GREEN

Members Gallery at at Touchstone Gallery
September 10 - October 4, 2008
featuring Touchstone Gallery Members

Opening Reception:
Friday, September 12, 6 - 8:30 pm

Touchstone artists interpret this theme freely and broadly. GREEN is approached literally or conceptually, and artists’ responses encompass green as a color, as a movement, as a state of being, as a symbol of life.

Participating Artists:

Steve Alderton, Charles St. Charles, Michele Cormier, Marcia Coppel, Tory Cowles, Mari DeMaris, Betsy Forster, Carolyn Johnson, Peter Karp, Harvey J. Kupferberg, Rosemary A. Luckett, Michael Lang, Paula Lantz, Lauren Shea Little, Teresa Roberts Logan, Newton More, Aina Nergaard-Nammack, Nancy Novick, Mary D. Ott, Mary Trent-Scott, Janathal Shaw, Harriet Rosenbaum, Rima Schulkind, Mary Trent-Scott, Dina Volkova, Jon Wassom, Janet Wheeler, Melissa Widerkehr and Cynthia Young.

Touchstone Gallery
406 7th Street, NW, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20004
202.347.2787

Chuck Baxter: Found Objects

A visit today to the Mid City Artist's Open Studio of Chuck Baxter provided a detailed look at this unique artist's work. Chuck finds his art materials on the streets of his neighborhood and other neighborhoods in the city. He transforms discarded objects and materials that litter the streets into handmade objects of art. Some of my favorites are his cyclone-like vases made from printed papers that he staples together. Another work that attracted my attention resembled a purse exposing its contents. It is made from shredded bits of vinyl and other discarded objects. Baxter weaves functional baskets from the most common material, ordinary plastic bags. I am always surprised and delighted to see this artists keen sense of design and wit, combined to make some very intriguing works of art. To contact the artist and see Baxter's work go to www.midcityartists.com. I recommend buying a piece or two of his work at these affordable prices.

An Eco-Friendly New Orleans

NBC is running news tonight and tomorrow on Hollywood star Brad Pitt's efforts to help the rebuiding of New Orleans with ecofriendly affordable housing. Tune in to this important coverage.

Brad Pitt champions affordable energy efficient housing for former residents of the Ninth Ward in New Orleans. Global Green, in partnership with Brad Pitt, sponsored an international design competition during the summer of 2006, with more than 125 entries competing to design a zero energy affordable housing development in the Holy Cross Neighborhood of the Lower 9th Ward. Andrew Kotchen and Matthew Berman of Workshop/APD in New York created the winning design. The units could save 75% on energy and 50% on water bills. Working with Global Green, Pitt is working towards helping the portion of society that was overlooked with Katrina.

See MSNBC video