On This Earthday
I'm excited about organic/green/sustainable food/cooking for a couple of reasons: the food just tastes better and I'm very excited about the new markets. I'm fine with a certain measure of faith that once the economies of scale kick in, the "right" way to do something will also be the more "profitable" way to do it.
So, in light of the "wrongs" and the "rights" of America's food culture, I highly recommend the book by Michael Pollan, "The Omnivore's Dilemma". It'll change your world.
I also want to send out a hearty congratulations to Pete Vaughn who won Best of Show at the Four Bridges Art Festival. His work was incredible, overtly religious without being kitsch or cliche.
My favorite artist/art from the show was that by Matt deFrain. Clever, layered, and macabre: consider the piece Death Do Us Part. Brilliant.
Overall this was the best Four Bridges I've seen. AVA really did themselves proud. Normally I find these "arts festivals" filled with obnoxious kitsch, but it seems AVA went out of their way to find the unique and interesting.
Design | By Josiah Roe | 4:53 PM
Comments
Josiah; In my view the best form of local sustainable agriculture is CSA (community supported agriculture). Where you buy so many shares for the year and then pick up whatever the farm has grown every week. I know Chattanooga has one - and I'd love to buy a share (unless the food drop was like in Soddy). But they are quite secretive. Do you know more about it?
Let the cat out of the bag...
Oh - yes kudos to Peter. His stuff rocks.
Posted by: rob hatch at April 22, 2007 9:36 PM
this was our first "real" art show. very cool. but one thing we were struck with was how most of the artists had pretty much one thing going on and a dozen or so variations on that one thing. I found it odd. most of the handful of artists I know really arent like that. is this just how festivals work?
Posted by: bobw at April 22, 2007 10:32 PM
@Rob: I think the place you are looking for is Crabtree Farms. They are a CSA and have a food box program. They are pretty close and you can see them at the Chattanooga Market.
Posted by: mrscrumley at April 22, 2007 10:54 PM
AVA really doesn't have much to do with the choices of who is in the festival,just who judges it. So next year you might not like the judges choices so much. Some people have a for sure "in" because of awards I think. AVA, or Erick Ledford that is, does go out of its way to make this event important and high caliber. And as I briefly discussed with BobW when I saw him at the fest, these artists put out there most recent "hot" stuff. Especially when patrons are walking around with "bridge bucks" to spend. Each booth is a mini gallery and less of a studio visit. Y'all should have made it to the Rivoli Art Mill's after party. It was great to see Wimmer's workshop (the dude on the poster) and Steve Terlizzese's collection of drawer after drawer of letters from old keyboards and Upwords games. What's cool to see are the emerging artists, they were carefully selected and very different. My fave was Kirsten Stingle. Next year....I'll be there!!
Posted by: katiek at April 22, 2007 10:58 PM
