The Loisaida Center is proud to announce

2018 Residency Recipient:

More Gardens!

Proposed project for the residency:

Overview:

More Gardens Fund and its artistic director Aresh Javadi alongside four art administrative interns, will research, draft, and present an Open Day exhibit on August 4rth 2018, that celebrates the rich heritage of activist art and their defense in More Gardens’ collaboration with Puerto Rican community gardens citywide.

The project aims to research, archive, and present the core values of More Gardens and the Puerto Rican diaspora of community gardeners in the Lower East Side’s Esperanza Community Garden Encampment, South Bronx’s Melrose neighborhood, and Harlem’s El Barrio neighborhood, over the past 20 years.

There will be an Opening Day on August 4th, 2018 to present the first phase of the project, culminating in a full Exhibition, Show, and Parade as a part of the magical Loisaida Festival in May of 2019.

The project aims to work with art administration and video interns to interview, research, archived history, news footage, and core values of More Gardens Fund and their collaboration with Puerto Rican Community Gardeners throughout the past 20 years with an open day in August, culminating in an exhibition at Loisaida Inc. Center in May of 2019. The exhibition will be relaying information, sources, reflections, visual art, photography, video and integrative installations to share these fantastic adventures in urban garden preservation and creation.

Outcome: Archival and Interactive Exhibition

Opening Day at Loisaida Center on Saturday, August 4th, 2018 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Followed by a party at Children’s Magical Garden.

About:

More Gardens Fund is rooted in arts and education. We are community people, community gardeners, and environmental and social justice artists and activists. We promote the enhancement and preservation of community gardens as well as the cultivation of fallow land in New York City and State. Aresh Javadi, More Gardens’ Artistic Director is an artist, educator, and community activist who grew from the fertile soil of Shiraz, Iran, a city of enchanted gardens, where Hafiz’ mystic love poems are recited by heart around the table. Aresh uses earth-based arts and public celebration as key ingredients in his co-creating with communities in finding solutions for a just world. He is frequently found in NYC community gardens. He is an experienced organizer and direct-action facilitator, whereby his communal integration of arts has led to the preservation and enhancement of over five hundred community gardens in NYC.

“Opinions like those expressed while in a panel, presentation, performance or through artwork are expressed by the author in their personal capacity and are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Loisaida Inc., its affiliates or staff.”