Art
for the Earth, Community, and Life!
Earth Celebrations,
a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering ecological awareness
through the arts. Earth Celebrations responds to the growing need to
reconnect art with our lives, community, and the social responsibility
we all share for the preservation of a natural and ecologically balanced
world! Art does not only have to reflect life,
but can effect it too, by inspiring people's imagination and bringing
them together to address crucial issues. Right here in New York City,
where we may often feel disconnected from the natural world, we are
also part of a unique ecosystem, one where we can curb our production
of waste, pollution, and environmental destruction, as well as restore
the ecological balance in our city.
Earth Celebrations
programs include: theatrical pageants, educational art & ecology
workshops for youth and adults, artist residencies, exhibitions, web-site,
video programs, creative advocacy campaigns, and partnerships with schools,
community centers, and gardens. Since 1991, Earth Celebrations has been
working to preserve the network of over 50 community gardens on the
Lower East Side of New York City through innovative and creative programs,
pageants, and workshops.
Earth Celebrations
inspires the community to cultivate its diverse
cultural traditions, invent new multi-cultural myths and symbols, document
and perform their own local histories, and create art to preserve the
earth, build community, and celebrate life!
PUBLIC
EVENTS/THEATRICAL PAGEANTS
Save Our Gardens
Slide Show:
A public viewing of the spectacular images of the Rites of Spring
pageant, in the 6th Street & Avenue B Garden. (September)
Annual Winter Pageant:
A night-time pageant with giant puppets and community-made lanterns
mobilizes support for the gardens year-round. Pageant puppet and costume
workshops: Saturday's, (November - January.)
Annual Rites of
Spring: Procession to Save Our Gardens:
The popular 10-hour community pageant celebrate and mobilizes support
to save the network of Lower East Side gardens (Saturday before memorial
weekend in May)
EDUCATIONAL
WORKSHOPS/ARTISTS RESIDENCIES
On-Going Art &
Ecology Workshops: At Earth Celebration's open community studio, the
workshop engage and organize participants throughout the year to develop
creative strategies and production skills addressing crucial issues.
Workshops located at our space at the Sixth Street Community Center.
Art & Ecology
Workhops in the Public Schools Planning has begun to implement environmental
art programs throughout the year through New York City public schools.
COMMUNITY
ORGANIZING PROJECTS
Lower East Side
Garden Preservation Initiative: Earth Celebrations initiated coalition
of neighborhood groups, organizations, gardeners, activists to work
together towards the permanent preservation of the Lower East Side gardens,
through a land trust, permanent site and Parks Department status, among
other options.
Monthly Public Planning
Meetings: The meetings organize the community throughout the year around
projects and campaigns. An on-going participatory process brings the
community together by incorporating and sharing their ideas, visions,
and varying approaches to accomplishing goals.
ART
EXHIBITIONS
Cities of Eden:
An Art Exhibition Celebrating Community Gardens in New York City presents
painting, sculpture, photography, video.
PERFORMANCES
Recycle the Trash
Monster: For Earth Day's Parade For the Planet a 50 foot-long dragon
of colorful soda cans, detergent bottles and newspaper is created, paraded
and then recyled!
VIDEO
PROGRAMS
Earth Celebrations
on Cable: All Earth Celebrations events are editied into 30 minute documentaries
and air on Manhattan Neighborhood Network and web-sites.
INTERNET
PROJECTS
Earth Celebrations
Web-Site: Is an on-going collaboration of gardeners, artists, activits,
web designers, and community people exploring this new forum for their
ideas and information on their programs, strugggles, and
acheivements to preserve the gardens.
Internet & WWW:
An on-going program exploring the use of the internet as a tool for
community organizing and raising awareness and support for local issues
world-wide.
FUNDRAISING
EVENT
Annual Earth Celebrations
Benefit: The annual benefit dance and
performance event raising funds and support for Earth celebrations programs.
The Wednesday (closest to the spring equinox).