Visitors Center
March 15 - April 20, 2024
Andie Frosch, Christa Howarth, Claire Quade, Ellis Locke, Laura Feeney, Mary K Johnson, Matthew Kennedy, Ryan Simmons, Teal Gardner, Tim Andreae, Samantha Price, Lab51 Students
From March 15 - April 20, 2024, The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory will transform the MING Studios gallery into Visitors Center - an invitation to establish and re-establish a connection to the Boise Valley and its surroundings. Riffing off of the ubiquitous 'visitor's center' that marks any tourist attraction, historical site, or natural feature of interest, this show focuses on the Boise Valley as a site of profound importance and inestimable value. The Boise Valley continues to transform through the pressures of urban and suburban development, climate change, and a population surge. Visitors Center will present tools for sensitizing to this unique place. Sensitizing is a process of opening doors to a deeper sense of belonging and, through this, of care. We wonder what it means to be truly sensitive to a place; to have a personal connection to the natural living systems; to know its human histories, to delve into the dynamics at play in the present, and to dream sustainable, interdependent futures. Conversely, we wonder about the repercussions of desensitization.
The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory is a collective of artists, scientists, historians, writers, renters, parents, therapists, teachers, students and more. This is their second exhibition at MING Studios.
Please see eggobservatory.cargo.site for more information, and follow the project on Instagram @ecogeoglyphic.observatory
March 15 - April 20, 2024
Andie Frosch, Christa Howarth, Claire Quade, Ellis Locke, Laura Feeney, Mary K Johnson, Matthew Kennedy, Ryan Simmons, Teal Gardner, Tim Andreae, Samantha Price, Lab51 Students
From March 15 - April 20, 2024, The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory will transform the MING Studios gallery into Visitors Center - an invitation to establish and re-establish a connection to the Boise Valley and its surroundings. Riffing off of the ubiquitous 'visitor's center' that marks any tourist attraction, historical site, or natural feature of interest, this show focuses on the Boise Valley as a site of profound importance and inestimable value. The Boise Valley continues to transform through the pressures of urban and suburban development, climate change, and a population surge. Visitors Center will present tools for sensitizing to this unique place. Sensitizing is a process of opening doors to a deeper sense of belonging and, through this, of care. We wonder what it means to be truly sensitive to a place; to have a personal connection to the natural living systems; to know its human histories, to delve into the dynamics at play in the present, and to dream sustainable, interdependent futures. Conversely, we wonder about the repercussions of desensitization.
The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory is a collective of artists, scientists, historians, writers, renters, parents, therapists, teachers, students and more. This is their second exhibition at MING Studios.
Please see eggobservatory.cargo.site for more information, and follow the project on Instagram @ecogeoglyphic.observatory
Visitors Center: UPCOMING EVENTS
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WRITE-IN
Thursday, May 23rd, 5-7PM Writers are invited to respond to the exhibition in an effort to explore the show through the written word, with selections to be used in a print catalog being produced this summer. Bring a notebook! Free. |
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JUNIOR RANGER DAY!
Saturday, May 25th, 10-11:30AM Seeking Jr. Rangers ages 8 through 12 for a morning of youth-focused fun at the Visitors Center! Join Claire and Christa at MING Studios as we explore the exhibit with our hands, eyes, ears, nose, and mouths (for the snacks, of course). We'll learn about water and land, and what Idaho means to YOU! In between facilitated activities you'll have the opportunity to explore, touch, and add to the exhibit. We'll close by taking the Jr. Ranger Pledge together. *Parent/chaperone attendance requested. |
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FINNISAGE & POST-CLOSING PROCESSION
Saturday, May 25th, 6-9PM Join artists and exhibition collaborators in celebrating the finale of Visitors Center, a group show initiated by The Ecogeoglyphic Observatory. There will be a post-closing procession to the river at 9PM, to return the water, rocks, and sand that were borrowed for the exhibition. All are invited to attend. |
PREVIOUS EVENTS
Wednesday March 20 Study Club, lead by Teal Gardner 4-6PM |
Study Club is focused time where exhibition visitors are invited to study the abundant materials from the exhibition, many of which beg deeper engagement and quiet investigation. With an hour of reading followed by group conversation, Study Club invites sharing and reflection on what was encountered. |
Thursday March 21 New SUM Workshop 1-2PM |
A contrasting piece to add context to New SUM includes "Idaho Goose," to open a local window to the history of oppression in board games. It invites participants to map personal connections and historical points, fostering discussion and learning. Books and materials are provided for informed gameplay. In this workshop, players will be adding to an existing game board that is a map of Idaho. Players will populate the board with places of importance to them using storytelling. |
Thursday March 21 Reading: Laura Feeney, Matthew Kennedy, Richard Rachman 7-8PM |
Ecogeoglyphic themese are explored thorugh poetry and prose in this short, free reading. |
Friday March 22 New SUM Workshop 2 with Mary K and Ryan Simmons 1-2PM |
Players will expand on the “Idaho Goose” game, where the red dots all over the board will be revealed for what they are. We will learn how to use a publicly available “watchdog” tool for environmental hazards + cleanup. |
Saturday March 23 Donut Show (in the Courtyard) 11-12:30 PM New SUM GAMEPLAY - Round 1 1-3PM |
New SUM GAMEPLAY - Round 1 1-3PM Playing New SUM game! Players should bring a game piece/avatar to represent them on the board. Players should bring a long term goal for something they feel would help our collective home in the Treasure Valley, and be able to expand on 1-2 challenges that stand in the way of that goal. |
Sunday March 24 Plant Identification and Poetry Writing with Richard Rachman 10:30-12:00 PM |
Richard Rachman will lead a 1.5 hour workshop on using community science applications to identify plants. He will discuss issues around plant awareness disparity and tips and tricks to learn about your botanical neighbors. The session will end with short poetry writing inspired by the nature you least expect in an urban landscape. Please download iNaturalist for this activity, you can find the app in your app store. Once downloaded, make an account using your email or social media. In your phone's camera settings, give permission for your location to be used. If this doesn't work for you for privacy or safety reasons, that's totally fine, and something we can discuss in the workshop. |
Tuesday March 26th “Stream Neighbors” Workshop with Christa Howarth 6-7:30 PM |
For anyone interested in joining Christa as they test out their macroinvertebrate sampling equipment and ID charts. I.e., for anyone interested in looking for stream health indicator bugs in the water. All are welcome to this informal education & discovery walk at Cottonwood Creek in the foothills. Meeting at MING Studios or Military Reserve Parking Lot, TBD. |
April 3 Study Club, lead by Teal Gardner 4-6PM |
Study Club is focused time where exhibition visitors are invited to study the abundant materials from the exhibition, many of which beg deeper engagement and quiet investigation. With an hour of reading followed by group conversation, Study Club invites sharing and reflection on what was encountered. |
Sunday April 7 Table Rock Deep Time Hike 1-3:30PM |
RSVP HERE Meet at Table Rock Parking Lot for a hike around the trails that lead to Table Rock. We might not make it to the very top, but there are interesting signs of Boise's development and prehistory to be read in the rocks along the way. We will use sensitizing processes to invite our senses into the experience. We will enjoy seeing wildflowers in their early stages of spring growth! Plan for a moderately challenging 3 mile hike with lots of uphill and lots of downhill. In the event of rain or muddy trails we will not be hiking, in an effort to preserve the trails. |
Saturday April 13 Live Meditation with Claire Quade 11AM-12:30PM |
RSVP HERE We will explore two different mindfulness practices during this live meditation. The first practice will be a Walking Meditation (outdoors or indoors depending on weather) and the second practice will be a Dyad Reflection where we will reflect on what brings us happiness. Both meditation practices will be accessible for all bodies, even the walking meditation. Participants will have the option to walk back and forth 10-20 sets indoors or outdoors, stand, sit in a chair, or sit on the ground. |
Saturday April 20 Glyph Workshop, lead by Wheelhouse Letterpress, Black Cat Sign Co, and Teal Gardner 2-6:30PM |
RSVP HERE Glyph: A workshop that examines the relationship between Boise history, typography, and how we mark our sense of place. Participants will learn about sign painting and letterpress printing through hands-on experiences. This workshop is led by Caitlin Harris of Wheelhouse Letterpress; Lily Black of Black Cat Sign Co; and Teal Gardner of the Ecogeoglyphic Observatory. Sliding scale workshop pricing; $20-$50 Snacks / coffee / tea will be provided |