Food For Thought
There is such a variety of food that can be grown in this valley - enough that can be eaten all year round! We recognized and celebrated locally grown food in “Food For Thought”, a two-year project that incorporated visual art, artful cooking, and eating of seasonal foods, theatrical events, and even growing food.
Everyone was invited to join local artists in co-creating art pieces each inspired by a seasonal vegetable. A cook was on hand for weekend workshop sessions, making a meal for the participants with the theme food. Many of the pieces created were folded into the theatrical events: fabric painting and appliqué banners, “reverse applique” dancing ribbons, ceramic sound makers, and ephemeral sculpture of natural materials that created celebratory space.
We marked a full agricultural cycle - from fall harvest through winter to spring planting to summer abundance - with an outdoor “spectacle” in each season, created with and performed by people from the community (over 300 in all). At the end of each performance, audience and participants joined together in eating food prepared from that season’s harvest.
The setting for each “spectacle” was made by the cycle of growing corn: at harvest, people entered a tall circle of mature corn. In spring, the ground was bare, and people took part in planting a new circle. In summer, the event finished up in the circle that had been planted in spring.
“Food for Thought” took place in Enderby and Grindrod, November 2006 - November 2008.
A cycle of Four Seasonal Spectacles
Celebrating the Farming Year at Curly Willow Farm, with lead artist team Murray MacDonald, Jaci Metivier, and Cathy Stubington
“A Kernel of Truth” Harvest Spectacle (Sept 2007)
“Out in the Cold” Wintery Celebration (Feb 2008)
“Seeds: A Mother’s Day Planting" (May 2008), visiting artist Rene Hugo Sanchez
“A Lot on Your Plate Summer Spectacle” (July 2008), directed by Varrick Grimes
Artist-led Community Art Projects, each celebrating a vegetable (or fruit):
Squash, with Deb Humphries
Corn, with Joanne Sale
Potatoes, with Amy Huppler
Onion, with Philip Tidd
Apples, with Marie Thomas
Spring Greens, with Eric Kutschker
Summer Bounty, with Deb Humphries and Cathy Stubington
Printmaking Workshop Introducing Community Engaged Art, with Pat Beaton
“Banquet” Exhibit and Finale (Sept 2008), at Enderby and District Museum
Food for Thought Project Booklet, by Jaci Metivier
Seeds video, by Cathy Stubington with Dave Crozier
In the Shade Arts Camp
“A Kernel of Truth” Harvest Spectacle (September 2007)
At this first event, each audience member was given a giant papier maché corn kernel, and was asked to write “something you know for sure” on a paper and put it inside the kernel. They walked out to the far end of a planted field, where they gathered inside a circle of corn and sunflowers, which had been planted for the event. Masked farmers danced, followed by a ribbon Water ceremony, a ribbon fire dance, and the weaving of giant ribbons. Then audience members were invited to hang their Kernel of Truth on a giant corn cob.At the end, all processed back to where they started, followed by the Sun and Water, who danced together in the distance.
Directed by: Jaci Metivier and Murray MacDonald,
Designed by Uschi Eder and Cathy Stubington
Co-Designed by Uschi Eder
Musical director: Murray MacDonald
Featuring Popoleko Balkan Choir; guest artist Camille Martens
“Out in the Cold” Wintery Celebration (February 2008)
Out In the Cold took place on a cold dark evening by the frozen Shuswap River. The audience was greeted by the masked Farmers, and given a baked potato to carry as a hand warmer. A procession led them out to a lantern-lit circular space shoveled out of the snow. On the way, a mysterious Ice Lady appeared to summon them along, and small lit angels danced and frolicked in a snowy field. The circular ceremony culminated in a shadow play about what farmers dream about in winter - planting seeds and blossoming apple trees - and then everyone gathered by the fire to eat their baked potatoes and drink warm apple cider.
Directed and designed by Jaci Metivier, Murray MacDonald, and Cathy Stubington
Poster design by: Cathy Stubington
“Seeds: A Mother’s Day Planting" (May 2008)
Seeds celebrated the amazing annual emergence of colour and leafy greens. The Sun melted the Ice Lady, and out of the bare earth, blossom children conjured coloured ribbons marking the planting rows. The music and dances shared by Quechua musician Rene Hugo Sanchez animated the movements of the Sun, the Rain, and the Farmers, and helped the audience to plant the previous fall’s “kernels of truth” along with corn seed to make a circle for the upcoming summer event.
Directed and designed by Jaci Metivier, Murray MacDonald, and Cathy Stubington
Guest artist Rene Hugo Sanchez
Poster design by: Cathy Stubington
“A Lot on Your Plate” Summer Spectacle (July 2008)
A Lot on Your Plate tied together all of the elements from the previous seasons –Water/Ice, Sun, Farmers, – with an added focus on the ecological implications of our present global food system. The circular space that had been planted by the audience in the spring was full of corn plants, twining beans and lots of flowers! Greeted by a Vegetable Clown Band, audience members traipsed through Curly Willow Farm, met by frogs, chased by mosquitos, past the mysterious Water Lady … and in the tall grass were treated to tiny puppet shows about the origins of our favourite vegetables.
Directed by Varrick Grimes
Choreography by Jaci Metivier
Musical Director Murray MacDonald
Design led by Cathy Stubington
Stage Manager Dalynn Kearney
Poster design by: Cathy Stubington
“Banquet”
A five-week exhibit entitled “Banquet” (October-November 2008) wrapped up “Food for Thought” at the Enderby and District Museum. Opening night featured songs and excerpts from the four spectacles and a feast of vegetable-y snacks. Finished versions of the art projects, masks and puppets from the spectacles, and a specially created exhibit of the history of local agricultural food production and processing rounded out the experience.
Food for Thought - Visual Art
First of all, visiting artist Pat Beaton, led a group of artists through a printmaking process resulting in a tablecloth printed with vegetables and gardening tools, that was used in all settings in which food was served. Then, we invited artists various disciplines to adapt their practices to community settings.
Corn - led by Joanne Sale
At M.V. Beattie School in Enderby, and with the Girl Guides, we made giant corn kernels out of plastic bottles and tissue paper. They were distributed amongst the audience at the harvest spectacle, and each person was asked to write a kernel of truth and put it inside; the kernels were hung ceremonially on a giant wire cob carried in a procession. The Truths were strung together in a song, sung at the Spring Planting. Gudrun Hupfauer melded them together in paper.
Squash - led by Deb Humphries
In community workshops and at Ashton Creek School, people depicted the extraordinary varieties of squash using fabric paint, that were then stitched together to make processional banners carried in the Enderby Parade and at the Harvest Spectacle.
Potatoes - led by Amy Huppler
In a weekend workshop and at Grindrod School, people made ceramic potatoes, which made sound when shaken. They were used to make sound effects in the farm events. We also held a Potato Sculpture Contest on Canada Day!
Spring Greens - led by Eric Kutschker
At the annual Peony Tea, sparkly green beads and coloured glass were strung together and hung from colanders, celebrating these early spring foods.
Apples - led by Marie Thomas
Some who’d been beading for years, and others learning to do beadwork for their first time, made glorious beaded apples, at events at the Band Hall, the Enderby Museum, and in private gatherings
Summer Bounty - led by Deb Humphries and Cathy Stubington
At weekend workshops and drop-ins, in many locations, people were invited to design their favourite local fruit or vegetable for Reverse Applique. They were all part of 24 30-foot long ribbons, which were woven into a quilt at the Farming Spectacles. They have since been re-woven at the Grindrod Garlic Festival and the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues, and have travelled to Whitehorse, Winnipeg and Ottawa where they were also woven in public places.
“Artist-cooks”
Uschi Eder, Loris Davidson, Lisa Sterritt, Leah Barkley, and Sandy Vanderhoek -- were invited to create meals inspired by specific local foods in season.
Impact
Runaway Moon Theatre has always been interested in expanding the notion of what theatre is, and planting corn setting for vegetable events was an interesting experiment. The project promoted “art” beyond the expected two-dimensional or sculpture, and a demonstration of the many ways in which art can be made together. It was an opportunity for artists of various media to working in community settings.
Each stage of the project was incorporated into the next, thus a constant bringing forward into the community. For example, the squash banners were taken into the Enderby parade. The potato shakers, created in a drop-in weekend and in two school classes, were used as musical instruments in the Spring and Summer community spectacles. The vegetable ribbons, made over a one-year period in various venues, were woven in the Autumn and Summer spectacles. The words written by those who attended the Autumn spectacle were incorporated into a song, sung at two subsequent events. The vegetable tablecloth, made in the first session, was used at the many gatherings where food was served.
The “Food for Thought” book is full of photos of artworks, artist notes, tidbits of food lore, recipes, and photos documents the legacy of this project.
The two-year span of this project allowed Runaway Moon to work in-depth with the theme; it also kept up an ongoing visible presence in the community rather than a short intense spurt of activity.
Our multi-layered approach to the artistic concept and to the community opened many doors to welcome participants into a wide variety of activities. Participants and attendees could experience the material through song, stilting, puppetry, dance, eating, cooking, reading, painting, sewing, and talking - to name a few.
Many contexts have been created in which conversation has taken place about the seasonal foods being highlighted throughout the year. The true impact of “Food for Thought” will take place in the kitchens of participants and audience over the ensuing years …we have undoubtedly contributed to awareness and appreciation of locally grown food.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT PDF
Participation
Like all of our projects, “Food For Thought” provided opportunities for generations to spend time together in a culture where they are most often separated, and to bring people together that would not otherwise meet. The overall project involved
8 Visual artists, 7 Theatre/Performing Artists, 3 guest performing artists, 5 Cooks and 1 farmer.
300 participants over four community spectacles
Mask-making workshop for adults : 8
In the Shade Arts Camp for Children: 14
Art participants: 400, at community drop ins at St.George’s Hall Enderby, Leah’s Coffee House Enderby, Timbercreek Hall Splats’in, Salmon Arm Fall Fair, Armstrong Farmers’ Market, Kingfisher Community Centre, Salmon Arm Art Gallery, Enderby and District Museum, Curly Willow Farm, Runaway Moon Peony Tea, National Aboriginal Day Splats’in, Canada Day Enderby, Conference of Organic Farmers of B.C. Armstrong, Seed Savers Enderby
School classes at Grindrod, M.V. Beattie, and Ashton Creek Elementary Schools; Shihaya School; A.L.Fortune Secondary School; Cliffview Girl Guides
Audience: 600
Exhibit attendees: 150