hic jacet Sunflower, I

Another Sunflower (whatever) has come and gone. Cursory checking-in speaks well for the event. Speak up & send pictures...

For primary Sunflower venues, organizers rounded up all the usual suspects, the Mountainair Elementary School (MES), the Dr Saul Community Center, and the Shaffer Hotel & Garden.

Mountainair Elementary Community Center, photo by Pike

Shaffer Gate & Garden

In another sense, Broadway and indeed the entire town were venues - Children's Sunflower Art in windows, other sunflower window dressing, Rancho Bonito tours, free lance vendors hither & yon, and Mexican sunflower folk art at Abo Trading, despite, indeed likely contributing to, the absence of a clear focal point (node) to & from which visitor movement patterns would flow. Off-Broadway locations, Shaffer, Rancho Bonito, and Gordon McMath's "critters" (3rd St behind the Shaffer) added interest and Folk Art.

Were local input actually sought, my event logo vote would go for one of Gordon's critters.

MES gym & Retablo Show - no pictures or report other than hearsay that the show was small but attractive. MMAC or rather Bert acting on behalf of MMAC commissioned this year's sunflower retablo cum event logo from retablero Nicolas Otero of Los Lunas.

Sunflower Retablo by Nicolas Otero

Community Center - pictures should be forthcoming soon - described as fun and active. TWENTY hats for the Sunflower Hat Contest - surely you all noticed the abundance of sunflower hats about town... something like 178 visitors to the Van of Enchantment...promising turnout for cook-off with gift baskets for winners and a good time had by all - no doubt many mutterings of "wish I'd entered something" and "next year" - shades of last year's hat contest! Strong ticket sales for the sunflower quilt...sunflower face painting by Joan Page...guitar music by Roberto Morales (anyone else?) and an encouranging amount of sunflower decoration to make up for the (surely expected by now) absence of sunflowers on roadsides and vacant lots...

Winning Sunflower hats - Cindy (2006) & Judy (2005)

In addition to being an exemplar of architectural folk art, the Shaffer hosted the Poets & Writers Picnic at the Gazebo, plus the (new Sunflower event!) ATC (Artists Trading Cards) show and several exhibitors in the Shaffer Pavilion at the back of the garden - fresh cut sunflowers courtesy of Geree, who grew them just for the occasion. The Sunflower Poetry Writing Workshop (Aug 25-26), in its 2nd year was even more of a success this year than last - definitely here to stay. To show their appreciation for being invited to share the Shaffer garden, ATC artists made their version of "poets' garlands" from their original art cards for Dale Harris (organizer), Greg Candela (workshop), featured readers, and Shaffer manager Karen Cate.

ATC & other action at the Shaffer Pavilion

More to come as it hits my mailbox....

Children's art on its way

Most or all of the MES art should be up by tomorrow (Weds.) afternoon. There is some stellar work in there. In particular, check out Audrey Swanson's 2nd grade class' mixed media work. This was an independent project she chose & initiated, with much success. And don't miss Gloria Zamora's 1st graders' Painted Pony--it is simply charming.

Many thanks to Liz Fleming & daughter Casey for offering to put up the art for us.

Our next big project will be preparing work to represent the district in the State Fair. If anyone has any imperfect or odd-sized mats or mat board they'd be willing to donate, we'd certainly appreciate it. All work needs to be matted or framed as per regulations, so we're sweating that a little.
Thanks in advance.

Sunflowers about town

Check out the early appearance of sunflowers about town. Very few are of the growing variety, so deal with it. No sunflower whining please. As for real, blooming sunflowers, see picture to the right (©Al Schneider, USDA-NRCS Plants Database). Send us your sunflower sightings. We don't don't have either time or pull to get them on milk cartons but can post them here.

I checked Broadway storefronts yesterday for Children's Sunflower Art, it was not up yet - should be today though.

In the meantime, take in the stunning sunflower window display at Pamela Armas' Treasures of the Gypsy. Mountainair Arts no longer shows pictures of or related to SWNBM (She Who Must Not Be Mentioned). The designation and acronym should be self explanatory. 

Uncle Walters - the Sunflower Babies are back (differently arranged) - and they are not the only sunflower tschotskes there: salt & pepper shakers; address books; notebooks; windchimes; and talking sunflowers. Yes, talking sunflowers - artificial sunflowers you can record a message on to play black. Any message you want. How tempting could that be. Pick up yours before they run out. I did and am now contemplating possible messages - wry, ironic, witty, rude, iconoclastic, obscure, etc.

Don't forget about the Sunflower Hat Contest. Put on your thinking hats/caps. Remember: ANYTHING GOES. Well, probably not ANYTHING. I doubt Mountainair is ready for either obscene sunflowers or public nudity topped by a sunflower hat. This is Ruth Ballen's (aka Wayward Elf) bag - she does not have e-mail, so call her (number on flyers about town) or drop by (Limit & Main - look for the banner in her yard).  To inspire you - a Sunflower Hat Gallery

Sunflowers and toxic environments

OK so maybe I should be using this space to hustle "sunflowers in art" & other aspects of upcoming (NEXT SATURDAY!) sunflower event. Been there done that. Want "sunflowers art"? Go a-googling and find 4,040,000 sites in just 0.36 seconds.

I could combine by juxtaposing art & toxic enviroments. Would that be zeugma to the max or merely a logical progression?

Here's a short version (we'll save Van Gogh inspired Sunflower Barbie and sunflower neckties for another time):

• Sunflower art
• Sunflower by Georgia O'Keefe (thus taking care of the obligatory New Mexico art reference)
• Van Gogh's sunflowers (bet he never imagined he would become the ultimate "sunflower in art" cliche)
• Other sunflower artists
  
• Sunflower outdoor MURAL! (photo by Rannie Turningan, Toronto)
• ARTSEDGE: Sunflowers. Kennedy Center art education site - lesson plan - sunflowers in (presumbably high) art
  

And now back to toxicity...

Sunflowers thrive in and purify toxic environments. Dale Harris sent me (and later tgit mailing list) a brief note about (specially developed transgenic strain of) sunflowers being used near Chernobyl to extract radionuclides cesium 137 and strontium 90 from contaminated ponds following the 1986 nuclear catastrophe there. Likewise, cannabis sativa, also planted near Chernobyl, is a potent natural toxic cleaner, a process known as phytoremediation or bioremediation.

Chernobyl sunflower rafts

• Phytoremediation: Using Plants to Clean Soil
• Phytoremediation: A Green Solution to Pollution

Since it's Mountainair Sunflower Day just around the corner, not Mountainair Cannabis Day, we'll drop discussion of that less than acceptable to conventional community mores plant despite Chernobyl & phytoremediation connection..

Bay Area bioremediators at work in New Orleans: Plants prove good at cleaning contamination Katrina spread. Add mustard greens to the list. Mustard Green Folk Art Day anyone?

Sunflowers, not a Big Easy native or common to the area, have sprung up (along with a couple of other less familiar plants) unexpectedly as volunteers - not planted - from post Katrina toxic muck.

New Orleans sunflower growing out of post-Katrina toxic muck

Are sunflowers inherently congenial to toxic environments, natural healers of toxic environments, or somehow both? In either case, what does that say about absence or presence of sunflowers in Mountainair?

Flying under the radar, or exhibition-ism

What are the remaining options for sunflower displays? I have a few things, probably just for display, and I was wondering if there exists a suitable venue.


Anyone?

Children's Art Update

Well, the school year is off to its usual hectic start...they're updating the class rosters almost daily and and the students are busily establishing a pecking order. I arranged with Anne Ravenstone, my grant administrator, to come in a week early to complete the Sunflower Art ("specials" don't officially start until next week). Some classes are opting to do the project independently, while some requested assistance. I am trying to avoid that "cookie-cutter" look that one-day projects often exude, while simplifying to fit the time frame and "just-back" mindset of the kids. Am happy to report that our Kindergarteners can, for the most part, use Elmer's glue. The projects will be finished by tomorrow afternoon and hung in storefront windows on Monday.

Sadly, no 3D art, but such is the limitation of time.