Sunday, June 5, 2011

Mud Mural Coming Soon


Are you ready for some messy artistic fun? It's coming to the Belmar Arts Council in just a few weeks. Cob construction artist Kat Heitman has come up with a fun, environmentally friendly community art project, and everyone is invited to be part of the process. A few weeks ago, some volunteers cleared a patch on the edge of our parking area at the Boatworks. Recent visitors may have noticed the white posts (see below) that are placeholders for what is coming.

On this site Kat will lead a group of volunteers in building a freestanding wall using natural materials- heavier bamboo posts with thinner bamboo shoots woven around and through them. Then on the big day, people are invited to come by and help us make a lot of mud, or cob to be exact- a mixture of clay, sand, straw, and water. Cob is an ancient building material that can be molded by hand into all sorts of objects and structures, and when dry is durable and nearly as hard as concrete. We are going to use it to help construct our wall, and then use different colors of mud to create the design of our mud mural. Once it has dried, we will be documenting how the elements gradually help the earth reclaim it.

Volunteers are needed to help with the site preparation (the bamboo wall) on Saturday, June 18th, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Then the mural itself will be created on Saturday, June 25th, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. We need people to use hands and feet to mix the mud on tarps, and then to help us get it on the wall. Fun for all ages, but bring your messy clothes, and expect to get dirty. Come for a little while or stay all day. We also need volunteers for set up and clean up, and to help us grill hot dogs and serve watermelon and drinks to our participants. Local musician Matt Dubrow will be providing entertainment from 2:00 pm on, and people are invited to bring instruments and jam along. For more information or to learn how you can help, contact the Belmar Arts Council.

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