re:seed Plays Blend Studio & Around Nashville 6/5-26

re:seed with Alesandra Bellos plays June 5-26, 2010 at Blend Studio & around Nashville. Opening Reception: First Saturday Gallery Crawl: June 5, 2010; 6-9pm

Re:seed shares the simple and effective technique of making and scattering seedballs. You are invited to scatter these seedballs at flood-affected locations in Nashville, or anywhere else you deem in need of re:seeding. Seedballs can be made with any type of seed, but we are focusing on phytoremediating plants that can help to repair soils contaminated with heavy metals and organic pollutants, green cover crops that will help to restore nutrients to the soil, and native plants that heal, either through medicinal properties or aesthetic beauty.

This show, re:seed, comes in the wake of a great flood. It grows out of what existed before, from what has been swept away and what has been left behind, and grows into what is yet to come and what could be. It is about growing possibilities, sending down new roots, and healing ourselves and the spaces around us.

Re:seed will work to identify areas -- touched or untouched by floodwater -- in need of remediation, collective care and community transformation through the healing power of plants.

An interactive website (www.alesandra.net) will point out sites in need of planting. Visitors to the website and to the exhibition will be able to suggest additional sites, and to track the growth of plants at the sites through collectively-pooled photo sets and online maps. Visitors will have the option of directly participating in the re:seeding effort by taking seedballs with them and scattering them where they are needed.

A series of workshops (including one the evening of the exhibition opening) will share the simple and effective technique of making seedballs, which will then be distributed to visitors to the show and used to re:seed Nashville. Seedballs are "a small universe in themselves", to quote farmer / philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka -- small models of the living world, made of compost, clay and whatever seeds fit inside. They can be tossed on the ground and left to germinate when and where time and conditions are right. Seedballs can be made with any type of seed, but we will focus on phytoremediating plants that can help to repair soils contaminated with heavy metals and organic pollutants, green cover crops that will help to restore nutrients to the soil, and native plants that heal, either through medicinal properties or aesthetic beauty.

At locations physically impacted by floodwaters, baseline levels of heavy metals and organic pollutants will be assessed through soil samples. At the end of this year's growing season, phytoremediating plants will be collected for treatment and analysis, and additional soil samples will be taken to determine the level of soil remediation. This data will be made available to provide anecdotal evidence for the successful use of phytoremediation.

A mid-June event will allow participants to connect physically with their city through a bike pilgrimage to each of the re:seed sites. Additional seedballs will be scattered at each location at this time.

In addition to the interactive re:seeding portion of this project, a series of plant images created through printmaking techniques will be on display at Blend Studio.

More information is available at http://www.alesandra.net/

About Blend Studio

Blend Studio is located on the second floor of the historic Arcade building and in the heart of the gallery district in downtown Nashville. Blend Studio offers a diverse range of contemporary art and unique opportunities for artists to merge with the community. Blend Studio features engaging and informative community-based art projects created through partnerships between artists and the community. These collaborative experiences develop dialog, awareness and growth for local and global communities.

Regular Hours: Friday 11am-5pm; Saturday 11am-3pm; First Saturday Gallery Crawl 6-9pm; & by appointment