What programming does EcoArt South Florida offer local communities?
EcoArt South Florida’s primary goal is to catalyze the development of South Florida as a major center for EcoArt practice. To achieve this goal it will be necessary to “grow our own” EcoArtists committed to staying in South Florida. EcoArt practice is very new in our region. There are fewer than 5 practicing EcoArtists here, and most of those are graduates of the pilot apprenticeship program EcoArt South Florida did in Martin County 2009-2011.
In order to assure that a healthy, substantial EcoArt presence is established and takes root in South Florida, it will also be necessary to establish “EcoArt Nodes” within specific localities to support “homegrown” EcoArtists’ emergence and development. EcoArt South Florida defines an “EcoArt Node” as a committed group of stakeholders, with a strong organization at its center (either as its own nonprofit, or as a subunit of an existing organization) dedicated to growing EcoArt and supporting emerging EcoArtists in their locale.
EcoArt South Florida’s priority will be to work with communities to establish their own “EcoArt Nodes” through our integrated EcoArt community education and apprenticeship program.
EcoArt South Florida will join with local communities either to carry forward our integrated EcoArt community education and artist apprenticeship, or provide consulting to identify experienced EcoArtists from elsewhere when our integrated program does not fit the immediate need. While EcoArt SoFla believes our integrated program provides the foundation needed to grow a strong EcoArt Node in a local area, we embrace other approaches that respond to specific situations. For example, some communities may wish to “embed” an experienced EcoArtist within a local government environmental or arts agency as a way to introduce their community to EcoArt. In some cases, there may be an imminent green building or infrastructure project that could benefit from an experienced EcoArtist’s perspective. In these and other specific cases EcoArt South Florida stands ready to consult on bringing in experienced EcoArtists from elsewhere without first establishing a comprehensive local EcoArt community education and apprenticeship program.
Please contact us at info@ecoartsofla.org to arrange an opportunity to discuss our various program approaches.
Elements of EcoArt South Florida’s EcoArt Community Education Program
EcoArt Community Education can be implemented as integrally connected to an EcoArt apprenticeship or as a stand alone program. Either way, the program can include one, several or all of the following elements, and can occur as a one time event, or over several events. Much depends on the size of the community seeking the program.
• EcoArt Symposium to include both local experts as well as EcoArt South Florida-identified speaker
• EcoArt film series with panel discussions
• Exhibition documenting work of previous EcoArt apprentices and their mentors in other South Florida locations
• One or a series of field trips identifying potential EcoArt sites
• Workshop(s) targeting local artists, architects, engineers, landscape architects, either all together, or separate
• Short or long term residency of an experienced EcoArtist with one of the key stakeholder organizations in the locale
EcoArt South Florida’s Apprenticeship Program
Purpose: To assist local communities in “growing their own” EcoArtists.
The apprenticeship phase of EcoArt South Florida’s integrated program provides an in-depth, hands-on opportunity for several local resident professional artists to experience development of an EcoArt project from concept to final design. By the end of the apprenticeship, participating artists will have been introduced to the key tools with which to organize and carry out their own EcoArt projects in the region. The apprenticeship goes hand-in-hand with the EcoArt community education program (elements described above). Apprentices will be selected by local community stakeholders in a competitive process.
Mentor artists will be selected by local community stakeholders from an EcoArt SoFla recommended list.
Duration: The apprenticeship is for one year. Over this period of time, the mentor artist visits 4 times, each time in residence for between one and three weeks. Apprentices perform research and project development and execution activities for approximately 10-16 hours a week for the duration of the project. The apprenticeship is divided into four phases:
Phase one, three months: Research and concept development phase during which, under the mentor’s guidance, apprentices research and identify several possible environmental issues they could address, some possible locations for (the) EcoArt project(s), and identify and recruit the partners needed.
Phase two, one month: Project(s) are formed, to include all individuals and groups that will be partners with the project. This phase will be devoted to team building and collaborative interdisciplinary planning, including final choice of issue to be addressed, location for the project addressing the issue and beginning of design.
Phase three, three month: devoted to intensive design and resource gathering. Funding mechanisms will be identified and proposals developed.
Phase 4, three months: exhibition development phase.
Phase 5, one month: exhibition installation design, installation, opening, development of programming and execution of programming (eg, gallery tours, lectures, panels, etc.
