Newseum

It's a great pleasure is to do something you love just because it feels like the right thing to do. Even greater is to have a forum to bring that something into the world. We appreciate Teknion for giving us this opportunity to entertain and educate their designers and colleagues in DC and thanks to them for laughing at our jokes. The applause was a great reward but even more was the thrill of watching their enthusiasm, as they took to the plastic hands-on.

We never imagined, a summery evening with the glow of the dome of the Capitol as the backdrop, that our 1,000 yards of one beach would be center stage at the Newseum.

TEKNION NEWSEUM VIDEO from Red Circle Films on Vimeo.

Sneak Peak

On Friday evening, October 26, the public was invited to the Oakland Museum for a sneak peek of the Gallery of Natural Sciences now under construction including the new area devoted to the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Cordell Bank is an extremely productive marine area just off the coast from Kehoe Beach. This enclave of the deep, an underwater “bank” produces an upwelling that delivers nutrient rich water that fuels the production of phytoplankton and subsequently zooplankton that feed the fish, seabirds, marine mammals and invertebrates communities found around the bank and in the sanctuary.

Because of Kehoe Beach's proximity to Cordell Bank- about 20 miles east, we were asked to create a display and installation about plastic pollution and its effect on the ocean and beaches of the region.

For months we have been working with museum staff to create user-friendly displays and interactive ways to engage the public.

When we saw the space activated by many folks eager to engage in the activities we felt rewarded.  The evaluation of the effectiveness of our efforts is appreciated and will help us to refine our installation in preparation for the official opening in June 2013.

Flyin' High

We are flyin' high in the Dutch inflight magazine ArkeFly.

Seven Billion Plus

The world population hit seven billion on October 31, 2011. Even with a declining world population growth rate of just over one percent, world population is projected to surpass nine billion by 2050. SEVEN BILLION PLUS is an invitational group exhibition, that examines population growth, urbanization and globalization through photographs, ceramics, installation, mixed-media and sculpture.

SEVEN BILLION PLUS features North Carolina artists Geoff Calabrese, ceramicist and instructor at Cape Fear Community College and Dan Brawley, interdisciplinary artist and director of the Cucalorus Film Festival. The exhibit also features artists from one of the largest and most rapidly growing countries in the world. Zhang Xiao is a Chinese photographer and 2010 Photography Talent, 2010 MIO Photo and 2011 Prix HSBC pour la Photographie award winner, and Jasper James is a Beijing-based, UK-born photographer who captures reflections of silhouettes overlooking an expansive metropolis. Also featured is the work of West African artist Nii Narku whose painting depicts the overcrowded capital of Accra; sculptor and chair of the art department at Mt. San Jacinto College in Southern California, Eileen Doktorski and Richard and Judith Lang who have collected and photographed over two tons of plastic trash from 1,000 yards of Kehoe Beach along the Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California.

SEVEN BILLION PLUS will be on view in the University of North Carolina - Wilmington Art Gallery at the Cultural Arts Building from Oct. 11 through Nov. 9.

Go Green in Hong Kong

We are often asked about the brilliant color of the plastic — this spread from Weekend Weekly, a Hong Kong magazine, answers with this eye-catching layout. To emphasize the variety we arrange the plastic into tonal sequences (hue and shade) as in the series we call Chromas and we place the plastic onto Fiestaware plates (contrast and context) as in the series we call Unaccountable Proclivities.

Out to Sea?

If you happen to be in Switzerland this month Out to Sea? has been extended until October 28 with free admission at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich. Our photographs of nurdles and a sand table with microplastics from Kehoe Beach are on display.