ISLAND Newsletters

The Second Annual Skill Swap - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Presented by ISLAND and Wagbo Peace Center, May 10, 2008 from 9 to 3 at Wagbo Peace Center in East Jordan.

We've got 15 skills that build self-reliance, taught by your friends and neighbors, along with a fresh local and wild foods lunch and a post-workshop contra dance! Skills include bread baking, seed starting, irrigation for water saving, handmade paper making, timber stand improvement and more! Early registration is $25 per person, kids 14 and under free! Add lunch for just $5. All the information you need and online registration at www.artmeetsearth.org/skillswap.html

Art, Film, Philosophy

April 22nd and May 6 at Moka in Bellaire (the old pizza building on the corner of Bridge & Cayuga). 6 to 8 pm. An eight part series of speakers, readings and film followed by discussion. Coffee and pastries available. Join us for an enlivening intellectual gathering! Donations are appreciated.

April 22: Peter Balestrieri on Japanese Art

May 6: John Unger on Haitian Folk Art and art from salvaged materials

Volunteer!

Street Team!

Folks Needed: A bunch all over

Time Commitment: varies, 15 minutes to a few hours

We need a person or two in Petoskey, Charlevoix, Elk Rapids, Traverse City, Leelanau County, Kalkaska, Grayling, etc. who can pick out a half dozen places to hang posters for upcoming events. Interested? Email brad@artemeetsearth.org.

Skill Swap

Work at the registration booth, set up Friday afternoon, make lunch, clean up -- we've got a ton of tasks to choose from! Pitch in a little or a lot. Two hours = free admission and lunch; One hour = $10 off admission and free lunch. Call Brad at 231-480-4515 to secure your volunteer slot.

Find all of ISLAND's upcoming events on the website, www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org.

You can support our work! If these programs are valuable to you, please consider donating. Visit www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org and click on "donate."

ISLAND Benefit Concert

Saturday, April 12 at Shorts Brewing Company in Bellaire, 7pm to midnight. This is a partnership with Earthwork Music to benefit ISLAND. Musicians include Seth Bernard, May Erlewine, Micah Middaugh (of Breathe Owl Breathe), Darlene, Brandon Foote, Laura Bates, Susan Fawcett, Chris Dorman, Marty Heller, Pat Ivory and more!

Get on the bus from Traverse City!

Get to the benefit concert by bus from Higher Grounds in Traverse City. $15 reserves your seat; call 231 922-9009 or email alita@highergroundstrading.com for more info or to reserve your seat! Space is limited and going fast!

Find all of ISLAND's upcoming events on the website, www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org.

You can support our work! If these programs are valuable to you, please consider donating. Visit www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org and click on "donate."

Volunteer!

We're very excited for the upcoming Skill Swap, and want to help our friends at Wagbo get ready, so we're offering a special deal: Volunteer a few hours on Saturday, April 12th to help with site prep at Wagbo (in East Jordan) and we'll comp your ticket to the benefit concert that night. They'll need folks from the late morning through late afternoon, and the job will involve moving storage boxes and equipment out of/into outbuildings, sweeping up hay and doing very basic cleaning of the rooms. If you're interested call us at 231 480-4515 or email brad@artmeetsearth.org and we'll set you up!

We're willing to offer free admission to ISLAND events if you're willing to take high quality photos for our archives. You need your own digital camera and a willingness to take a few dozen shots an hour. Of course, the ability to take pictures without disrupting the event is key. We're currently looking for folks to document our benefit concert (April 12) and the upcoming Skill Swap (May 10).

Find all of ISLAND's upcoming events on the website, www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org.

You can support our work! If these programs are valuable to you, please consider donating. Visit www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org and click on "donate."

Calling all Teachers!

The Second Annual Skill Swap call for teachers is now open! What skill can you share?

This is an opportunity to teach and learn the skills that build individual and community self-reliance. We need folks with a knack in the garden, garage, kitchen or studio to share their talent with the community. Hurry to www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org to fill out an application!

The Skill Swap will be held Saturday, May 10th at Wagbo Peace Center in East Jordan.

Art, Film, Philosophy with author Stephanie Mills

Tuesday, March 11, from 6 to 8 pm at Moka in Bellaire. Hosted in partnership with Parkside Arts Council, this evening features celebrated author Stephanie Mills reading from her latest book, Tough Little Beauties. Seasoned, articulate and witty, Stephanie Mills is an adept and engaging speaker who has drawn on her long, varied experience as writer, editor, lecturer, bioregionalist and teacher to inform and inspire audiences from Harvard to the banks of the Crystal River. Join us for an engaging talk followed by discussion.

Art, Film, Philosophy with poet CJ Judd-TenHoopen

reading from her own and other's work on the wheel of life. Tuesday, March 25 from 6 to 8pm at Moka in Bellaire.

Art, Film, Philosophy with Gary Howe

film TBA. Tuesday, April 8 from 6 to 8pm at Moka in Bellaire.

Benefit Concert!

Join us Saturday, April 12 at Short's Brewing Company in Bellaire for an evening with Earthwork musicians Seth Bernard, May Erlewine, Darlene, Susan Fawcett, Brandon Foote, Jen Sygit and more. Waltzes included! Plus, for every pint you buy Short's will donate fifty cents to ISLAND. $10 cover.

Find all of ISLAND's upcoming events on the website, www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org.

You can support our work! If these programs are valuable to you, please consider donating. Visit www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org and click on "donate."

Calling all Teachers!

The second annual skill swap call for teachers is now open! Growing shiitakes? Spinning wool? Brewing beer? Oxy-acetylene welding? The second annual skill swap is an opportunity to teach and learn the skills that build individual and community self-reliance. We need folks with a knack in the garden, garage, kitchen or studio to share their talent with the community. Visit www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org to fill out an application (look under "Latest News").

Find all of ISLAND's upcoming events on the website, www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org.

Art, Film, Philosophy with Daniel Proudfoot

Tuesday, February 12, from 6 to 8 pm at Moka in Bellaire (the old pizza building on the corner of Bridge & Cayuga). Hosted in partnership with Parkside Arts Council, this is part of a series of speakers, readings and film followed by discussion. Coffee and pastries available. Join us for an enlivening intellectual gathering! Donations are appreciated. Daniel Proudfoot's discussion is Understanding Complexity: Using Systematics. Systematics appeals to those who see the value in using the whole of human capacity to understand and communicate the complexity of the world. It attempts to heal the divorce of left brain/right brain thinking. Systematics was formulated by John Bennett in the 1960’s from material originating from Gurdjieff. It contains insight used throughout history and into our present day by businessmen, artists and philosophers. Daniel Proudfoot has been involved with Systematics for 25 years, proving its practical use in business for the last 14 years.

Art, Film, Philosophy with film Amongst White Clouds, led by Gary Howe

Tuesday, February 26, from 6 to 8 pm at Moka in Bellaire. Hosted in partnership with Parkside Arts Council, this is evening will feature this short film, followed by a discussion led by Gary Howe, a photojournalist, activist, film buff and NMC professor.

Your Green Home: The Design and Construction of Environmentally Sound Homes for Everyone

9:30am to 3:30pm, at Helena Township Community Center in Alden. This full day workshop is geared toward the first time builder or remodeler interested in renewable energy, alternative home design methods (like strawbale, structural insulated panels or green roofing) and learning how to design a great house. The cost is $25 per person or $40 per couple. Lunch included. Space is limited, so register today!

Art, Film, Philosophy with author Stephanie Mills

Tuesday, March 11, from 6 to 8 pm at Moka in Bellaire. Hosted in partnership with Parkside Arts Council, this is evening will feature Stephanie Mills reading from her latest book, Tough Little Beauties. Seasoned, articulate and witty, Stephanie Mills is an adept and engaging speaker who has drawn on her long, varied experience as writer, editor, lecturer, bioregionalist and teacher to inform and inspire audiences from Harvard to the banks of the Crystal River. The subjects in Tough Little Beauties range from voluntary childlessness to forests and from activism to apocalypse, along with a few surprise topics to leaven what is a multifaceted moral consideration of the human relationship to Nature.

You can support our work! If these programs are valuable to you, please consider donating. Visit www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org and click on "donate."

Tonight's Art, Film, Philosophy has been canceled due to the predicted blizzard-like conditions. We deeply regret any inconvenience to you!

Stephanie Mills has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 11; we hope you can join us then.

Also, please plan on attending the next Art, Film, Philosophy, featuring Daniel Proudfoot, on Tuesday, February 12 from 6pm to 8pm at Moka in downtown Bellaire.

Daniel Proudfoot's discussion is Understanding Complexity: Using Systematics.

Systematics appeals to those who see the value in using the whole of human capacity to understand and communicate the complexity of the world. It attempts to heal the divorce of left brain/right brain thinking. Systematics was formulated by John Bennett in the 1960’s from material originating from Gurdjieff. It contains insight used throughout history and into our present day by businessmen, artists and philosophers. Daniel Proudfoot has been involved with Systematics for 25 years, proving its practical use in business for the last 14 years.

For more events and updates, please visit http://www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org/events.html

ISLAND has a new home!

For the last 9 months, ISLAND has been working to acquire a 9.2 acre parcel of rolling glacial hills just outside of Bellaire. As of today (Friday, January 18th), we can officially call that property home. Big thanks to Walt and Katty Bedell, for their patience and endless assistance with the process, and to Tony Schultz of Schultz Drilling for helping navigate the red tape of the water quality testing.

What does this mean for you? First, that there is now a home for the ISLAND artist residency program (though the green buildings remain to be built). Second, that this will become a permaculture demonstration farm and working homestead.

There are dozens of ways you can get involved with our next steps, which include site observation and design, surveying, bio-blitzes, small building projects and more. Look on the ISLAND website or blog for our planning process and opportunities to get involved!

Other headlines

ISLAND has a new website! Redesigned to be more accessible, improved navigation and exceptional content.

Five new events!

• Art, Film, Philosophy
• Your Green Home: The Design and Construction of Environmentally Sound Homes for Everyone
• Benefit concert at Short's Brewing Company this spring!
• Bio-blitz: This 24-hour blitz will inventory the diversity of plants and animals on the property.
• Skill Swap: The spring Skill Swap will be held in partnership with Wagbo Peace Center May 10.

You can support our work! If these programs are valuable to you, please consider donating. Visit www.ARTmeetsEARTH.org and click on "donate."