Setup at the Urban Ecology Center

Day 16 (6/24/12)

Urban Ecology Center

It has been a very busy summer so far so I haven’t had a lot of time to get out on the bike trail and build which is unfortunate but I have been busy getting ready for a couple of art shows which is good. Several months ago an artist/gallery owner friend of mine Frank Juarez suggested that I summit my work to the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee. He felt it would be the perfect venue to show my recycled works. I decided to give it a try and was accepted. I had never been to the UEC so had no idea what to expect. At first all that I knew was that I would be with one other person and that I would have the space from July to September. I planned on getting down to Milwaukee to look at the space but it just didn’t happen so Sunday when I went to set up was the first time I saw it. The building itself is incredibly cool. It is all self sustaining with racks of solar panels and a water retention system that waters all the gardens. The main function of the UEC is to educate urban children about the environment through hands on programs. They also provide outdoor equipment such as canoes, bikes, skis, snowshoes and other assorted items for people who otherwise might not have access. I am very proud to be associated with this program. It turns out that the community room doubles as an art gallery and has very nice lighting. Again, I had no idea how much space I would have so I loaded up the back of the jeep and headed down there. It turned out I had space for about ten of my larger pieces and four small ones. It may be a little crowded but I thought it looked nice. It turns out the other artist paints in oils and combines plants and animals in an abstract form which conjures up memories from her past. The opening is this coming Sunday the 1^st of July. I will try to post some pictures from the opening.

Solar Panels

Rock climbing wall

Some of the gardens

Set up

One Wall

Norway Wall