RECAP OF PREVIOUS ENTRIES - AKA I didn't have a chance to pre-prepare for this week!

Dear Readers:

I am still in Ottawa.  I did not expect to be here quite this long, and so did not pre-prepare a blog entry for this week.  I thought that I would simply provide a list of previously published blog entries for those of you who might want to 'catch up' on entries you haven't had time to read yet.  I plan on blogging in my usual way next week.

In terms of WHAT YOU CAN DO, feel free to re-visit, or to discover, a previous WHAT YOU CAN DO list, and work towards a few items.  You can also send me suggestions for future blog subjects.  (Thanks to those who have already done so!). 

Here's my list:

May 5, 2011 - Welcome
May 18, 2011 - Hunger
May 24, 2011 - For the Love of Books
June 5, 2011 - Elimination of the Per-Vote Subsidy
June 12, 2011 - Celebrating: Daniel Bonin
June 16, 2011 - Celebrating: Shara Rosen
June 19, 2011 - Update: FATFAC Candle Light Vigil
June 26, 2011 - The Joys of Public Transit
July 3, 2011 - Wildflower and Rescue Gardening
July 8, 2011 - Graffito - Art or Crime?
July 10, 2011 - Correction to "Graffito - Art or Crime?"
July 11, 2011 - Reconsidering Lawns
July 15, 2011 - Update: Reconsidering Lawns and Julie Bass
July 22, 2011 - Walking, Biking, Riding, and Driving - But not Necessarily in That Order
July 25, 2011 - Bee Active
Aug. 2, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art
Aug. 10, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art, Part 2
Aug. 17, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art, Part 3
Aug. 25, 2011 - Fifteen People You Should Know More About
Aug. 31, 2011 - Going to the Office to Feed Worms.

There you have it, Dear Reader.  I promise to have something interesting for you next week!

Aunti Apathy

"GOING TO THE OFFICE TO FEED WORMS...."

Worms are more powerful than the African elephant and more important to the economy than the cow. – Charles Darwin

(As always, if you are pressed for time, scroll down to the WHAT CAN YOU DO section.)

I was at a volunteer training session a number of months ago when the Executive Director made a rather startling announcement.  He was quite upset that people had been mixing up their compostable and non-compostable 'garbage' when throwing it out.  He explained that as the office actively composted, and had a worm farm to help them do this, that it drove him nuts when compost was wasted.  As I had always heard that worm farms were smelly, messy things, I was quite surprised.

Now, by now you must have all at least heard of compost as a fertilizer and natural pesticide, as well as a great way of recycling and reducing waste. (By the way, if you want to be informed as well as mildly grossed out, click on the compost link and read about the use of human urine.)  What I hadn't realized until I was exposed to it is that composting can be done in a very small space,

with very little fuss, and no smell.  Until then, my experience with composting was based on huge containers set up in backyards, with plenty of space between the composting bin and the house (because these bins were rather smelly). 

These small vermicompost bins (vermicompost is the use of worms to help with composting) are so popular that vermiculture (worm farming) has become big business.  You can buy worms (and various paraphanelia) online, you can join online communities of vermiculturists, you can find numerous support sites with detailed instructions on how you can start your own 'worm farm' (here, here, or here). 

You can find blogs devoted to vermiculture or vermicomposting (here and here), as well as reviews of these blogs. 

Vermiculture has become so popular among grassroots 'culture that the dorms at Harvard University now have worm bins, there are sites which provide instructions for  school projects using worms, and even initiatives for use of vermiculture/vermicompost as sustainable (and environmentally benifitial) business opportunity in the underdevelloping world. 

To sum up, don't be suprised if you start hearing about worm farming, vermicomposting, and/or vermiculture a lot more. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1.  Do a bit of research, and consider starting your own worm farm

2.  If you don't want a worm farm at home, start one in your office

3.  If for some reason you can't start one in your office, see if you have a neighbour with the space and desire to have one, and save your compostable items to contribute to that worm farm

4.  Donate some money to one of the organisations sponsoring vermiculture as a business opportunity in underdevelloping countries

5.  Learn about the subject and do some workshops in community groups or schools, spreading the word.

 

FIFTEEN PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW (MORE) ABOUT

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
  ~Dr. Seuss

As I am presently out of town on business, I thought I'd pre-prepare another blog entry for you, so that all I have to do is to log-on and push "publish". 

I thought that you might find it interesting to browse through some historical figures, and to see how they made a difference in the world.  While my political leanings definitely show, I've tried to be somewhat balanced and provide you with a variety. Not all of these people are saints.  Many are controversial.   Some people you will be familiar with, some you will have heard of, and some you will probably know nothing about.  They have been involved in a wide variety of movements, and have had impacts in many areas. 

One of these figures I seriously debated removing from the list, but while her views are ones I find obscene and disgusting, she does meet the criteria of getting involved, risking a great deal for her beliefs, and of making a difference (albeit, in my opinion, negatively).  So, I hope you all learn a little, are inspired to make a difference with your life, and that you enjoy.  Oh, and in terms of WHAT YOU CAN DO, use these examples to inspire you to find your passion, and to think about ways that your life can make a difference (hopefully for the good).

Robert Sherman Baldwin.

(To learn more, click here, here, and here.)

Paul Rusesabagina.  (To learn more, , click here, and here.)

Raoul Wallenberg.  (To learn more, click here or here.)

Viola Desmond.  (To learn more, click here or here, and read in full.)

Elijah Harper.  (To learn more, click here and here).

Margaret Sanger.  (To learn more, click here, here, or here to see a video interview with her.  The interview runs about 30 minutes, and is fascinating on a number of levels.  1957 with Mike Wallace.  Social attitudes towards women, independance, homosexuality, promiscuity, and smoking - lots and LOTS of smoking.)

Anita Bryant.  (Click here, here and here to learn more about her, and her legacy.)

Stephen Biko.  (Click here, here, or here.)

Sidney Poitier.  (Click here and here.)

Tommy Douglas.  (Click here and here.)

Norman Bethune.  (Click here, here, and here.)

Tim Berners-Lee.  (Click here.)

Hamilton Naki.  (Click here or here.)

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.  (Click here.)

Rosalind Franklin.  (Click here.)

THE BENIFITS OF ART - PART 3

Yup.  I'm still on vacation, Dear Reader.  Here is some more art for your consideration:

 Sometimes one has to add another object in order to provide scale.  Luckily, I live near an arboretum which takes public art seriously.  Everyday items (like cheese and baguette) can be a fun comentary on Quebecois picnic styles.

Hmmm...wine or fancy grape juice - you decide.

This is entitled "Cactus".  Do you see wolves in it too, or is it just me?

There is a whole series of painted moose along Sherbrooke Street in Montreal, each with his/her/its own style. 

 This poor skinny horse with the amputated hoof is one of my favourites.  It haunts me. 

The Montreal Museum of Fine Art also offers art classes, which is a great way of appreciating art from another perspective.

This sculpture has appeared before on this blog, but there are so many 'characters', that I thought I'd reveal a little more of it to you. 

 This is another one of my favourites.  It's so gentle and loving. 

The details on this piece are amazing, too. Take a good look at the bronze bench that the 'woman' is sitting on. See all the scratched graffiti? The artist took the time to etch the bronze bench with love poems and prose, adding to both the realism of the piece, as well as the overall tone of tenderness.

So, Dear Reader, that's it for this entry.  I'll post a more typical blog entry next week, when I return.

THE BENIFITS OF ART - PART 2

As you read this, I am on vacation.   (Dedicated blogger that I am, I pre-prepared this and next week's blog so that I could just log on during my vacation and push "post".)  I thought that it was only fair for you , Dear Readers, to have a bit of a 'vacation' too, so for this and the next blog entry, your assignment is to enjoy and contemplate the following pictures. (I couldn't resiste getting the discussion started.)

 In terms of WHAT YOU CAN DO,  discuss the art, share it, and see the previous entry for a more complete list.  If you haven't already read the previous entry, then do so.  Enjoy!

In old Monteal.  I love the sense of urgency I feel whenever I see this.  I feel like I have to rush to pick it up before anything spills....what does that say about me!

Two of my favourites.  Sly, humorous commentary on modern tribalism perhaps...

...and I love the way they are surrounded by grass and meaddow, allowing you to discover the 'wild' in 'wilderness'.

Art comes in many forms, and corsettes constructed with spoons and bolts can spark a discussion.

Entitled "My Bleeding Heart", this fountain dripped red viscous fluid, and drew quite a crowd.

I love the contrast between the mechanical man in motion, and the sedentary man of flesh.

Even papier maché can be elevated to an art form.

Art can be found just about anywhere.  This piece is placed in a metro station.

This adaptation of an inukshuk guards a hotel entrance.  Again, the contrast between 'thing' and 'flesh' is interesting, I think.

Entitled "Urban Forrest", these wire and ribbon 'trees' line an alley near a Montreal museum.

This sculpture has a plethora of elements and focal points.

Some art is more relaxing than others!  More next week, and I hope you are all having a wonderful summer!

THE BENIFITS OF ENJOYING ART

A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.

Michelangelo

(As always, if pressed for time scroll down to the WHAT CAN YOU DO section)

I am lucky enough to live in a city which enriches my life daily through the placement of art in public places. 

Art not only beautifies a neighbourhood; it provides a focus for conversation...

...an opportunity to experience something new or something familiar in a new way.  It also serves as an enjoyable method of exercising one’s brain and cognitive dexterity.

“How does art accomplish this? It introduces the brain to diverse cognitive skills that help us unravel intricate problems. Art activates the creative part of our brain - the part that works without words and can only express itself non-verbally. Art, in thought and through the creative processes, activates the imaginative and creative side, the spatial and intuitive side of our brain. Art jumps over the process of linear and logical thinking. It trains the brain to shift into thinking differently, of broaching old problems in new ways.

This is what makes art so important. It benefits the brain by training it to think outside the box. It helps children understand concepts with greater ease. It aids children in getting better grades. In the real world, the artistic side of the brain helps engineers solve problems. It guides individuals to create solutions. Art is the property of fine artists; it is also the product of engineers, technicians and computer designers. Art, in many different ways, helps people make the world a better place.”  Source here.

Art is also part of what makes humans unique.    Many animals use and create tools (crows, and chimpanzees to name a few).  Many animals in captivity have been taught to create art of one kind or another (and you can link here,  here, and here for examples), partly as enrichment for the animals and partly as a fundraising initiative for zoos and sanctuaries.  Some of these creations have become quite famous, and have served as a commentary on human art forms (for instance the paintings by Congo the chimp, and the hoax perpetrated in the 1960s). 

Undoubtedly animals are capable of appreciating art (for example, music), and of creating art in some form given some tutoring.  However, the spontaneous creation of art with intent is something that, so far, appears to be uniquely human; not surprising given the importance and unique place that symbolic thought play in human social groups, and in the human psyche. 

So, enjoy art in all its forms (for the purpose of this and the next  two blog entries, I have focused on public sculpture simply because I live in a great city which has abundant public sculpture). Actively take part in the dialogue and relationship -in the ‘conversation’ between artist, art object, and art critic (that’s you!)  created by art.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1.  Support your local artist.  Buy locally created art when you can. 

2.   Let artists know that you appreciate their work.

3.  Take the time to stop and enjoy art, and to share it with others.

4.  When public art is provided by a company or organisation, get in touch with the sponsoring body and let it know that you appreciate it.

This horse, for example, graces the front entrance of a hotel.

 This carved tree stands guard in a metro station.

This is a Henry Morgan sculpture placed outside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

5.  Go here and see what you can do to support the Canada Council of Arts

6.  Support your local museums.  Become members, give a donation (this makes a great gift too), buy tickets to special exhibits, or just wander in on the 'free days'.  Let your city council know how important your museums are to you.

7.  Expose a child to art, and revel in the joy as a whole new world reveals itself.

8.  Write to your local MP and let him/her know that supporting the arts is an important issue to you

9.  Find out what arts councils are in your area, and see what you can do to help.

10.  Create art yourself.

(Note:  the next two blog entries will consist of pictures of public art.  I will be away on vacation, so just consider this list as the WHAT YOU CAN DO LIST  for the next two blog entries too.  Enjoy!)