Just back from New Orleans, and having stayed in the Ninth Ward, near St. Claude Ave., I’m keen on Loren Schwerd’s exhibit and am planning to get out to Hendersonville to see it.  Mourning Portrait, above, is made from human hair extentions found near the St. Claude Beauty Supply after Katrina.  “Hair acts as the central metaphor to evoke a sense of intimacy and absence, and speaks to the racial politics that have paralyzed the city’s recovery effort,” says the press release for the exhibit.

Rebecca Sullock, A&E Editor at the Mountain Xpress offers great information about Mourning Portrait, an exhibit at the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design.

What is the CCCD you ask?

The CCCD is an interdisciplinary, and internationally respected, center for craft in Hendersonville.  They provide major scholarships, study the economic impact of craft in our region, are supporting the development of a craft text book, and much more…like my friend Katie Lee is the Assistant Director and I would pretty much put bets on anything she is involved in.  If this cool exhibit doesn’t make you want to make the trip out there, the beautiful trails on the property might.  Go for the afternoon, take a walk in the woods on the grounds and then stop by the beautiful (and intimate) gallery.

More from Mountain Xpress here.

Amazing photo essay of their story:  “The Odd Couple” as told in images and interviews by Justin Spinks.

From LaZoom files

I’m also so excited to learn more about this small group of multimedia students from UNC-CH who travel to a different part of our state to produce a documentary Web site in a week. The stories students produce are historical snapshots, which examine treasured North Carolina cultures and traditions that are often in flux.  Check out these other Asheville Photo essays as well:

Now You See Them (featured on LaZoom’s Halloween tour)

Bootstraps Burlesque

See all of the “Being Asheville” segments here.

Not difficult to believe that they were enamored with our own Jim and Jen Lauzon.  If you’ve seen them, they have brightened your day.  If you know them, they exemplify living life to the fullest.  They are pollinators extraordinaire.  Take a ride on LaZoom for their special Halloween tour or any other time.

Photo courtesy of Washington Post

Elumenati dome on the White House lawn in an effort to promote science literacy.  The Elumenati is an Asheville design and engineering company that creates custom immersive environments such as domes.  David McConville is the co-founder of the company and also on the Buckminster Fuller Institute board of directors.

Washington Post Article:

By Joel Achenbach
President Obama, having spent much of the day pondering Afghanistan, spent a few seconds Wednesday night looking through a telescope at a double-star system roughly one quadrillion miles away.

The South Lawn of the White House was littered with some 20 telescopes and what might be called portable planetariums — inflated tents with images of the universe projected on the ceiling. This was the Obama “star party,” a night for astronomy with 150 Washington-area students.

It was 400 years ago, the president told the students, that Galileo built his first telescope and began probing the universe.

“Galileo changed the world when he pointed his telescope to the sky. Now it’s your turn,” Obama said. “Don’t let anyone tell ya that there isn’t more to discover.”

Read Entire Article

Marjora Carter and bell hooks, left to right, courtesy of Sara Day Events

Environmental justice. Human connection.  Roots.  Branches.  And an invitation to dig in a peace garden.

Feminist literary activist bell hooks and social/environmental justice advocate Majora Carter were welcomed to the Burton Street Community Center and Peace Garden by Mayor Terry Bellamy and poet, educator and advocate Glenis Redmond.

Sitting under a century old tree in the Burton Street neighborhood, a mixed-color crowd listened and talked about “community.”  Redmond, standing under the engulfing tree, spoke to history and family roots in poems about her grandparents.

Bellamy, sans campaign staff, honored Council’s Robin Cape for her tireless environmental work in Asheville, and Majora Carter’s life work educating about and encouraging national planning policy that includes environmental justice.

“Community is multilayered,” said hooks, “…the challenge is to open up to all levels.”  Carter added, “…be builders of things together.”  Both called for us to be part of our environment, rather than “the” environment, and to build our communities as inclusive, by addressing the barriers of technology (which hooks added is not free), literacy, history, and thus education, class and race.

Before we ate cobb oven-baked pizza and homemade tureens in small circles on the grass, Asheville poet and elder, Lucielle Ray, performed “Mr. City Man,” a poem about urban renewal. An advocate of the peace garden invited all of those gathered for the event–85% of which had come to the neighborhood for the first time for this gathering, including me–to come back and contribute to the Burton Street Peace Garden.  The third Saturday of the month from about 10 a.m. to noon is a good time to work with people in the garden.

In the small picnic-like eating circles I was privy to, the discussions moved from Carter’s work to mentoring to development to race and silence.

Majora Carter discussing “greening the ghetto” at TED Watching this is the best 20 minutes you will spend today.

“…economic degradation begets environmental degradation, which begets social degradation.”  Majora Carter

Many thanks to those who pulled this gathering together: Sara Day Events with the support of Asheville GO! and the Burton Street Community Peace Garden.  Bob White of Pisgah View Community Peace Gardens also gave words of inspiration and encouragement.  Make a donation.

The Pollinator Partnership (P2) is the D.B.A. for the 501(c)(3) non-profit Coevolution Institute. P2 works to protect the health of managed and native pollinating animals vital to our North American ecosystems and agriculture.

Pollinators are essential to life.  Pollinating Asheville believes this is also true of human pollinators in our communities.  Pollinators (you probably are one!) strengthen the fabric of our community.

At least 80% of our world’s crop plant species require pollination. Estimates as high as 1 out of every 3rd bite of food comes to us through the work of animal pollinators. Birds, bees, butterflies, and also bats, beetles and even mosquitos are among the myriad creatures which transfer pollen between seed plants.  This function is vital for plant reproduction and food production.

Thumbs up to all the Ashevillan birds, bees, butterflies, bats, beetles and mosquitos…you know who you are!

National Public Radio story about National Pollinators Week