A
workshop I led, where participants learned about the environmental
benefits of vermicomposting (composting with worms) and about
how to share worms with friends and neighbors. We explored
the variety of methods and containers that are being used for vermicomposting,
from practical, to chic, to the experimental, flow-through fabric
funnels. Workshop participants discussed, imagined and drafted up
creative concept designs for their own ideal worm bin system. Then
they voted on the best designs among the group. The winner took home
a pound of live, red wiggler worms and the next two runners up will
be able to collect their live worms from my Building
a Rainbow installation at the end of the exhibition.
This
free workshop was sponsored by the National
Performance Network's Visual Artists Network and Spaces
Gallery in
Cleveland, OH
Worm
Share Background: After
making two earlier artworks designed to encourage worm composting,
I decided to get very direct and design a very utilitarian,
simple-to-make worm bin bag that I could use to promote home
worm composting. I
posted detailed instructions online and people I’ve never
met began to build their own. They asked questions, posted
suggestions and even posted photographs of their finished
projects. The project has been online since 2008 and has
had over 53,000 viewers and 160 public comments. The sharing
part of this project involved giving away many pounds of
worms to people who wanted to start composting. I connected
to other worm composters through a social networking site
called Vermicomposters.com and
developed the worm share concept with the owner of the site.
There is now an interactive map of vermicomposters in the
world who voluntarily post their general location and their
willingness to share worms and information with newbies.
Composting
worms are now propagating through social networking technologies! |