Urban Invasives are Hot!

Watch out folks; paper from invasives is the next in thing. Reports are that Duke Riley's engraving in the New Prints 2009/Autumn show at the International Print Center New York is printed on paper made from phragmites. Incidentally phragmites were one of the first invasives to come to my attention after my sister came back from marine biology camp in high school. She was obsessed with them, and pointed them out everywhere. We were both obsessed with saying the word "phrag-mit-e." Evidently these invasives are found throughout Central Park in New York City. Thanks to Printeresting for the tip, and for the following visual aids:

Exhibition Advocating for the Homeless

The Brossman Miller Gallery and the Cora Miller Gallery in Wolf Hall at York College currently have the exhibitions, "Give and Take," and "Nowhere to Lay His Head" on display. The first is a group exhibition, an interactive, living exhibition about cooperation and reciprocity in which a group of artists have created works dealing with ideas such as meeting the needs of others and having one’s own needs met, ridding oneself of excess, and addressing problems communally and individually. The artists are free to interpret these themes or introduce new ones, and visitors will be asked to participate in the life of the project as well. Exhibitors include Jane Craven, Alex Gartelmann, Melody Martin, Joanna Platt, Melanie Rodgers, JoAnne Schiavone and Katie VanVliet.

"Nowhere to Lay His Head," is a solo exhibition by Matthew Works. Works is an artist, writer and activist for the homeless who has lived in Boston for 30 years, the last 13 of which have been spent “on the streets.” When security tightened after the Sept. 11 attacks and the Boston police began to crack down on the homeless population more than usual, Works began responding to an increasing number of invitations to speak and exhibit his artwork around the country. Since beginning his “Cross Country Speaking Tours” and “Traveling Art Shows,” he has built a following at many colleges, universities and churches as an artist and “theologian in residence.”

To read the entire press release, or find out more about the exhibitions, please visit here.