Reminder from Shirley about Mural Dedication

Message from Shirley...

This Saturday, July l, the mayor of Mountainair will have a dedication of the finished mural after the Jubilee Parade. The parade will start around 10:00am, and the dedication will be around 11:00am at the mural wall.

I am hoping there will be a good crowd for this, but I especially want all who worked on the mural to attend. It would be great to have a photo of all of us in front of the mural. We would still be climbing ladders if all you painters hadn’t turned up to help!!!

Thanks for all the help, and see you Saturday.

Shirley

PS Kristine L. & Celeste S. have matters well in hand for the refreshment table, but please contact them if you want to bring something. Raffle tickets will also be for sale at a table in front of Brenda's Place aka Bisonte Bistro

Sunflower: Poets & Writers Picnic

The Poets & Writers Picnic (PWP for short), along with the Children's Sunflower Art, are the two Sunflower features probably most strongly associated with Sunflower. For relative newcomers perhaps less familiar with Sunflower & PWP backstory, the Poets & Writers Picnic, started by tunc et Dale Harris, is a year older than Sunflower. Although the Shaffer Gazebo is the original, traditional & preferred PWP setting, Tohu Bohu (John Davidson's and Dorothy Baker's refurbished and embellished schoolhouse on NM55) hosted the Picnic during Shaffer down times.

We'd like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation of the Shaffer's support of the PWP and the arts in Mountainair. Management makes art and artists feel wonderfully welcome. The Shaffer is well on its way to being a major local arts venue.


Last year's poetry writing workshop was a new addition to the Picnic and will repeated this year, although not under UNM Valencia sponsorship. Dale and Greg Candela are still conducting the workshop, which will follow the same basic format and schedule. This change will not only simplfy organization and paperwork, but lower costs and make the workshop more affordable.

What is a poetry workshop?


Featured readers, mostly poetry with a sprinkling of prose, will read at the Gazebo from 12n - 4pm, with open mic readers interspersed. Open mic readers can contact Dale before the picnic to announce intentions but cannot be scheduled in advance. If you want to read, be sure to check in with her when you get to the Picnic on Saturday.

The featured reader line-up is shaping up and so is the PWP page as it undergoes (an ongoing process) its annual transformation.

Dale Harris
Greg Candela
Gerard Bezzeg

Bob Reeves
Margaret Nava
Kate Horsley
Jeffery Poston

OUTLAW POETS
Todd Moore
John Macker

THE WILD WOMEN OF SANTA FE are a group of poets who meet every other week to share poems, exchange new and strange words, and write, write, write! In their various styles, the seven poets support and complement one another as their works
weave and mingle into verbal tapestries!

Mary McGinnis
Rachelle Woods
Zoe Dwyer
Leslie Bentley
Bobby Bermea
Elizabeth Raby
Debbi Brody

Growing Sunflowers

"We need MORE sunflowers!" and "WHERE are the sunflowers?"

Both are common Sunflower Festival complaints. This year we are somewhat covered with the highway department - coordinating to make sure sunflowers along the roadside are not cut the week before. Given the drought, this may be moot.

Sunflowers in Fargo, North Dakota
(Image courtesy of USDA, photo by Bruce Fritz)

If we want more sunflowers, we may have to provide them ourselves, one way or another. There are a two obvious solutions: grow them, paint them, or BOTH.

My own personal take: when sunflowers don't make an appearance for the Sunflower Festival/ Day/ Music Festival/ Faux Art Day or whatever we are calling the event any given year, hey, it's just another Mountainair Moment. Complaining about the absense of sunflowers is rather like complaining about missing street signs...

As for growing them...

Growing time is running tight but not impossible if you germinate seeds before planting. Is anyone beside Kristine growing sunflowers? Geree advises that cut sunflowers do not do well. If you are thinking about harvesting sunflowers to bring to the event, drying might be a better option.

For use in dried flower arrangement, harvest at peak of beauty. If you are growing single headed sunflowers, pull the entire plant out of the ground, shake soil off root-ball (this will speed drying process because roots will draw moisture from the rest of the plant), and hang in a dry place with good air circulation. If you are growing multi-headed sunflowers, you will want to pick flowers with a long stem as they mature to your satisfaction. Again, tie 2 or 3 together with string, about an inch from the bottom, and hang upside-down until thoroughly dry.

Planting:
If possible choose a site in full sun. For optimum growth, sunflowers should have 6-8 hours of direct sun as well as indirect sun. In most areas, wait till danger of frost is over.

Sunflowers are a long season crop. Germination is 7 to 14 days. and full growth takes 60 to 90 days. You can plant directly into the soil. Soak the seeds overnight and plant them in warm soil about 24 inches apart. Cover the seeds with a light cover of soil, about a half inch, and water them. If you plant closer together you may need to thin them. In this case you could transplant some of the plants when about 4 inches high to another location. As they are such a tall plant they need plenty of room. The Mamouth" or "Russian" sunflower grows 6 to 12 feet tall.

To shorten the growing process, germinate seeds indoors before planting or start the seeds indoors in peat seed pots. Then plant the seed pots whole once the seedling is 4 inches high or so, making sure it is covered by soil. Sunflowers are quite drought tolerant, yet need good watering to get started.

Possible Problems:
Sunflowers are remarkably trouble free, though aphids are sometimes a problem, but can often be controled by spraying with water or garlic spray, or by encouraging native predators such as lady bugs. Of course, birds will love to eat the seeds. To protect some flowers, you can cover the seed heads with cheesecloth for a while.

Remembering mainly, Sunflowers need lots of sunlight.

NEXT: Exploring other options - displaying sunflower art, painting sunflowers on every surface (let have some ideas here!), sunflower window displays, and so on... more to come...

Sunflower Recipe Contest and Cook Off

A new event scheduled this year for the Mountainair Sunflower Folk Festival will be the Sunflower Recipe Contest and Cook Off. Noted food specialists will be judging recipes in both Youth and Adult groups divided into Sweet and Savory categories.

Those submitting recipes will be asked to prepare two samples: one for the judges taste test and one for display during the festival. All recipes will be judged on taste - 50%, presentation – 25%, and use of sunflower ingredients – 25%. Any part of the sunflower may be used, fresh or seed, as well as sunflower products such as oils and flour.

Sunflower breads

Prizes will be awarded for First, Second, and Third Place in both Youth and Adult Groups with one Grand Prize. Deadline for submission of food entries with entry forms is 12 PM, August 25, hand delivered to 204 N. Limit Ave., Mountainair.


Baked Chicken with Onions, Raisins, and Sunflower Seeds

Entry forms are available in Mountainair at Cibola Gallery and Gustin's Hardware, will be available for download from the Mountainair Art blog, or can be obtained from event coordinator Kristine Lauritsen by phone at 707-342-6014 (July 7-30) or email: thecastlegallery@aol.com.

Sunflower Oatmeal Cookies

As time goes on - and to keep you from forgetting about the cook-off between now and August, we'll be looking for and posting sunflower recipe ideas and recipes sites.

Sunflower Refried Beans

Sunflower Gallery I

Sunflower miscellany - art and edibles

Sunflower, New Mexico
Georgia O'Keefe, 1935

Sunflower Cheese Balls
	4 ounces Muenster cheese, room temperature 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/8 teaspoon red pepper 2/3 cup roasted, salted sunflower kernels
Combine cheeses, blend thoroughly. (Use food processor, if possible.) Add Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and red pepper; blend. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Roll in sunflower kernels immediately. Refrigerate cheese balls 2 hours. Serve with whole-grain crackers, bread sticks or miniature bread slices. Makes 25 cheese balls

More sunflower recipes

Sunflower cookies

Sunflower ceiling mural
3Cats Design

Mural Dedication: July 1 - Jubilee

After the Jubilee parade - or as the final event of the parade - on Saturday July 1 at 11 am (well maybe not exactly - let's be realistic), the Mayor, Vel Gilley, will officially dedicate the mural. I don't what the "dedicated name" will be. All along, I've been thinking of the mural as Wray's project - as I am sure many others do.

Shirley Simmons and Mary Schultz are coordinating a refreshment table at the mural in appreciation of the mural volunteers. Shirley estimates about 18 have contributed to the mural one way or another - wall washing, welding, painting, airbrushing, researching, photographing, and so on. She expects all of them to be at the dedication to accept our thanks for their contribution.

Parade, mural dedication, BBQ & festivities at the Community Park. Sounds like a fun day... see ya there...

Sunflower Raffle Quilt

Sunflower Folk Art Day: Call to Artists

ATC Workshop & ATCs for Sunflower Day

Time for a quick run down. It's been busy since the last posting. ATC Workshop and trade; MMAC meeting; not much worth mentioning in the way of "post tour review;" sunflower plans; sunflower cook-off & more; sunflower hat contest - changes for the better; webpage decision based on insufficient and inaccurate information despite my best efforts otherwise; Sunflower Quilt Raffle fundraiser (quilt pictured below);

Jubilee participation; "mural warming" in the form of a post-parade refreshment table at the mural to present and thank the painters; table on Broadway selling raffle ticket (quite possibly because MMAC does not want to pay vendor fees for a table in the park - howzat for delicious irony?)

Digital ATC

Saturday, June 17, ATC workshop - a success, with a great time had by all. Stacia Robin came from Albuquerque and gave a free ATC workshop. Attending: Geree McDermott; Vanessa Vaile; Robin desJardins; Judy Mowris; Joan Collins; Judy Reynolds & guest whose name escapes me. Wana Beth Fox and Megan Lemcke had planned to come but were not able to. Megan sent cards to trade. Wana Beth is planning cards for the next outing. Mary Schultz dropped by briefly.

Whoodathunk there were so many tools, not to mention different kinds of glue! Trading before and after the workshop. Left: Stacia Robin conducting workshop; Right: participants and traders, Robin desJardins and Judy Mowris.

Here's a picture of Geree's collection of ATCs by other artists. I'd list the artists names but do not have all of them:

I'm not sure how ATCs fit into Sunflower's Folk Art theme, but they and their makers will add mightily to sunflower art partout (MORE sunflowers is a standard suggestion). A sunflower digital ATC by way of illustration:

The Mountainair Packet Art contingent will join the Poets & Writers Picnic in the Shaffer Gazebo Garden with a display, swap, and sell table. As a gesture of appreciation, participating ATC artists, Geree McDermott, Robin DesJardins, Judy Mowris, Joan Collins, Linda Johnson, and others will be making original sunflower cards to give the featured readers.
At least one ATC artist will have an additional table. Judy Mowris will also selling her folk art inspired sunflower painted glass and dishware. Perhaps Joan Collins will favor us with a display of sunflower mandalas.

Following posts will cover mural-warming (contact Kristine or Celeste to contribute refreshments); our own blog discussion reviewing the tour and brainstorming how to make it better (Attention: ideas, like kiddos at an NC-17 movies, need to be accompanied by plans, aka adults); the marvelous sungflower cook-off - who to contact and where to find sunflower recipes; how and why to practice sunflower civil disobedience; and much, much more.

Now closing with a selection from my sunflower oddity collection:

Medieval Celtic tapestry - sunflower mandala design

And more to come - surely as many as symbolists have swans...

The Back of ATC's-

Hi Everyone!
Are you making your Artist Trading Cards for Saturday's day? ATC Workshop and Swap Day, June 17 at 2:00 in the Shaffer ?Conference Room. (Remember the theme is Summer Time.) Are you wondering what goes on the back? Here it is:

Title of Card, Your Name, Date.
Medium
Series: #, Card: #
Your Contact Info
Copyright.

I like to write the title and my name and the year in pencil and using my computer, I print on sticky paper the rest of the info so it is readable and it is faster than writing longhand.

Mural pictures, 6/9/2006

Cibola Ceramics Show

Hi all - this will be brief - minimal copy, no doubt replete with misspellings to boot! I'm posting this and then Geree's latest mural pictures. Tomorrow I'm off to Albuquerque

Don't forget about Cibola's Ceramics Show, opens with reception Satuday, June 10th, and will run 30 days, through July 10th.

Featured ceramics artists include Doris Burton, Ron Minick, Brian Jory, and Judy Washachek. No pictures of Ron's work but will add them when I have some. All best seen in person, natch - think of this as an online "trailer."

Doris' exhibit - ready to go

Doris' colander; kitchen tools and a wheel thrown bowl by Brian Jory

Mask and pot by Judy Wasechek

Sunflower Planning Update

Some of the following is official; some is not. I figure you will be able to tell the difference. If not, I will have to start attaching disclaimers by the paragraph.

Mary has asked Bert and me to submit a budget for the June 18th General Meeting. I presume that we are to submit separate budgets before the meeting, to be committed into a single budget. Task redundant but what the hey. I will put in for 4' x 8' pieces of plywood for local artists to go sunflower wild on - photo cutout, signs, whatever. If we can't count on sunflowers to be here for Sunflower, it will be up to us to provide them.

sunflower cell phone cover

Items you think should be in the budget? Let me know. Let Bert know. Let Mary know. Come to the meeting and vote on the budget. I will be posting an agenda as meeting time draws closer.

Anticipated expenses (list I was sent, comments added)

• advertising - paid advertising is supposedly covered by Chamber of Commerce through reimbursible grants; actual placement not yet specified; we (read I) take full advantage of all free listing and online calendar areas.
  
• posters - not the big, expensive ones; desk top published; costs should be no more than card stock for printing and color printer cartridges; printing costs if not volunteered by someone with a good printer; limited to 8 1/2" x 11" (flyer size really) unless we can access a printer that handles 11" x 17" paper. This is a major waste area without good distribution.
  
• flyers - see above, except that these will not be on standard printer paper rather than card stock and few if any in color. No number give for these, which makes estimation more of a guessing game. We often pick up / depend on freebies for these. Whether or not to a goose killing level is anybody's guess.
  
• map/brochure - Bert prints and donates the printing on these. Quantity? I did hear more than a few visitor and exhibitor complaints about the map last time. Paper costs - 2 reams standard weight printer paper (sunflower yellow would be my choice over baby crap tan) and 2-3 BW printer cartridges. How many printer cartridges were used in printing brochures last year?
  
• materials - too vague to be useful as any purchasing agent worth his or her salt will tell you - paper & printer cartridge expenses should be listed under specific areas; ditto any materials for additional signage. You could call this the postage, push pin, paper clip & pencil category.

Other expenses

• signage - covered as we can reuse big banners from arts tour and do not need so many. Adding a few sandwich boards &/or sawhorses to the collection might not be a bad idea. Add in say markers & 1/2 doz sheets of poster paper just to cover eventualities. If we don't use them this time, they can go into inventory for future events. Now that we have a place to store such, developing a resusable inventory event by evmakes sense.
• commissioned retablo - this has to be a significant expense, but I have no idea how much it is
• Poets & Writers Picnic - $250 expenses and honoraria for guest (invited) readers - gas money really. I have asked Dale for a detailed breakdown.
• Sunflower Writing Workshop - projected expenses not known; may not run through MMAC anyway even though we get to count the workshop for event hype & bragging rights

Other? Let us know.

A call to artists, artisans, crafters has been sent to the NM Culture ListServ and the event listed in the NM Magazine, NM CultureNet, and NM Tourism online event calendars.

The underarching but controlling subtext is to draw out more folk & traditional arts exhibitors/vendors. So far we have the Retablo Show and a sunflower quilt to raffle - thin on the ground for an yclept Folk Art Day. We need more folk art - or at least that passing for folk art or reasonable simulacra thereof.

Mexican Sunflower Folk Art - candleholders

So if you know of tinworkers, furniture makers, woodworkers, candlemakers, weaver, quilters, other needleworkers, potters, smiths, jewelry makers, beaders, or others functional, folk, or traditional artists, please pass the word on. I'm happy to answer any questions they might have and/or direct them to appropriate event areas.

Please share your ideas for upping both folk art and sunflower quotients.

Although I keep hearing strong dissent and can't recall policy having been voted on (except on ad hoc basis by event), the fee system seems pretty much locked down - everyone - vendors, visitors, locals, members, non-members - charged same $25 fee, no exceptions. If you have strong feelings on this, get thee to the general meeting and vote on it. If not, you are an accomplice by default & forfeit whining rights.

Otherwise: 1) share a table with someone and split the fee; 2) or fly under the radar with alternate arrangements. More on samizdat participation anon. Anyone can do their own signage - banners, sandwich boards, etc. - and handouts.