The Intersection of the Visual and the Edible
10am for 10.30am till 3pm

Join American artists/farmers Mei-ling Hom and David McClelland in creating biodegradable sculptures which will grow edible mushrooms in your own back gardens. Cost includes morning tea, cofee and snacks. BYO lunch.

Each participant in this hands-on workshop will create a small sculptural shape out of hessian stuffed with straw which will be inoculated with the spawn of the oyster mushroom, a remarkable and tasty species which will slowly eat the sculpture turning it into a wonderful soil amendment while providing dinner for the artist. No advanced knowledge of art or farming is assumed of the participants. This workshop is oriented for the general adult public.

Workshop description:
The workshop will start with a visual introduction to the combination of art and farming in the work and life of Mei-ling Hom and David McClelland, artists in residence at BigCi and the Winners of the 2017 BigCi Environmental Award.

By using the power of fungi to enrich the soil we can produce a visually beautiful sculpture that enhances the life of the garden and along the way will provide a tasty meal or two. Each participant will cut out hessian (burlap) fabric and stuff it with pasteurized straw which will be infused with mushroom spawn. By the end of the afternoon, everyone will have a sculpture to take home to their garden. If watered and watched, the sculpture will provide plenty of visual and edible delight before turning into wonderful humus.

More information:
Discovering the vital role that fungi and soil microbes play in the life of plants, the artists have begun building sculptures which incorporate mushrooms into their structures. Some fungi produce edible mushrooms when they mature and some types live invisibly in the soil interacting with the roots of green plants. Fungi also help to break down biological material left on the soil surface such as leaves, bark, and even whole trees.

About the tutors:
Mei-ling Hom and David McClelland work together as a team that they call Art2Grow. They spend six months of the year in far Western New York State on their farm growing garlic, apples, potatoes and mushrooms. The other half of the year when the fields are buried in snow they work from their studio in Philadelphia or travel to art residencies worldwide. See meilinghom.com for examples of their work.

This is a unique workshop with very limited places, so book now not to miss out. Please note that the workshop will be held at BigCi in Bilpin (see map). Parking: just outside the BigCi gate.
Driving time: 1.5h from Sydney, 50min from Katoomba

For more information Contact Rae Bolotin rae@bigci.org

Hawkesbury Regional Gallery is proud to support artist endeavour and creativity in our region. Gallery members, please use your promo code (previously provided - if you've forgotten it please contact the gallery on 4560 4441) to claim your 20% discount.

Terms and conditions:

• SMILE! Your attendance at events supported by Hawkesbury City Council may be digitally recorded through photographs. Images may be used for promotional purposes on Council's websites, publications, social media or by newspapers.
  By attending this session you agree to these terms. If you do not wish your image (or the image of your child) to be published, please notify staff before the event.
• If you are unable to attend please cancel your tickets as soon as possible. This will enable others to participate in the programme.
• Paid tickets are not transferable.
  
  

Cancellation/refund polices:

• To receive a full refund (minus an admin fee of 10% of session cost), please cancel your ticket or notify the gallery before 48 hours of the scheduled event. If less notice is given, a refund will not be issued.
• Refunds will not be given if participants change their mind, or simply forget to attend the event. For exceptional circumstances, refunds may be issued at the discretion of the Gallery Director.
• A refund can take up to 7 working days to process after the event date (due to bank transfer times). Cash payment refunds can take up to 6 weeks to process.