Arts Culture Nature 2005

Earth Rites: Imagination and Practice in Sci-Arts Eco-Cultures
University of Washington Bothell
May 19-21, 2005
Call for Proposals

Earth Rites: Imagination and Practice in Sci-Arts Eco-Cultures investigates
issues and practices involved in building sustainable eco-cultures through
the intentional engagement of both the sciences and the arts. The Earth
Rites conference will examine connections between sci-arts and local
communities and address how our sense of place, location, history, memory
and embodiment are made manifest in art-making and scientific practices. The
conference seeks to advance discussion and research on the productive
linkages between culture, science, art, and the environment and how these
connections emerge as viable eco-cultures.

Themes and Questions:
What defines 'environment'?
What are 'eco-cultures'?
What is environmental art practice? How can it engage, merge, or diverge
with and from sustainable scientific practice?
How is the inquiry process in science comparable to that of art making? How
can scientists and artists productively collaborate? What constitutes points
of intersection for scientific practice and art making?
How can critical conceptions of nature and culture inform contemporary
practice?
What cultural frameworks-economic, social, religious-have historically
influenced access to environmental resources?
How do the arts act as vehicles for civic engagement?
What are the intersections between transformational learning, community
leadership, art, and bioregionalism?
How can indigenous approaches guide these emerging practices and
relationships to the land?
How can current discussions in both aesthetics and science help us
understand some of the challenges of ecological restoration?
How are knowledge management systems integral to emerging sci-arts
eco-cultures?
What role does design and/or engineering play in relation to new
possibilities in sci-arts eco-cultures?
How can art, ecology, and spirituality help us create new paradigms for
community?


The location and environment of the host site are an important thread in the
fabric of the conference. Situated near a functioning wetland at the
University of Washington, Bothell, the venue is also part of the
Cedar/Sammamish watershed, Water Resource Inventory Area 8 in the Puget
Sound basin of Washington State, as well as part of the larger and
transnational Cascadia bioregion. Project organizers seek to cultivate
meaningful community responses locally and regionally, and explore and
expand upon relevant models of practice for the bioregion and beyond. We
invite scholars, community leaders, artists, adult learners, youth and
others to share ideas and practices that utilize traditional academic and
artistic methods, as well as non-traditional and indigenous approaches.

Formats:
" Individual Papers: 20-minute paper proposals that address issues of
sci-arts, environmental art, etc. Please submit a 300 to 500-word proposal
and biography.
" Roundtable: Discussions comprising four participants focusing on a
specific topic related to theory, organizational models or practice. Please
submit a 500-word proposal with qualifications and/or experience of all
participants.
" Performance: Presentation of short theatre, dance, spoken word, or other
pieces. Submit 300-word proposal, biography and additional information.
Please include length, required technical support if appropriate, number of
participants, etc.
" Workshops: Hands-on discussion. Please submit 300-word proposal,
biography and additional information. Please include time (up to 1.5 hours),
technical or other requirements, min/max number of participants, etc.
" Media Room: Display materials including videos, internet sites, CD ROMs,
DVDs, fine art, poster presentations. Please submit a 100 to 300-word
proposal or sample, and biography
" Outdoor Exhibition: Temporary site exhibits. Please submit 100 to
300-word proposal or sample, and biography
Deadline for submission of proposals: October 30, 2004
For further information, please contact Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren at the
address below.

Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren
President of Art Culture and Nature, Assistant Professor, Performance
Studies, University of Washington, Bothell.

Email: [email protected]
Visit the website at http://faculty.uwb.edu/kkochhar/ACN