G.E.E.E. at Mana Contemporary

High Concept Laboratories requested G.E.E.E. pop up at a Mana Contemporary's Open House.  We installed a tomato trading post for 1 day only.

We set up shop in HCL's space, the time they've been able to use the space.  Rebuild Foundation had an Open House the same afternoon, so we specifically the Mana operation to be help-yourself.

I returned toward the end of the Mana event, not knowing what to expect.  As I got out of my car, I began to notice streams of tomato seedlings work their way out of the buuilding.

When I got inside, a cue of people were patiently in line to write poems and leave notes in exchange for their seedlings.

Yet again, hundreds of tomato seedlings found their way out into the world through. G.E.E.E.

The Tomato Seedlings are in the Archive Yard

 G.E.E.E. now offers thousands of tomato seedlings for a poem, for a note or for free in the yard behind the Archive House.

The seedlings arrived just in time for Rebuild Foundation's Sunday Open House barbeque.

G.E.E.E. is Part of the Progressive Conversation

Erika Dudley invited portable G.E.E.E. to her and Joanie Friedman's series "Progressive Conversation," which is tied in with the Southside Arts and Humanities Network and the University of Chicago's Graham School of Continuing Education.

Maybe 40 people attended, mostly leaders in non-profit arts organizations.  It was the first time we'd been back to Theaster Gates' studio building since the Black Artists' Retreat last summer; this space looks great!

I got to speak with several attendees, inviting them to our more extensive operations at the Archive House and Archive Yard.

The Hyde Park Herald Reports on G.E.E.E. 60615

The Hyde Park Herald chose to cover our recent tomato exchange at the Hyde Park Art Center.

http://hpherald.com/2014/06/11/tomato-trade-for-poetry-at-the-hpac/

Self De-Installation of G.E.E.E. 60615

By the end of the weekend, just a few plants were left.

Bob was able to de-install quickly.  We thank everyone for participating!

G.E.E.E. 60615 on the DNAInfo Local News Website

We're sure that social media got the word out to the neighborhood that the tomatoes were available, but we were also pleased that DNAInfo found out and did a small piece about us.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140531/hyde-park/hyde-park-art-center-offers-tomato-plants-exchange-for-poem

24 Hours After G.E.E.E. 60615 Installation...

By the day after the installation, word must have gotten out.  Several varieties of tomatoes were thinned down, if not completely depleted.

We were so excited to get the seedlings out into the world!

The larger pots that held up our signs were even taken but, the signs were politely leaned against the building.  Needless to say, were made new signs, "Please Don't Take the Larger Pots," for our new signage holding pots.

We restocked varieties of tomatoes where we could.  And had some pretty incredible interactions.  One lady was loading several flats into her car.  When asked what she would do with so many plants, she explained that she was a member of  community garden up on Indiana Avenue, and that they would be well cared for and appreciated.  Tremendous!

Some people like to get selfies with celebrities.  We had one participant that wanted a selfie with the seedlings...

People were very particular about what seedlings they wanted.

One gentleman works with a farm in Indiana.  By chance, he had several loaves of focaccia to trade.

One participant couldn't speak English well, but her gratitude transcended language barriers.

Activities within the art center spilled out into our makeshift tomato garden.

This is a tame picture of the notes and poems left.  By the end, people were tearing out sheets and we had stacks!

G.E.E.E. 60615 Installation

 The Hyde Park Art Center requested that Cream Co. install an interation of G.E.E.E. during a couple of days when they were going to host several activities.  We took the opportunity to offer a couple thousand tomato seedlings in exchange for plants, poems and notes.  Now that we have had several lives of G.E.E.E., we've found it necessary to indicate the location by zip code.

This post is dedicated to installation day.

The photographs will look dramatically different in 24 hours.

Our Secret Stash

We've been hiding a secret.  We've been growing thousands, yes, thousands, of tomatoes in a greenhouse since March.  They are full-fledged seedlings now and will be heading out into the world soon.

We're bringing them to G.E.E.E. Headquarters now, but will be available on the south side of Chicago soon.

Archive Yard, Yes We're Going Outside Soon!

Although the day gloomy, we have designs for what G.E.E.E. will look like this summer in the yard behind the Archive House and Listening Room.

Open Sunday in March

Spring plants are a big temptation.  A long winter gets the imagination churning.  What will spring planter boxes look like?  Green is a color almost forgotten.  What can I trade to get just a little taste of the season-to-come into my life?

With Potluck Chicago's event on this Open Sunday at Dorchester Projects, people were ready to take a little Spring home with them.

Spring at G.E.E.E.

Spring has arrived at the Archive House via G.E.E.E.!

We have a new selection of plants, including:

Miniature Mistletoe Fig Trees

Ficus

Impatiens

Oxalis

Scented GeraniumsPapyrus

and more...

Come in and Trade up to Spring gorgeousness!

Assessing the State of G.E.E.E. as Spring Arrives

Now that spring has arrived, after such a LONG winter, we're assessing the state of G.E.E.E. to bring in some seasonal plants from G.E.E.E. Headquarters.

We're assessing our containers and succulents, cleaning and rethinking what G.E.E.E. could look like for the new season.

Open House Trades

Zac and Catherine came to visit one Sunday Open House.  They'd read about Theaster and the Rebuild Foundation and wanted to find out what it was about.  They'd read about G.E.E.E. online and wanted to participate.

They did not know what to bring, so Catherine brought some glass globes she wasn't using and Zac brought a plant.  He admitted that he wasn't tending to it much and that another home might be better.  I clipped off the dead leaves and it looked much better.  I quickly found some loose succulents and made mini terrariums.

Thanks for trading, Zac and Catherine!

Grand Crossing Kids are Trading

The neighborhood kids are regular traffic at the Archive House.  They're learning how to value their things and they kind of police each other to make sure it's running fairly.