Water Works

Reporting from West Coast Green

2010-10-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Lauren Elder installed the "Caracas:Veggie Stacks" and Christina Bertea contributed her rainwater catcher/clothesline as part of the Natural Building Pavilion at West Coast Green 2010. The trade show took place at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA. Thanks to our hosts!

Bertea & Elder invited to West Coast Green Show

2010-09-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

If you missed us in Oakland, there's a second chance this weekend in San Francisco!

We will be moving two of the popular pieces from Water Works over to the West Coast Green Exhibit.

The event takes place at Fort Mason Center and runs September 30 - October 2.

Neither free nor folksy, but fabulously informative.

WATER WORKS: On Downstream

2010-09-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

An Open Invitation to other Artists-Designers-Tinkerers

WATER WORKS, the festival, is now coming to an end.

HOWEVER, we think there may be some of you out there who have been inspired and will want to develop and show an individual project here in the garden.

We can discuss this with you on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The project guidelines remain the same:

• Water is the medium, content, context or theme.

• Projects that feature the principles of water conservation will be preferenced.

• Quality design and fabrication is a must.

• Projects that utilize recycled materials or "smart" low cost approaches "get bonus points."

We will be able to provide physical space, water and power as well as basic publicity. You will need to cover your materials costs and also “garden-sitters”.

(If you want to see an example of a parallel project, visit the website for "Materials & Applications" in Los Angeles.)

12 of 19 Features

2010-09-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Fish shelter beneath the oxygenating foliage


Water enriched by fish-pee is pumped upwards


The vertical garden is nourished	.

Visitors study the cycle of stacked functions

The wide variety of exhibits appeals to architects, landscapers, home remodelers, green building students and everyone's children.

John Russell, WaterSprout, created the small scale, highly popular aquaponics system. The vertical veggie wall has doubled in size during the month. Water, cleansed and oxygenated by the plants is gravity-fed back to the fish tank.

Elder's vertical veggie stacks have appealed to visitors with limited space, deer problems, shade from high walls and slugs!
Using a minimum amount of water, the stacks are suitable for semi-arid regions.

The meandering flush pipe on this rainwater storage system is an example of Christina Bertea's playful touch as plumber and artist. Elbow Grease Designs fabricated the colorful tank covers from recycled vinyl signage.

The children's area is enlived by a fountain of spittin', droolin' critters. Everyone needs water - including the stegosaurus!

The tank provides a water supply for the Bucketin' Bronco.

Mounted on the horse (Bertea/Morehouse), children pump water into the green jerry cans and then carry them around the yard to the 6 water-play areas, conserving enough to replenish the central pond.

The Bucketin' Bronco

Elder's Andean Water Bar, "The Last Shot/El Ultimo Trago" provokes viewers to consider life without the water supplied by glaciers.

The water bottles display powerful "Then and Now" images of Andean tropical glaciers from Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina.

Oca, a traditional Andean root vegetable, thrives on ice melt inside a Bolivian bowler hat.

The clothesline and raincatcher has caught viewers' imaginations.
Bertea demonstrates it's dual functions. 4 - 40 gallon rain drums are
daisy-chained to the left of the colorful sculpture.

Nik Bertulis explains his alternative toilet, a carnival of interlaced functions in which soldier fly larva dine on composting excreta, delivered by a marine toilet. The fly larva in the biostack launch themselves onto the death slide into the tank where they can be consumed by hungry fish. In theory, we dine on the fish and the cycle begins all over.

Aurora Mahassine's Habitower began its life as a high-rise for frogs.

It performs handsomely as a vertical garden.

Laundry to Landscape: the washing machine (in background) was connected to an irrigation system that watered nearby fruit trees. Once visitors grasped the concept, they were amazed by how do-able it is! Hooray for DIY!

BUCKETS OF PHOTOS FROM THE RECEPTION

2010-09-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd week got off to a tremendous start with help from

local musicians, Smooth Toad, visiting Speaker, DL West Marrin,
the arrival of two mature larvae-eating hens, great organic food and a mob of visitors! Move through the exhibits with us online and be inspired to visit in person.

West, Carolyn, Christina

Jay Holocek: Herb'n Culture - Tamales!

Aquaponics fascination!

Flow Form. Credit: Patrick Dougherty

Smooth Toad

Annie Hallett contributes to the pee station

Peeponics Guru Nik Bertulis

FOR THE LOVE OF WATER--SEPTEMBER 18 & 19

2010-09-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Wendell Berry said something like "we exploit what we value, but we defend what we love"...

This weekend we are thrilled to present two speakers from afar who are passionate about water, and might inspire us to care about water in a deeper way than just concern for our own personal comfort and convenience.

Saturday September 18 at 3 pm

Dr. DL West Marrin has vacated his surfboard in Hawaii to talk to us about Hydro-Mimicry and Changing our Perceptions of Water. Dr. Marrin's career has included teaching, consulting, and applied research through his former California-based firms and several universities. "A key to meeting our challenge with water in the 21st century may be moving beyond the commonly-held views of water that created those challenges...Such a transition in the collective view of water will likely emerge from our "knowing" water according to many different modalities."

The scope of his inquiry into the nature of water spans science, ancient traditions, and naturalism, and is well reflected on his website: http://www.watersciences.org

Sunday September 19 at 3 pm

Betsy Damon is back from China and will speak about "Water Revealed". She has been documenting sacred springs in Tibet and China, springs which are precious to the local people and known for a variety of healing properties. She is best known for the Living Water Park she created (with the help of Chinese officials) In Chengdu, where some of the polluted river water flows through the park and is drinkable at the other end. Follow her other projects at: http://www.keepersofthewaters.org/

ANKA DRAUGELATES September 19 at 2pm

What amazing good fortune that Anka was here from Germany and could perform for us. Absolutely beautiful compositions for voice and viola--in one piece she imitated the voices of whales, impeccably. In another you could feel the movement of the waves in the underlying rhythm.

Personally I was so enraptured I felt my heart overflowing through my eyes....

Another friend who loves opera exclaimed that Anka's voice was as good as any opera she'd ever heard. CD's sold out instantly as the audience emerged from trance and sought to retain some of this remarkable experience.

Anka Draugelates is a German improvisational voice artist and musician who composes both experimental and classical pieces. She studied music therapy in the Netherlands at hoogeschool nijmegen and received her masters in 1996. She has trained with master voice teachers Jonathon Hart Makwaia, Jean-Rene Toussaint, Bobby McFerrin, and Lisa Sokolov. Draugelates has participated in solo and group shows throughout Europe and the United States. She has received residencies and fellowships from the Oberpfaelzer Kuenstlerhaus, Djerassi Artist Colony and Helen L Bing. She has worked extensively with diverse artists, including filmmakers, visual artists, dancers and musicians. Anka is a collaborating sound artist in local dance troupe Capacitor's developing Ocean Project.

Water Works has a wonderful menu for you this weekend, hope you can come and partake!

Another Terrific Weekend

2010-09-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

Wash your hands AND flush the toilet at once!

How many fish in the tank?

How do the pumps work work?

Visitors arrived from the neighborhood and the greater Bay Area and from as far afield as Hawaii and even Brazil.Warm September sunshine encouraged conversational groupings throughout the garden.

Our palates were treated to handmade tamales (Jay Holochek Catering) and fresh goat cheese (PineHeaven Farms, Montclair). Minds were nourished by three dynamic presentations: On Saturday, Michael Stocker shared his deep knowledge of the extraordinary "conversations" among critters in the oceans and the devastating impact of increased human activity (oil rigs, Naval operations, merchant shipping). During Sunday afternoon, Patrick Garretson (Flow Forms) expanded perceptions about the physics and behavior of water and Laura Allen (Greywater Action) explained the "nuts and bolts" (plus policies) surrounding the use of household water discharge (washers vs. sinks, tubs and showers) as a source for garden irrigation.

We still have two more amazing weekends - more speakers, more great organic foods treats - and some home grown music. Local Bluesmen, "Smooth Toad" will play during the Exhibitors' Reception, Saturday 9/18.

The complete line up:

9.18 DL WEST MARRIN “Hydro-mimicry & Changing Our Perceptions of Water” 3PM
9.19 BETSY DAMON (Keepers of the Waters) “Water Revealed” 3PM

preceded by ANKA DRAUGELATES, “Ocean Music”

Making Water Puppets: Parent-Child Fun!

JOIN US! It's FREE. It's fun for all ages. It's been inspiring!

" Now Wet Behind the Ears": First Weekend

2010-09-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Weight of Water

WATER WORKS got off to a lovely start with the help of magnificent weather and solid attendance by many curious visitors, including friends, colleagues, neighbors and environmentalists - and their children!

Christina explains her meandering first flush design

"Tattoo your Barbie"

Bucketin' Bronco by Morehouse & Bertea


The Oasis Fountain: Every creature needs water

Max McBride provided fantastic support for the children's Splash Zone, assisting the kids to work the "Bucketin' Bronco" pump and to explore the many daily uses of water with careful attention.

We hope to see many more of you over the coming three weeks - especially during the afternoon sessions with our noted SPEAKERS.

On Saturday, 9.11 we will be joined by Michael Stocker 4PM (www.orc.org) and his lively presentation on "Bio-Acoustics".

Sunday 9.12 will feature Parick Garretson on Flowforms (2PM) and Laura Allen (www.greywateraction.org) will provide an "Update" on policy and procedures at 4PM.

Aurora installs the Habitower

Also see the first post: WHO? WHAT? WHEN? for updated listings.

Previews of Coming Exhibits

2010-08-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

A small sampling of some of the varied events and displays that will be on view at Water Works:

Raintree: Winter Wet, Summer Dry
Designed and fabricated by Christina Bertea, this sculptural clothesline encourages users to dry their clothing outdoors - and may advance this useful old practice into the category of "eco-chic". In our wet winters, the colorful vinyl liner can be quickly positioned with velcro tabs. It acts as a giant funnel, channeling rainwater into adjacent storage barrels for later use in irrigating the garden. Multi-functionality reaches new heights!

Barrels supplied by City of Oakland agency,
encouraging citizens to begin storing stormwater.

Recycled vinyl liner fabricated at Elbow Grease Designs.

Water Puppets

There will be a wide variety of water-related activities for children, including a "maker table" where they can create their own water puppets that float or "flow" with the aid of a solar-activated pump.

Bucketin' Bronco
Another feature for children, this rocking horse pump delivers
several gallons per minute into buckets. Children will
experience the weight of water and be challended to conserve it
as they move through a series of activity stations, terminating in the central pond. The horse is shown in its preliminary stages.
Pump Design: Martin Morehouse
Concept and Horse: Christina Bertea

"Caracas", Veggie Stacks for limited spaces

Designed by Lauren Elder, the columns are dedicated to residents of densely populated hillside barrios of South American capitals. The support structures can be made from remnants of stock fencing or concrete mesh. The containers are old dishpans, perforated to drain from the top layer down, conserving small amounts of water. Shower curtain rings allow users to adjust the spacing as the plants grow. One stack can produce enough fresh greens and herbs to supplement the diets of a small family. Some biologists have said that plant uptake of any plastics leaching from the basins would be minimal. Opinions? So far, the tubs last about 3 years before becoming brittle.

Rainwater Harvesting

This storage cube, found on craigslist for about $100., holds approximately 400 gallons, enough for 1-2 months low-demand irrigation.
Imagine the result of harvesting from many large buildings!

In this example we are using a commercial first flush kit from Urban Farmer. The tank jacket was created with recycled convention banner vinyl. It was produced by Jenny Hurth, Elbow Grease Designs, Berkeley (www.elbowgreasedesign.org).

Plumbing installation: Christina Bertea
Concept & Oversight: Lauren Elder

Wetland Wall and Goldfish Tank

John Russell is the owner of Water Sprout, an Oakland-based design/build firm that specializes in rainwater and graywater systems.

For Water Works, he has installed a recirculating aquaponics system that features a vertical wall of leafy green vegetables and herbs that is nourished by the effluent from a tank of goldfish. The plants, in turn, clean the water of waste products that would be toxic to the fish. And so the cycle continues. Apart from modeling a useful permaculture system that can produce extra food in dense urban environments, the piece is a delightful accent for the garden, introducing the sounds of dripping water and refreshing walls overheated by Southern exposure.

WATER WORKS: Who? What? When?

2010-08-13T22:39:00.000-07:00


Short on Garden Space? Stack your old dishpans. A design by Lauren Elder

WATER WORKS

Art & Design + Fun meet appropriate technology for a festival in a residential garden setting.

5809 Ayala Avenue

North Oakland
Near Rockridge BART

Wheelchair accessible.

Saturdays and Sundays 11am -6pm
All 4 weekends in September

Join 6 dynamic artist-designers as they rethink our daily relationship to water: personal hygiene, appliances and graywater, gardening and landscaping, recreation, food production, waste management, rainwater storage and management.

Nik Bertulis (Merritt College Horticulture)

Christina Bertea (Greywater Action)

Lauren Elder (environmental artist + CCA EcoTAP class)

Martin Morehouse (artist; Sunlight and Power Co.)

John Russell (Water Sprout)
Mary White (glass and metal artist)

Confirmed speakers:

9.11 MICHAEL STOCKER
“Fish Ears & Shrimp Songs: Ocean Bio-Acoustics" 4PM
9.12 PATRICK GARRETSON “Flow Forms & the Cosmic Nature of Water” 2PM
9.12 LAURA ALLEN (Greywater Action) “Updates on Greywater” 4PM
9.18 DL WEST MARRIN “Hydro-mimicry & Changing Our Perceptions of Water” 3PM
9.19 BETSY DAMON (Keepers of the Waters) “Water Revealed” 3PM

preceded by ANKA DRAUGELATES, “Ocean Music”
9.25 ELDER & BERTEA "Water Works and Future Think" 4PM
9.26 GIL FRIEND, JANE BYRD, AURORA MAHASSINE, MARTIN BERMUDEZ 4PM
"UrbanArchitecture and EcoSystems Surfaces"

Exhibitors' Reception 2-6pm

Saturday 9/18

For Children

Daily Water Exploration and "Splash Park"

Swim suits recommended.

Organic Food

Local urban farmers share their produce

Prepared food concessions

Sponsors

City of Oakland Cultural Arts & Marketing Department

California College of Art

Information and Questions

510-652-1358