Kristen Baumlier

NEWS

Grade School Lunch: Nachos, the Tooth Fairy and Flying Toilets

Posted on March 16, 2012March 17, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Yesterday I able to go eat lunch with my nephew’s first grade class at his school. I wasn’t sure how much first grade boys would want to chat with me, but it turns out that they are curious about any visitor. They were excited to talk and I was interested to see what they had for lunch.

At lunch we talked about important things like the tooth fairy. Everyone agreed that the tooth fairy is real and I was able to share that the tooth fairy came to visit me years ago. My nephew lost two teeth this week, and everyone shared their tooth and tooth fairy stories.

The boys were interested in what I teach and were impressed when I told them that I had my own website. I heard about a great game on the ipad where you throw toilets in the air. Everyone talked about if they had a wii, Playstation, or Xbox. We also talked about Captain Underpants books- and everyone shared how fast they can read them or how many they had read.

Half of the boys had purchased the school lunch. Served on a tray, it consisted of a big serving of nachos with cheese and meat, french fries, a fruit cup, and chocolate milk. Everyone seemed to eat ate the nachos and fruit cup, but did not eat the french fries. The other students with packed lunches usually had a sandwich, some snacks, and fruit.

The school is a public school in Chapel Hill, NC . Before going to lunch I took a peek at the school lunch calendar which had some items that are labeled local or whole grain (like chicken nuggets?)

I recently watched the documentary Killer at Large: Why Obesity is our Biggest Threat which talked about the school lunch system, the USDA, and about the regulations that make it necessary to serve high caloric foods for kids. Overall the movie had good information – but it became overwhelming after a while, especially when they talked about how the USDA officials are usually former or future executives from food companies such as Kraft and other companies.

When my nephew brought out his Star Wars fruit snacks, he became the center of attention. Everyone wanted one – to eat or to play with.

Lunch ended suddenly – when our 20 minutes were up. Someone spilled chocolate milk, trash was thrown out, and everyone lined up near the wall. I plan to come back on my next visit, and see what’s for lunch that day.

Links:

School Lunch Menu – Chapel Hill and Carrboro

Yarnbombing – from Carrboro, NC and Beyond

Posted on March 15, 2012June 11, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Today I was driving in Carrboro, NC with my sister-in-law and we drove past a series of public graffiti works made of yarn. A knitted piece that looks like watermelon surrounding part of a tree, a group of small trees with arm-band looking pieces on each trunk, and knitted pieces on the railings, poles, and planters of the public library were all part of the “yarn bombing” piece that was put up one night in February.

Also called knit graffiti, yarn bombing started over 20 years ago, when artists and groups wanted to give a softer side to urban environments – and created public works using yarn and other soft fiber materials. Maternal expressions such as knitting, or wrapping up something have been used to transform the cold, concrete, and metal elements in our landscapes. Hydrants, lampposts, mailboxes, bicycles, cars, and even buses and bridges have all been yarn bombed in recent years. In 2009, the book, “Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti” was published, and yarn bombing has gone global, with the first International Yarn Bombing Day held on June 11 of last year.

Not all yarn bombing is created equal. Where I live in Cleveland, a local artist was commissioned to make several pubic yarn pieces that wrap trees and poles in the area. They are bright, crocheted, and colored and function as a decoration on the elements that they cover. the objects are softer, but not transformed into something of substance. . The pieces here in Carrboro are more successful, and a great example of yarn bombing done well. The pieces seem to have a sense of humor, and pattern, color, and context seem to be considered in the works. At the center of the pieces is a bus bench, that has been yarn bombed to read, “I (heart) YARN” – which serves as a artist statement of the group.

Yarn bombing is often considered littering or vandalism. Pieces are often installed at night, and sometimes are removed by city officials. Some groups, like the Carrboro group will get permission before making the pieces, and also follow guidelines such as making the pieces less than 8 feet tall, and on specific public spaces.

Links:

Yarnbombing Hits Carrboro Article

Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti (the Book and Website)

25 Amazing Yarn Bombs – Buzzfeed.com

Good Attacks – Innovative Video Infographic About Traffic in L.A.

Posted on March 13, 2012March 13, 2012 by Kbaumlier

In Los Angeles, residents spend on average 72 hours per year trapped in traffic. The magazine and website GOOD decided to create a visual example of how large of an effect people could have on traffic flows if just 3 percent of drivers switched to public transportation and biking.

In December of 2011, GOOD organized a infographic flashmob of individuals concerned about the city’s transportation problem. The resulting video features a large of group of people in different colored t-shirts representing cars, public transportation, and bikes. Through text, and moving of the people in the video, the piece effectively shows that switching from driving to work can back a big difference.

Currently 87% of people in Los Angeles drive cars to work, 11% use public transit and 2% bike. The video ends with the phrase, “Switch!” – and shows that if 3% of drivers switched to public transit or biking, the traffic would move 15% faster.

Image Source:
Switch! Video by GOOD on Youtube

Links:

Switch! Video by GOOD on Youtube

Random Acts of Culture: Coming to a City Near You

Posted on March 12, 2012March 13, 2012 by Kbaumlier

You are shopping at Macy’s. You hear the song Amazing Grace being sung – and realize it is not on the overhead system when you see a woman who is singing and walking. It is a flashmob singing event? A performance piece?

This event done in 2010, at Summit Mall in in Akron, OH is part of a series of events called Random Acts of Culture. Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 8 cities in the U.S. will be having classical artists performing in the streets, stores, and everyday locations. Examples of these events include Mozart being performed at the food court at the mall, a tango dance at the airport, or singing in a department store or Walmart.

1,000 Random Acts of Culture have been performed from 2010-12 in eight cities: Akron, OH; Charlotte, NC; Detroit, MI; Macon, GA; Miami, FL; Philadelphia, PA; San Jose, CA and St. Paul, MN. The project is meant to bring the performing arts to new audiences, and to create shared experiences of art and culture.

In 2012, 60 Random Acts of Culture will be happening in Akron, OH and other cities. So if you see dancers, hear singing, or a violin in Walmart or at the Mall, it might just be a Random Act of Culture.

Image Source:
Video of Random Act of Culture – in Macy’s

Links:

Video of Random Act of Culture – in Macy’s

www.RandomActsofCulture.org

Petroleum: In Me and On Me… How Do You Score?

Posted on March 11, 2012March 11, 2012 by Kbaumlier

At the talk last Friday at the Cleveland Institute of Art, I led the first rendition of “Petroleum: In Me and On Me” a live power-formance personal scavenger hunt.

The audience was given 2 minutes to review a list of everyday and household materials that we use each day, and marked which ones they had. We determined that the person with the highest count was 46, and the person with the lowest count was 3.

How much petroleum is on you and in you? Review the following list and see how you do:

Contact Lenses
Ballpoint Pens
Acrylic/Nylon Clothes
Nail Polish
Bandaids
Perfume
Shoe Polish
Motorcycle Helmet
Petroleum Jelly
Transparent Tape
Shoes with Rubber Soles
Headphones
Hair spray
Denture Adhesives
Xerox copies
Computers
Ipod/Music Player
Heart Valves
Crayons
Camera
Lipstick
Checkbook Covers
Watchbands
Credit Cards
Plastic Shopping Bags
Combs
Vitamin Capsules
Antihistamines
Buttons
Bras with Elastic
Sunscreen
Hair Shampoo or Conditioner
Hair bands
Toothpaste
Tampons/ Sanitary Napkins
Mascara
Eyeliner
Hair spray, mouse, gel
Breath mints
Gum
Underwear with Elastic Band
Aspirin
Pleather
Shoes with rubber bottoms
Plastic Zippers
Deodorant
Panty Hose
Umbrellas
Hair Coloring
CD’s & DVD’s
Glasses
Paint Brushes

Also – two more that were recommended to be added to the list by audience members:

Styrofoam
Plastic Forks