MoCA Westport & Westport Farmers' Market Announce New Exhibition

Westport CT

07 July, 2021

11:40 AM

Description

MoCA Westport and the Westport Farmers' Market (WFM) announce a new collaboration that will culminate in an exhibition entitled Between the Ground and the Sky on view August 27 – September 18, 2021. Between the Ground and the Sky will feature photography from the Who Grows Your Food initiative, an intimate photographic journey celebrating the beloved farms and farmers associated with the Westport Farmers' Market. A Family Day featuring a range of farm-related activities will be held on Saturday, September 11 from 12 - 4 p.m. Explore the exhibition, enjoy delicious offerings from the Parlor, Bees Knees, and On The Fly food trucks, and listen to multi-instrumentalist Henry Jones. Tickets will be available for purchase on the MoCA Westport website (mocawestport.org) and the WFM website (westportfarmersmarket.com) as of August 1 for $10 per adult and $5 per child. The centerpiece of the exhibition is more than 50 large-scale photographs, both color and black and white, of local farms by Anne Burmeister and Ashley Skatoff, two local accomplished photographers. The photographs tell a compelling and visually arresting story of the importance of local farms and farmers. The Who Grows Your Food initiative was developed by the Westport Farmers' Market during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic as a means to educate people on the role that local farmers play in providing food for the community. The farms included are: · Calf and Clover Creamery, Cornwall Bridge, CT · Copps Island Oysters, Norm Bloom and Son, Norwalk, CT · Dirt Road Farm, Weston, CT · Fort Hill Farm, New Milford, CT · Gilbertie's Organics, Easton, CT · Ideal Fish, Waterbury, CT · Lost Ruby Farm, Norfolk, CT · Muddy Feet Flower Farm, Ashford, CT · Ox Hollow Farm, Roxbury, CT · Riverbank Farm, Roxbury, CT · Rose's Berry Farm, Glastonbury, CT · Sankow's Beaver Brook Farm, Old Lyme, CT · Sea Coast Mushrooms, Mystic, CT · Sport Hill Farm, Easton, CT · Stonington Kelp Co., Stonington, CT · The Hickories, Ridgefield, CT · Wells Hill Farm, Weston, CT · Woodland Farm, Glastonbury, CT The exhibition will also include two site-specific installations by Kristyna and Marek Milde, and the natural, organic works of artist Donna Forma. Kristyna and Marek Milde are a Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary artist duo originally from Prague, Czech Republic. Their works explore environmental issues and the alienation of contemporary lifestyles. In their art practice, they create installations, in-situ interventions, and public art, functioning as immersive platforms for engagement and experience and connecting culture and nature. Donna Forma is a Southport, CT-based artist known for her deconstruction and reconstruction of the components of deceptively simple natural forms, exposing the layers of complexity hidden in plain sight all around us. Additionally, related works created by attendees of MoCA Westport's Camp MoCA, a weekly summer camp for ages 3-13, will be on view. As part of the camp curriculum, campers will participate in a series of agriculture and gardening-related projects designed to build awareness of, and appreciation for, the role of farming in our community. Lori Cochran, Director of the Westport Farmers' Market, stated, "This program embodies the essence of our organizations. Bringing together art, education, community and knowledge of agriculture, featuring the hands that tend the land, results in more than a fun event - it creates an impact that will last a lifetime. Working with Anne and Ashley through their journey of these farms, it seemed only natural to find a home at MoCA Westport to share their stories." MoCA Westport Executive Director Ruth Mannes said of the collaboration, "Our expansive outside grounds are a perfect way to introduce our campers to agriculture and gardening. We are thrilled to partner with the Westport Farmers' Market to share this important aspect of our economy and our lives with the public." Between the Ground and the Sky will be on view during MoCA Westport's Summer and Fall 2021 Hours: Wed - Sun (12 - 4 p.m.). To learn more about the exhibition, contact Liz Leggett, MoCA Westport's Director of Exhibitions, at [email protected] or 203/222-7070. To learn more about the Who Grows Your Food initiative, contact Lori Cochran, Director of the Westport Farmers' Market, at [email protected].