Edmonton GG Featured in View Weekly

So begins the article seen in last week's View Weekly. Overall, I thought it read quite well, though, in the future I'd prefer to not have my name and the words "improvised explosive devices" in the same paragraph. (I'd like to take this moment to reassure the public that we are NOT blowing anything up.)

I much enjoyed the artwork and felt that the article did a decent job at highlighting some of our initiatives and providing a little history on the movement. With the exception of perhaps being overly critical of my own quotes (my doing, not the View's) I feel as though this article provides a great pushing off point for this guerrilla gardening year.

To read the full article click here.

A Moss Art Project

A few of us gathered together tonight to work on an art related Guerrilla Gardening Project. The stencil on the left was created from some large refrigerator boxes and will be used to help make the pattern of a giant tree with the city of Edmonton's skyline growing from its crown. The picture symbolizes the often overlooked link between the urban and natural environments.

Moss not Paint: What makes this project unique is that the image will be stenciled with moss. The idea is that over time moss will grow in to create an organic, living picture. A bonus of using moss is that it can always be removed easily without causing any damage.

We'd like to get more of these art based Guerrilla Gardening projects going in the future. Some ideas include hanging plants potted in recycled clothing in public view and having picnics on sod rolled out in front of fed parking meters.

The Carrots: Community Arts Coffeehouse

The Carrot community arts coffeehouse is a community based, completely volunteer run, coffee shop located at 9351-118 ave.

I know, I know, this may not exactly be Guerrilla Gardening related but I couldn't keep myself from mentioning a most fantastic community run cafe I can across recently while scoping out a place to do some open mic. The entire experience was very eclectic; from a yodeling clown to a free roaming five year old girl dancing to the sounds of the open mic, the Carrot Cafe seamed to have an atmosphere like no other. One lady in the audience accompanied each performance with her own brand of wood-block, scrapper, brand of percussion; although not always in time.

Located in an area not usually known for its welcoming demeanor, the Carrot Cafe is a haven of creativity and community. It's easy to see that the volunteers and community members behind the project are working hard together to create a truly positively refuge in the 118 avenue community. A highly recommended experience.

GG does "The Works"

Hey so a few of us were thinking it would be cool to support and check out some local culture and check
out "The Works" on Friday.

"The Works" is an Edmonton Art and Design Festival featuring artists from around the world, boosting the energy and imagination of Downtown Edmonton at the start of every summer.

The Works is a free event offering over 200 exciting exhibits and special events to the public.

We were thinking we could meet at Winston Churchill Square around 6:30-7:00 and head out to various shows and exhibits around downtown. It's pretty much just an excuse to hangout and support one of the best festivals this city has to offer in the summer.

We can scope future planting sites while we're at it too.

Sorry for the short notice,hopefully you can come!



http://www.theworks.ab.ca/festivalfolder/festival/festival.html