MAP - Gallery of Myth, Stories, and Living Tradition
Envisioned to evoke the
transformative value of historical and contemporary cultural traditions, MAP's
Gallery uses the power of myth, stories, and imagination to give voice to the
universality of cultural traditions.
The gallery is an outreach program
of the Metropolitan Arts Partnership (“MAP“) and is designed to provide a more significant regional presence. The Gallery of Myth, Stories and Living
Traditions will soon expand to include a companion lecture, workshop, and
conference series.
The primary programs of MAP are its
workplace giving Arts Fund; the management of the local federal workplace
giving program, the Combined Federal Campaign; and the gallery outreach program at the Arts Building in downtown Auburn, from 2006 – 2013.
The mission of the Metropolitan Arts
Partnership is to support arts education and outreach programs for children and
youth in schools, performance venues, and neighborhood centers provided by our members’ agencies. MAP members are certified non-profit
arts organizations based in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, or Yuba
Counties.
From 2006 until
its closing in March of 2013, the MAP Gallery consisted of temporary
installations, which were curated by Founder and Executive Director Michelle Walker, the Artistic Director of the Gallery and Founder of the International
Society of Altar Making. She has facilitated Altar Making workshops since 1980. Michelle drew from her New Orleans ancestry
and her interests in Ndebele, Hopi, Bon Po, Tibetan Tantric, and Kundalini
philosophies and practices; she integrated those elements into her personal
altars and Altar Making over the years.
Co-curator Andrea
“YaYa” Porras is an artist and assistant to the Map Gallery, where she was
mentored and guided by master artist/Altar Maker Michelle Walker. YaYa, in her own right, has studied the
traditions of her ancestry; she is an Aztecan dancer, African-modern dancer,
actress, poet, and altar artist from Sacramento, California.
Gallery-Assistant Ondrea
Walker- is an artist apprentice trained in concept development and
installation by the International Society of Altar Making. She attended the San
Francisco Art Academy, where her concentration was photography, photo
documentaries, and photojournalism.
Proposed Project-
Creation of Living Land Trust for Outdoor Altar
Installations- a Continuum:
MAP - Gallery of Myth, Stories, and
Living Traditions- Breathing Life into the Gallery 2013. "The Land" will serve as a living
experiment for sustainable practices and an incubator for personal and
collective transformation.
The initiative for
community land trust was known as the Bhoodan or Land Gift movement in the
1950s and 1960s, gathering people
together and asking those with more land than they needed to give a portion of
it to their poorer sisters and brothers; many India's leaders participated
in these walks from village to village.[i]
Seeing this,
Vinoba altered the Boodan system to a Gramdan or Village gift system. All
donated land was subsequently held by the village itself. The town would
then lease the land to those capable
of working it. The lease expires if the land is unused. The Gramdan movement
inspired a series of regional village land trusts that anticipated Community
Land Trusts in the United States.
The first
organization labeled with the term 'community land trust' in the U.S.,
called New Communities, Inc., was founded to help African-American farmers in the rural South access farmland and work it with security.
A precursor to this was the Celo Community in
North Carolina, founded in 1937 by Arthur Ernest Morgan.
New communities:
Robert Swann worked with Slater King, president of the Albany Movement and a
cousin of Martin Luther King, Jr., Charles Sherrod, an organizer for the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and individuals from other southern
civil rights organizations in the South to develop New Communities, Inc.,
"a nonprofit organization to hold land in perpetual trust for the
permanent use of rural communities."[ii]
There are
currently over 250 community land trusts in the United States. Fledgling CLT
movements are also underway in England, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Kenya, and
New Zealand. In 2006, a national association was established in the United
States to provide assistance and support for CLTs: the National Community Land
Trust Network.[iii]
Sustainability
I am interested in
developing a “Community Land Trusts and Art Place Making to expand the MAP
Gallery of Myth, Stories, and Living Traditions in the acquisition of land
ownership to capture the value of a public investment for long-term community
benefit. Instead of leasing or renting
gallery spaces for exhibition, the gallery would become land owners.
Conservation Land
Trust: A land trust is a nonprofit organization that, as part of its
mission, actively works to conserve land by undertaking or assisting in land or
conservation easement acquisition or by its stewardship of such land or
easements.
Putting real
estate assets into a land trust allows the owner to avoid probate and save on
estate taxes when the property passes to heirs.
It will also protect the property from liens and judgments that might
otherwise be brought against an owner. For partners and tenants in common, each
owner is insulated from decisions. With a land trust, an owner can privately
transfer their beneficial interest in the faith (the actual ownership) without being reported to any governmental agencies.
Lastly, with a land trust, a person’s right to the property remains
confidential and does not appear in any county recorder's office or another publicly-accessible resource.
In particular,
Community land trusts attempt to meet the needs of residents least served by
the prevailing land market. Community land trusts help communities: Gain
control over local land use and reduce absentee ownership, provide affordable
housing for lower-income residents, promote resident ownership
and control of housing, keep housing affordable for future residents, and build
a strong base for community action.
Collaborating
Organization
Visual Arts Development Project- proposes “the
Land” Rituals and traditions for two-week artists in residency MayMay 13MayMay 25n Placer County.
The VADP will be
the first collaborating organization to form a partnership with the International Society of Altar Making, establishing the first of a
series of land trusts that serve as a network for Altar training and research.
"The Land" will serve as a living experiment for sustainable
practices and an incubator for personal and collective transformation.
Anita Posey-Lowe
lives on three and a half archers in Placer County, where she has a potter’s
studio, with several areas on her property for pit firing. She has whole-heartedly loaned the use of her
land to the Visual Arts Development Project to expand its
outreach program of workshops and outdoor altar installations and to build a
permanent structure that will be left on her land in the area we have proposed
to erect the outdoor altar. The artist has suggested that the panels and other
elements of the installation be a temporary installation that will be deconstructed
by the resident artist at the end of the exhibition. The residency will be a series
of workshops, intensive structure
construction, clearing of the land for ceremonies, artist constructing individual sculpture elements, independent studio, time for creative conversation, and libations.
Collaborating
Artists Organization: Visual Arts Development Project
Anita Posey-Lowe
1855 Christian Valley RdAuburn, CA
530-878-8034
www.aposeylowepottery.com
aposeylo@jps.net
The 73-year-old
artist, who currently lives in Auburn, is a member of the Sacramento Potters
Group, Placer Arts League, Arts Council of Placer County, International
Association of Workforce Personnel (IAWP), and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Her
works have been seen at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center during the Northern
California Art, Inc., “Bold Expressions” exhibition, the Placer Art League’s
Gallery One in Auburn; the Beecher Room of the Auburn Library during the Auburn
Association of University Women’s Art “35 show; the Auburn Arts Center Clay
show; and the Lincoln Arts Center in Lincoln, CA.
Talver Germany-Miller
11035 Foxmouth Circle
Mather CA, 95655
Survey and Art History and Studio Classes Lecturer at Los Rios Community College District- Folsom Lake College. A native of
Sacramento, California, she was educated like many other artists from grammar
to graduate school. Talver received a BA degree in Studio Art, a BA in Social
Science/ Anthropology, and an MS. Degree in Counseling Education, all from the California State University of Sacramento. She is an Associate Professor of Art at Folsom
Lake College, a member of the Placerville Arts Association, San Francisco Fine
Arts Museum, Sacramento African American Art Collection, Phantom Gallery Chicago
Network on LinkedIn, a member of the California Arts Association, and
co-founded the Visual Arts Development Project.
Alpha
Bruton- Chief Curator/Art Consultant
PO Box 163151, Sacramento CA 95816-3151773-681-6570
Phantom
Gallery Chicago Network and Co-Founder of the Visual Arts Development Project
Bruton is a mother of three, an artist,
and a lifelong learner. She is an alumnus of Fresno City College, where she holds
an Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis on African
American Studies (1979). BFA in Liberal Studies from the California State
University of Fresno with a minor in Dance (1983); BFA in Art Education with an
emphasis in Studio Art from California State University of Sacramento (1987)
and completed the Teachers Credential Program in 1990. Bruton completed her MA
in Arts Administration at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2001. She
is the chief curator for the Phantom Gallery Chicago Network, where she
coordinates exhibitions in alternative venues for installation, environmental, and
conceptual artists to connect the arts with commerce.
As a curator, her primary focus for
this project is:
Artist in Residency Projects
Creating markers for temporary installation
Land Trust for Small Museums and
Research
land acquisition for permanent installations
PROPOSED INSTALLATION “the Land” Rituals
and traditions Purification Ceremony
Rituals and traditions
associated with sweating vary regionally and culturally. Ceremonies often
include traditional prayers and songs. In some cultures drumming and offerings
to the spirit world may be part of the ceremony, or a sweat lodge ceremony may
be a part of another, more extended tradition.
Some standard practices and key
elements associated with purification ceremonies include:
Training - Most cultures holding ceremonial sweats require that someone undergo intensive training for
many years to be allowed to lead a purification ceremony. One of the
requirements is that the leader can pray and communicate fluently in the
indigenous language of that culture and understand how to conduct
the ceremony safely. This leadership role is granted by the Elders of the
community, not self-designated.
Orientation – The door may
face a sacred fire. The cardinal directions may have symbolism in the culture holding the purification ceremonies. The structure may be oriented
within its environment for a specific purpose. Placement and orientation of the
system within its territory are often considered to facilitate the
ceremony's connection with the spirit world and practical usage considerations.
Construction – The purification
ceremonies are generally built with great care and respect for the
environment and the materials being used. Many traditions construct the purification
ceremonies in complete silence, some have a drum playing while they build, and
other practices have the builders fast during construction.
Support – In many traditions,
one or more persons will remain outside the structure to protect the ceremony,
assist the participants, and aid purification ceremony etiquette. Sometimes
they will tend the fire and place the hot stones if it is a structure that
uses rocks, though usually this is done by a designated firekeeper.
2013 TRAINING SCHEDULE
March 23 – 25: Weekend Retreat Visual Arts Development Project,
March 30th: De-installation Gallery of Myth, Stories, and Living Traditions.April 1 – 30: Approval of design proposal, a gathering of supplies, an invitation to guest artists and bids, facilitators, registration, and fundraising.
May 11-12: North Auburn Studio’s Tour Mother’s Day Weekend
May 13 – 25: Building Living Sculpture Installation- Guest Artist and Preparatory
May 17 – 19: Weekend Retreat Workshop and Studio Intensive
MayMay 18 Ceremony Begins
May 20 – 24: Installations, murals, and layering of the Shell
May 25: Community Celebration
RESOURCES: (Please add cost-share
resources here and other partnering artists and sponsors)
International Society of Altar Making is committed to offering high-quality
training, programs, consultations, and celebratory-based events led by
credentialed trainers skilled in facilitation, Altar Making,
and Art Placemaking. To that end, all gallery directors seek support and
expert advice from leading land trust organizations, purification ceremonies authorized elders, and traditional spiritual leaders, regionally, statewide, nationally, and
internationally.
Etiquette
The most important part of purification
ceremony etiquette is respecting the traditions of the culture in question.
Knowing what is allowed and expected before entering a
structure is essential. Traditional Peoples usually place a high value on modesty.
Even people, who are experienced with
sweat, and attending a ceremony led by a properly trained and authorized
ceremonial leader, could suddenly experience problems due to underlying health
issues. Therefore, it is recommended by Lakota spiritual leaders that people only attend
lodges with official, traditional spiritual leaders.
There have been reports of purification
ceremonies-related deaths resulting from overexposure to heat, dehydration,
smoke inhalation, or improper lodge construction leading to suffocation.
Fire rocks are used. It is essential not to
use river rocks or other rocks with air pockets. Stones
must be completely dry before heating. Stones with air pockets or excessive
moisture could crack and possibly explode in the fire or when hit by water. Likewise, previously used stones absorb humidity or moisture, leading to cracks or
shattering.
The ceremony starts with the loading and
offering of the "peace pipe" in prayer. Then, what is typically four
rounds or endurances, each lasting about 30 to 45 minutes. Finally, the round ends when
the leader announces the door's opening.
The first round is for recognition of the
spirit world which resides in the black west where the sun goes down, and the
Creator may be asked for a "spirit guide" by some of the
participants.
The second round is for recognition of
courage, endurance, strength, cleanliness, and honesty, calling upon the power
of the white North.
The third round is the recognition of
knowledge and individual prayer, praying to the direction of the daybreak star
and the rising sun so that we may gain wisdom and follow the Red Road of
the East in all our endeavors.
The last round centers on spiritual growth
and healing. From our spirit guides from the west, from the courage, honesty, and endurance of the north, from the knowledge and wisdom obtained from the
east, we continue the circle to the South, from which comes growth. It is from
development and maturing that healing comes.
You must leave any time during the sweat, say "Mitakuye Oyasin" (All my relatives). Then, the other participants
will move away from the wall so that you may pass behind them as you leave in a
clockwise direction.
The first stone is placed in the west part
of a small hole in the center of the lodge, then north, east, South, and in the
center to Grandfather. Additional stones are then placed on Grandmother and The
People.
Some protocol for sweat is; during a
woman’s “moon time,” they refrain from participating in the ceremony. Instead, they go to a different lodge called the “moon lodge.” Men and Women usually
don’t sweat together.
Stay alcohol and drug-free for 4 days
before the ceremony. Women cover their bodies with modest cotton dresses, and men
wear shorts. Each participant makes an offering for the lodge (tobacco, sage, sweet grass, and/or items such as herbs, tea, and cotton cloth) when you come to
ceremonies.
Anishinabe. The only difference I have
noticed is that in our area, the Anishinabe have the door facing east, while the
other two groups have it facing south.
The sweat lodge or sweat house (also called
purification ceremony, ceremonial sauna, or simply sweat) is a formal or
ritual event in some cultures, particularly among some North American First
Nations, Native American, Scandinavian, Baltic, and Eastern European
cultures.
Several structures are used
in different cultures; these include a domed or oblong hut similar to a
wickiup, a permanent design made of wood or stone, or even a simple hole dug
into the ground and covered with planks or tree trunks.
Stones are typically heated, and water is poured over them to create steam. These ritual actions are
accompanied by traditional prayers and songs in ceremonial usage.
El Altar is an extinct volcano on the
western side of Sangay National Park in Ecuador, 170 km south of Quito. Bishop
around a church altar. Altar (O'odham: Wawuk) is a small city in
Altar Municipality in the Mexican state of Sonora. It is located in the
northwest region of the state at 30°42′49″N 111°50′07″W. The town of Altar is situated on the
important Mexicali to Hermosillo Highway (Federal Highway 2). However, most of the roads
leading into the desert are not paved.
[i] Some
of the new landowners, however, became discouraged. The land was useless to them without tools to work the
land and seeds to plant it, and an affordable credit system was available to
purchase these necessary things. So they soon sold
their deeds back to the large landowners and left for the cities.
[ii]
Their vision for New Communities Inc. drew heavily on the example and
experience of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in making land available through
99-year ground leases for the development of planned communities and
agricultural cooperatives. The JNF was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land
in Ottoman Palestine (later Israel) for Jewish settlement. By 2007, the JNF
owned 13% of Israel's land. It has a long and established legal
history of leasing land to individuals, cooperatives, and intentional
communities such as kibbutzim and moshavim. Swann, Slater King, Charles
Sherrod, Faye Bennett, director of the National Sharecroppers Fund, and our
other Southerners traveled to Israel in 1968 to learn more about ground
leasing. They decided on a model that included individual leaseholds for
homesteads and cooperative leases for farmland. New Communities Inc. purchased
a 5,000-acre (20 km2) farm near Albany, Georgia, in 1970, developed a plan for
the land and farmed it for twenty years. The land was eventually lost, but the
example of New Communities inspired the formation of a dozen other rural
community land trusts in the 1970s. It also inspired and informed the first
book about community land trusts, produced by the International Independence
Institute in 1972.
Ralph Borsodi, Robert Swann, and Erick Hansch founded
the International Independence Institute in 1967 to provide training and
technical assistance for rural development in the United States and other
countries, drawing on the model of the Gramdan villages being developed in
India. In 1972, Swann, Hansch, Shimon Gottschalk, and Ted Webster proposed a
"new model for land tenure in America" in The Community Land Trust,
the first book to name and describe this new approach to the ownership of land,
housing, and other buildings. One year later, they changed the name of the
International Independence Institute to the Institute for Community Economics
(ICE).
[iii]
Community Land Trusts
A community land trust is a private, non-profit
corporation created to acquire and hold land for the benefit of a community and provide secure affordable access to land and housing for community
residents.
CLTs offer a balanced approach to ownership: the
nonprofit trust owns the land and leases it for a nominal fee to individuals
who possess the buildings on the land. As the home is truly their own, it provides
the homeowners with the same permanence and security as a conventional buyer,
and they can use the land the same way as any other homeowner.
[iv] Your
Step-by-Step Guide to Land Trusts © 2000 Bronchick, William, J.D., published by
Legalwiz Publications
No comments:
Post a Comment