Community Art Project to Save River Bed

   

SANTA FE—The Santa Fe Art Institute, in coordination with  Bill McKibben’s 350.org, is spearheading the New Mexico  FLASH FLOOD for a living river project, which is one of five  U.S. sites out of 20 global locations. Joining forces with an  incredible list of community partners, the SFAI is recruiting  3,000 community members to carry and flip blue-painted  recycled cardboard to compose a FLASH FLOOD in the dry  bed of the Santa Fe River, which has been designated as  one of America’s most endangered rivers. The art action  and aerial design will be visible and documented from outer  space via satellite, from the air by award-winning cinemato- grapher Doug Crawford, and from the ground by still cameras,  video cameras, and thousands of individual cell phones and  cameras. The FLASH FLOOD satellite images will be  projected worldwide alongside the 19 other global aerial  designs as part of the Cancun Climate Change Summit,  November 29 – December 10, 2010. In conjunction with the FLASH FLOOD project, there is an open call  exhibition, which will open at the Pre-event party on Friday night 11/19  at 5pm at the SFAI. Artists wishing to participate must deliver work related  to water issues in New Mexico that is no larger than 4’ x 4’ to the SFAI by  3pm 11/15 and must install and de-install their own work. For more info,  please contact the SFAI at (505) 424- 5050. Ongoing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings until the event are  cardboard painting workshops at the SFAI. We have paint and cardboard  to use, but also welcome any blue paint and cardboard the community can  donate. These events are free and open to the public. Our newest partner,  Santa Fe Trails, has offered to provide shuttle service to and from parking  areas near the SanYsidro site, to reduce parking nightmares and congestion!  This art action is an amazing example of a community coming together for  a common good. Santa Fe Mayor David Coss says of the project, “The Santa Fe River  sustains the people. The People need to sustain the Santa Fe River. This  great project is a true demonstration of the connection between our  community and our river.” SFAI director Diane Karp adds: “Working together with all our amazing  partners, the Santa Fe Art Institute is honored to have "FLASH FLOOD:  for a living river" chosen as one of the twenty art actions world wide that  will address environmental stress and climate change for the Cancun  Climate Change conference.” “Our many languages and cultures, histories and perspectives merge  in this fabulous community art project to focus on the Santa Fe River  and its importance for us all. Art can make the difference that makes  the difference.” For more information about this event, please contact: Alysha Shaw at alysha.shaw@gmail.com or (505) 795 8096 Michelle Laflamme-Childs at mchilds@sfai.org or (505) 424 5050.