Saving SEED
Saving seeds strengthens the capacity of plants to adapt to the sometimes challenging growing conditions of Maine. As we plan our gardens for the upcoming year, this workshop will offer information on how to grow out heirloom vegetables with the intention of saving seeds. Isolation of species, overwintering for biennial roots and brassicas as well as seed harvesting and storage will be covered. Seeds granted by the Seed Matters program (http://seedmatters.org) will be freely available for community members who would like to try their hand at seed saving.
Homes for Pollinators
Augmenting pollinator habitat helps increase crop yield. Like people, pollinators need access to food, water, shelter and space to raise their young in order to thrive. Broadening our notions of HOME to include the outdoor spaces that surround us allows us to realize our connections with the wildlife that sustains us. Complementing seed saving techniques, we will explore ways to recognize homes for pollinators and share ideas on how to work with natural materials to support their needs. This event will kick off a series of local community engagements to restore pollinator habitat on the grounds of several schools around the Blue Hill Peninsula. Join us to learn how to participate in developing ‘outdoor classrooms’ where students may learn the process of supporting this essential component of our local ecology.
About SEED: Following the ecological rhythm of the seasons, SEED programs engage a network of schools and land stewards at the intersection of art and ecology to promote long term restoration. Building habitat for birds and pollinators through providing accessible platforms for community participation develops a sense of our relationships with the natural world, which we feel is essential to the effectiveness of conservation work. Bridging art, science and community engagement, local artist Lee Lee founded the SEED Barn in South Blue Hill as an incubator for creative dissemination methods to preserve heirloom seeds and restore habitats in both Haiti and Maine. www.virtualvoices.org
2018 SEED :: disperse Fieldwork
SEED Sensorium at the MOFGA Seed Swap
March 25th, Unity Maine www.mofga.org
Seedling Exchange
May with the Blue Hill Garden Club
HugelCULTURE: Sculpted Pollinator Homes
May 30th workshop with the Blue Hill Heritage Trust and students from the George Stevens Academy for their Arts Week
SEED :: disperse | Creative dissemination methods
July 19th, 7pm Lecture at the Blue Hill Public Library
Great Maine Outdoors Weekend
September 22nd community weaving in Kingdom Woods with the Blue Hill Heritage Trust
Recent SEED Events
MOFGA SEED Swap
SEED: The Untold Story at the Halcyon Grange
SEED :: disperse
SEED is an interdisciplinary arts project exploring and celebrating the miracle of the seed. The SEED Mission is to encourage cross-pollination between the arts and sciences through fine art exhibitions and creative dissemination methods in combination with multi-sensory and educational SEED Sensorium. Visitors to SEED are invited to look through the lens of the seed to explore connections between art and science and their personal relationship to the natural world.
The SEED Barn
Located in Blue Hill, Maine, the SEED Barn houses a SEED Library, Demonstration Gardens, Art-Science collaborations & a SEED Sensorium
SEED :: Haiti
Initiated during the 4th Ghetto Biennial, the Gardens of the Grand Rue project responds to food justice issues through heirloom seed preservation, cultivation and education.
SEED :: disperse
Exhibition at The Dairy Arts Center
The DEBRIS Project
Debris is an interactive, collaborative installation which is being created as a response to problems presented by marine debris, with a focus on single use plastic. The work reflects the literal problem of plastic in marine environments while offering a symbolic representation of the chemical body burdens carried by wildlife and humans alike. In presenting these issues, we are asked to consider misplaced cultural notions of “disposability”, calling in to question consumer driven waste which has devalued what is in fact a very important material.
The Taos Distillery
Event Space & Gallery
Workshops – Retreats – Family Gatherings – Weddings
Collection of international artworks & paintings for sale