CSA | Community Supporting Arts
application deadline February 1, 2012
Maine’s artist and farming communities are vibrant, idealistic groups, both key to our state’s unique sense of place. We believe that that artists can use the power of their artistic voices to effect social change. The premise of this project is simple; we’ll be connecting ten Maine artists with ten CSA farmers in central Maine (within roughly 30 miles of Augusta), and asking them to get to know each other well over the course of the 2012 growing season. The ten selected artists will create art inspired by their farmers’ lives, work, landscapes, challenges and ideals. 2012.
We are interested in hearing from artists working in a range of media, including but not limited to, painters and other 2D artists working in any media, printmakers, fiberartists, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers and video artists, installation artists and performance artists. Thanks to a grant funding from the Maine Community Foundation and from the Davis Family Foundation, there will be some funds available on a needs basis, to artists for whom cost of materials or framing may be a hardship.
The resulting work by all ten artists will be exhibited at the Harlow Gallery in October 2012. Additional exhibitions focusing on different artist/farmer pairs will take place at partner venues in central Maine November 2012 to January 2013. The timing of the exhibitions is meant in part to help spread awareness about local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms as they begin recruiting new members towards the next season’s growing cycle.
Partnering farmers will be those operating CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) farms within roughly 30 miles of the state capital. The way a CSA works is that people make a financial commitment to “their” farm by investing in a share of the produce at tlhe beginning of the growing season. In return farmers are committee to producing for their members the freshest, most flavorful, highest quality food possible. Typically each CSA member gets a weekly delivery of produces from early summer through harvest. Community Supported Agriculture is a grassroots response to the growing social and environmental problems of our modern industrial food system. According to MOFGA, Maine’s CSA community includes over 150 farms and 6,200 shares and is transforming relationships between people, food and farms. Each farm is as unique as the community supporting it.
Visit www.harlowgallery.org for complete information on applying to be one of the 10 artists or 10 farmers. Direct link to the call for artists follows:
http://www.harlowgallery.org/?p=4509
Important Dates
February 1, 2012 – deadline for applications to participate from artists and farmers
March 1, 2012 – 10 artist/farmer partnerships announced
March – October 2012 – farm visits and art making ongoing!
October 5-27, 2012 – Community Supporting Arts exhibition at the Harlow Gallery
October 5, 2012 5-8pm – opening celebration for Harlow Gallery exhibition
October 2012 – (date & place TBA) – local foods celebration & fundraiser
November 2012 – January 2013 – at least 5 exhibitions showcasing 2 artists-farmer pairs, venues TBA
Presented by the Kennebec Valley Art Association a 501(c)3 membership based arts organization, we’ve owned and operated the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell since 1963, and the Kennebec Local Food Initiative, an organization based in Gardiner, Maine that strives to strengthen community food security through access, education, information and advocacy.
Event Image by Harlow Gallery Program Director Nancy Barron
