Another Tomato Picture from Mercy Hospital

As I blogged earlier, Ruth exchanged poems for tomato plants at the Logan Center for the Arts.  She represents the community garden at Mercy Hospital.  Last week, Ruth updated me with another photograph of the bounty they are receiving.

It is such  joy to put something out into the world and see how others foster, develop and bring it to such full potential.

Much love to Ruth and the community gardeners!  Keep sending the photographs; we adore them!

University of Chicago Logan Center Follow Up

While at the Logan Center, we asked G.E.E.E. participants to trade their poems for 1 or 2 tomato plants until 6PM on the final day.  This had not been part of the press release.  One participant, Ruth, was planning on selecting several plants to be used at the community garden she runs at Mercy Hospital.  She had prepared several poems, printed on nice parchment paper.  Her disappointment was evident, as she had gone out of her way to participate.

She asked if could contact her to let her know if it would be worth her while to come back at 6PM.  I agreed to text her.

Yes, there were many plants left, so I contacted Ruth to come back.  She mobilized several alums from her master-gardener class and dozens of the final plants were dispersed to community gardens all over the city.

Last Thursday I received this text with pictures from Ruth, out of the blue:

"Beautiful tomato seedlings from you.  Mercy Hospital and I thank you!!"

Ruth and Mercy Hospital and Ruth, it was our pleasure.

Printer's Ball 2015: Thank You

 This was an early, but notable entry.  The artist chose to use the transparency of the back to lock the bag and paper together with the image and text.

 We'd like to thank everyone who participated, Doug Fogelson for sharing his space, Spudnik Press for organizing the event, and all the sponsors that made the day possible.

And, of course, we'd like to thank all the volunteers.

Printer's Ball 2015: the Kids

 It's fun to see the cogs move when children interact with G.E.E.E.  Most kids are still learning about the value of things and what participating in a community event can create.  And then add to the mix what children might be thinking that day to manifest into a poem.

The labyrinth of plants that day were definitely at their level and touching the plantlets and flowers was an imperative.

 This friend took at least 20 minutes to select the perfect plantlet for her poem.

 This guy worked hard to get the pot into the tight glassine bag. He later brought back friends he had run into to participate.

Printer's Ball 2015: Push and Pull

 The theme of the Printer's Ball was Push and Pull: push into activism by pulling together our resources.  G.E.E.E. was such a good fit: pushing for an economy of trade and sharing by pulling our surplus of plants in exchange for the audience's resource of ideas and language through poems and notes.

 On this day, we offered our surplus of spider plantlets  and zinnias for poems.  Spider plants grow tendrils that constantly reproduce new plantlets that we are constantly harvesting.

 The display used the new gridded cube forms that Bob has been developing with baking sheets.  The plantlets do quite well for long periods in a scant 1/16" of water.  Some of the plantlets, we potted, as well.

The zinnias were in vases florist containers that we've been collecting.

Ready to open at The Printer's Ball 2015: Push and Pull

 The mother spider plants and repurposed signage were arranged to catch attendees attention and draw them into the space.

The new structures created by Bob were arranged in a labyrinth, displaying the spider plantlets and zinnia flowers.  A bench, a chair and a table were available as places to write poems.

The islands offered plants, plantlets and flowers for traded poems.

A Cuban oregano plant serves as the centerpice for the writing table.

A Poetry Reading to Celebrate Plants for Poems

 Three poetry enthusiasts from the university culled through the words and read them to a nice audience at the closing reception.

Poems were shared. 

 The audience was really engaged.

They even decorated the reception table with the allium and tomatoes.

And Yes, People Were Really Engage in Poet-ing

 Most people used the stations provided.

 Wind, nor rain, nor heat kept people from making an effort to write.

They learned to share and help each other as the winds gusted. 

 Some people brought the tablets over to the sill to write.

 Leave a note.

 There was a real sense of community.

Poem Equals Plant

This is my favoite illustration of how it works: poem=plant.

Impromptu Gardening Classes

 As people came and went, we would share gardening tips.

We'd start talking, then notice someone overhearing, and another, then before we'd know it, a whole class had gathered.

People were finding bags and studying the varieties. 

 They would study the plants to find the healthiest with the widest stalks.

 It was definitely a crash course at the university.

Elapsed G.E.E.E. 60637

 I've tried to document the plants going out into the world.  You never know how the installation will condense, so I hope you can get a sense how things disappeared.

 I think this view best shows the exodus of the tomato plants.

The first day there was a lot of plants in this corner, but by day 2 we shrunk inward.  Please note all the weather changes: rain and heat and wind were all there.

People were So Proud of the Plants they Picked

 Even in the rain, people were excited to participate.

 It's funny how a big purple flower can change your day.

I must admit, I overheard this guy calling his friend from the cafe to come over and pick plants.  They made an afternoon of it.

 Yet another flower going out into the world.

Bicycle baskets were a preferred mode of bring the tomato plants home.

 Words with Friends at G.E.E.E. turns into Flowers with Friends...

 and even more Flowers with Friends.

This participant asked if she could take a few flowers to friends. 

 This gentleman offered a dirty limerick in trade for a plant for his lady.

 Thank you, everyone for participating.