Project Title: A Tiny World of Green & Gold

Project Timeline June-August 2017

Project Description:
Over the past decade, new research has emerged shedding light on the influence of gut bacteria on our health, mood, behavior and feelings. Once dismissed as incidental, a flourishing micro-biome has been linked to healthy brain development and disease resistance.

I am applying for a Crafthaus Project Grant in order to help fund a collaborative community art installation examining the elusive world of the Microbiome. This installation will explore the idea that microscopic organisms can have a large impact how humans function in the larger world.

In a series of four group sessions, installation participants will fabricate personal interpretations of micro-organisms out of clay. My role in this project will be to facilitate the interactive learning sessions and amalgamate the resulting raw clay bits and pieces into a larger tile installation. It is my goal to weave together the material explorations in a manner that speaks to both our individuality and shared humanity as biological organisms. The final installation will involve a wall of clay tiles as well as projections of the group building process.

The installation will take place at ArtProduce (http://www.artproduce.org/about.html) a multi-use community space that “fosters community through arts, education and public culture.”It is my hope to gather as diverse a group of community participants as possible. I already have interest from a veterans group, a group that provides free arts educations to at risk youth and several schools in the San Diego, CA area.

I want to provide an opportunity for community members to explore a fascinating aspect of our world in a non-liner, creative manner. Possibly igniting interest in both the natural world as well as the artistic process.

If you receive the grant, how will the funds support your project?

The $500 grant would be divided up in the following manner;

Clay - $150  
Firing - $100
Compensation for a student assistant - $100
Publicity - $150

Project #7: A Tiny World of Green & Gold

Go back to all project overviews HERE.