulation and exploitation of human need.  This view is accelerating earth-systems decline, and has created an ecology characteristic of human disconnection.  The human species disconnect has polluted watersheds; raped natural resources; changed natural systems by land manipulation; created poverty, suffering, and desperation; prioritized efficiency over effectiveness, and technology over environment.  It is not surprising that the plagues of this disconnection are the very things that have the power to once again connect people with the system(s) we are participants in.

   
I am proposing that the essence of sustainability in the Pioneer Valley is people.  There is no remediation; no economic, social, and environmental solution; no future for the human species without the reconnection of us with one another, and the ecological flows we are a part of.  Cleaning polluted watersheds, fostering better land-use, realizing the power of local dollars; these are all solutions for people, by people, in response to people, under the umbrella of ecological participation.  It is this acknowledgement and awareness of ecological inclusion that has affirmed our identity within the system’s process.  Life, processes, and all things living are in a perpetual non-equilibrium state of mutation and adaptation in multiple scales over time. It is now, at this moment, that humans are beginning to understand ecology as process and the regenerative nature inherent to it.  We are water, we are forests, we are local economies, we are energy, we are agriculture, we are ecology.  We.

The Work
I intend to represent the above idea with a walk through exhibit depicting elements (using various media forms) of sustainability (in the PV) such as the Connecticut River, farmland, downtowns, forests, etc., each behind a two-way mirror to illuminate both the image/object and the viewer’s reflection of themselves looking at the image/object.  This represents the individual inclusion in any sustainable endeavor.  The space would be arranged in three groupings with images characteristic of the ‘three E’s of sustainability’.  There would be some narrative possibly, or the use of mixed media to illustrate each image clearly and artfully.  The arrangement of the space would as well take on ecological significance (although I have not pinned that one down yet) reaffirming the big idea.  At some point an image of the viewer would be taken (using hidden digital camera) and the final mirror-image element within the exhibit would depict all of the viewers’ images, representing a collaboration of experience and inclusion within the process of the exhibit, again reaffirming the big idea. 

Possible layout of the space could be something like this:
The space could be constructed indoors or out, in one single location or multiple (ie Springfield, NoHo, & Greenfield).  It would be made as much as possible of recycled materials.  The individual pieces of each element would be done by a mix of artists (ideally).  There are many more ideas about how to mature/refine the concept/piece even more, but I intend to allow processes of creation as a tiller for final aesthetic. The budget allocated for the project should be adequate for installation. The scale of the project can also vary depending on the site(s)

EXPERIENCE

Education
Master of Landscape Architecture (May 2009 completion) – UMass – Amherst, MA.
Bachelor of Science in Landscape Horticulture and Design – UMaine – Orono, ME.

Professional
2003-2008
Owner/Operator:  David Maynes Design – small high-end design/build firm in coastal Maine specializing in ecological design and construction of residential landscapes.  Portfolio available at website:  www.maynes5280.net

Creative
Trained jazz and classical musician
Furniture design and construction

Sustainability in Action: A Community-Based Design Embracing Material Re-use and Environmental Interaction

by RJ Magoon

Having lived and worked in the Pioneer Valley for eighteen years, my project is designed to not only represent how sustainability functions within rural communities, but to also act as a catalyst for further inspiration on the part of local residents to live more sustainably in their day to day lives. The design
provides a physical outlet for one to carry out sustainable practices (such as gardening and growing one’s own food), and could most appropriately be constructed within a park or a center of the community where sustainability and recycling is seldom practiced.

Originally inspired by the efforts in Holyoke, MA to provide community gardens to downtown residents, my concept is manifested through the construction of a free-standing, three storey structure which houses three separate community gardens, as well as a shrine to sustainability in the center of
the building. Though the initial frame calls for store-bought lumber and plywood, the structure is designed to show how easy and cost-effective it is to re-use organic materials and byproducts and, thus, make them an integral part of our lives.

For example, the multi-leveled gardens can easily be heated and maintained in the wintertime through wood and Plexiglas panels on the exterior of each garden cell, into which passersby can quickly deposit their recyclable bottles and containers (once they are filled with water) which, when sunlight hits them and heats the water inside of them, will provide heat for each garden plot in wintertime conditions.

In order to provide fresh water for both the filling of these recycled bottles and the irrigation of garden plots, storm water collection systems on top of each garden cell distribute both rainwater and snow (melted by the exterior bottleheating panels) into each plot by a vertical hosing system. Over time, rain water is dropped into the central sanctuary space, where, in the summertime, a freshwater pool provides relaxation and refreshment, and, in the wintertime, allows for interesting ice sculptures and natural, environmental art to take place. In order to enhance these natural ice formations, natural vegetable oils may be used in order to dye the ice.

In addition to irrigation and heating, the structure is also designed to provide effective and creative waste management opportunities for the surrounding area. For example, in order to insulate many portions of the structure, walls made of scrap metal can be filled with common waste by pedestrians, and later emptied by truck. In the winter, hay bales can also be used as insulation. In order to encourage local composting, gardens are also maintained atop composting plots, within which compost is deposited by pedestrians or nearby residents, and later dropped onto lower plots in order to naturally create soil.

Overall, the proposed structure shall be instrumental in not only representing sustainability, but also inspiring members of the Pioneer Valley, local pedestrians, and even passing visitors to take part in enjoying, contributing to, and appreciating the structure’s self-sustaining systems and the benefits of living sustainably on a regular basis.

The SmartyPants Project 

by Lisa Ganci

The Smarty Pants Project is art & industry woven together with an entrepreneurial ambition that is deeply rooted in social and environmental responsibility.

SmartyPants were designed specifically for the cloth-diapered babe, yet they look fabulous on all children ages 3 months to 3 years.  Each pair is a one of a kind combination of color, pattern & texture merged with design and function.  They are made from donated, recycled and/or vintage cotton fabric gathered from local sources.  What also makes these pants dance is that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Rays of Hope, a rock your socks organization that gives so much to the families of the Pioneer Valley who are coping with cancer. 

This funky, trade-marked design incorporates a “butt-panel” that provide extra room for a diaper, and equally important, the panel creates a look that is so fun.  The waist is a simple 3/4″ elastic band for easy on/off action and comfort.  Each pair is assembled, by local folks, with a serger for durable high quality finished seams.

A true ‘smartypants’ is one who is committed, with every stitch, to being socially and environmentally responsible.  That’s us!

By using donated, recycled and/or vintage fabric, employing local folks, and generating a low-carbon footprint, I’m making clothing that, (much like local food is to a locavore), is sustainable and beautiful!   Starting with a pair of pants, this project is turning a little piece of the garment industry up-side-down by creating a beautiful children’s line that is truly sustainable, practical, and affordable.

The idea for this project was born at the time my daughter Stella was 21 months old and I   was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Cancer turned my world upside-down as well as
inspired me to launch this dual-purpose mission, one that, already at such an early stage, has brought me great joy and a sense of purpose.  I turned to the sewing machine for comfort and have become a wild sewing-mama ever since!  As part of deepening my commitment to live more green, SmartyPants and my love of sewing are traveling down a unique path, one even richer in color and texture than I previously imagined.  Our goal is to succeed at operating a local endeavor that is steadfast in it’s social and environmental initiatives.

 
 A sustainable clothing line for young children & the planet
 
I vow to generate a low-carbon footprint in the entire cycle of creating and selling SmartyPants and commit to initiatives that off-set what footprints I do make.  I promise to have fun, to dance in my pants and live by the motto of what it really means to be a smartypants living on this planet.

a few of my future goals and initiatives:
 

• search for a source of new fabric that is truly sustainable (like organic bamboo but grown in the pioneer valley, hmm?)
• convert our equipment over to wind-up sewing machines & sergers, (that is, if wind-up technology ever makes its way into the garment industry.)
• on our super sunny property we will build a green sewing studio and warehouse.
• purchase a bio-diesel vehicle for collection of fabric and delivery of orders.
• increase my donations to other local agencies that do great things for the community.

Sun Farmer

by Nicholas Taupier

For the Art of Sustainability contest, I am proposing to research, write, and draw a graphic novel about sustainability.  Entitled Sun Farmer, it would be set in the not-too-distant future, in a time when people’s wanton use of energy and lack of foresight has left gas prices soaring, energy shortages sweeping the nation, and global warming changing the environment in which we live.  In the setting, the book’s protagonist seeks to create a life for himself, where he can live sustainably off the land, and provide clean, renewable energy to others, all through the power of the sun.  Given the quality of the land in the Pioneer Valley, it would make a fine setting for our Sun Farmer, although the scope of the book would make it clear that these are tenable and noble goals no matter where you live.  To get a better idea of the concept of sun farmer, please read the attached pages, and consider them to be a “trailer” for the completed work, as you would see for a feature film.

Artists’ Statement:
It’s time that we face it: each year, the sun sends to earth many thousands of times more energy than even we humans use.  It would only take an area the size of a small country covered in solar panels to supply all of the energy that the entire worlds needs each year.  Sustainable energy is fully within our grasp, yet somehow it continues to elude us.  Sun Farmer would provide factual evidence of the ways in which solar energy could improve our lives and preserve our world (through all manners; industrial, agricultural, and otherwise), and a fictionalized (although based in fact) account of what the world may look like if we continue down the path of wasteful energy usage and pollution causing sources. 
   

I believe that a graphic novel is the perfect format to spread a message of sustainability; through the combination of words and pictures, I will clearly be able to present information about sustainability, and do so in a way that is dynamic and interesting to a wide audience.  I believe that presenting in this format will make the concept accessible to more people, draw them in with the story, and then get them thinking about, and hopefully acting on, what they read. 
   

In its completed form, the graphic novel will be fully drawn in ink, colored, and approximately 25-35 pages in length.  I am proposing that the final project be posed on the Internet, on its own website, which could be set up and maintained through the budget from the contest.  There are several reasons for realizing the project through this method; first, in the name of sustainability, publishing the graphic novel on the Internet would negate the need for reprinted paper copies of the book, which would be costly, and not very sustainable.  Second, it would allow us to reach a wider audience; not only in the Pioneer Valley, but all over the world as well.  This way, the final product will be accessible to virtually anyone, anytime, anywhere.
   

Although creatively this is my own project, as I will be writing and drawing it myself, Sun Farmer will be a somewhat collaborative project, in order to cut down on some of the work I will have to do myself, and to create it in a fuller form than I would be able to alone.  To this end, my friend Chris Manchester, another artist from the Pioneer Valley area, with whom I attend school and have worked with before, is ready and willing to do the coloring for Sun Farmer.  Chris is usually a painter, although he has worked in a wide variety of styles, formats, and media, and I know his work and help will bring great beauty and life and each of the pages of Sun Farmer.  I also plan to get another person to set up the web page for me, so that I do not have to spend time doing it myself within the timeframe for the completion of the project.  I already know several web designers from the Valley area who are willing and able to work on this project with me, so the only question is to pick exactly which one.
   

I know that together we can work to make Sun Farmer a great success and inspirational work.  The materials should not have much effect on the cost of the project; recycled paper, inks, and coloring supplies are all readily available and fairly inexpensive, so the largest costs would be hosting the website and compensating the people working on the project for the amount of time and effort that would have to go into a project of this magnitude.

Education:
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York.  2005-present.

Work experience:
Orchard and grounds maintainer; New Salem Preserves, 2005-present (summers only)
New Salem Preserves is a small low-spray orchard and organic garden, where I have been the sole continuous employee for four years now.  There I have learned many techniques for protecting and growing fruit bearing trees and bushes with limited or no chemical means, and minimal impact on the environment. 

Unfortunately, since I am but on the cusp of my senior year of college, I have not yet had much time to build a career around or a public archive of my work, and thus do not any way to grant you access to my prior works and endeavors other than in person.  I do not, however, want you to mistake this for a lack of experience.  For many years now I have been completing and working on graphic novels and other works of comic art, for reasons ranging from school projects (which have been completed in time frames ranging from a few weeks to several months), works for my own edification (I have several finished and on-going works), and my current employment (I am currently finishing work on a script for a dramatic/comedic graphic novel about student life).  The topics of my works have ranged from mystery, to fantasy, to an historical graphic novel about the exile of the Kalmyks by the Stalinist Russians, to analysis of existential philosophy, to stories based on real life events.  I am wholly committed to this work, readily to look critically at this issue, and would love the opportunity from you to move Sun Farmer from a vision into an actuality.