Eco Trash Couture
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This video shows the process of creating the sculpture “Pacifica” for The Nature Conservancy in Oregon. It will be part of Portland Fashion Week. “Pacifica” will join 20 other new sculptures by Nancy Judd for a year long solo exhibition in the Atlanta International Airport in 2017/2018.
ReDress: Upcycled Style at the Stamford Museum
In September my traveling exhibition, ReDress: Upcycled Style, opened in the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Stamford, Connecticut. I visited the exhibition to give a presentation and workshop. I also had an unexpectedly empowering experience, but first, a bit about the trip. One of the neat things about the Stamford Museum is that in addition to the museum they have a huge farm with animals. I am excited to have my work there because their mission blends the arts, environmental stewardship and life-long learning.
Stamford Museum and Nature Center
I also found the history of the site to be quite interesting, it was built by a fashion magnate, Henri Bendel. Mr. Bendel made his mark by becoming the first retailer to brand himself. Having registered his own trademark in 1895, he created the now legendary brown and white striped shopping bag and hatbox. Bendel was the first luxury retailer with an upper Fifth Avenue address, and the first to stage a fashion show. This fact was particularly interesting to me since I began creating my sculptures for (recycled) fashion shows, so I feel indebted to his creation of this now ubiquitous event, a fashion show. He was also responsible for bringing Coco Chanel to the United States. He built the large 10,000 square-foot, neo-Tudor mansion as a summer home in 1929 and the Museum moved into the property in 1955. I really enjoyed exploring the house, grounds and beautiful marble sculptures shipped from Italy. I like to think that Henri would have enjoyed my exhibition of couture fashion with a twist!
Check out Justin’s awesome new shoelaces and Amy’s fall scarf!
After a well attended gallery tour and talk, the staff held a beautiful farm-to-table meal that was also a fundraiser for the Museum. Coincidentally, it was my Birthday and I was delighted to have over 50 people sing to me while I blew out the candle on the tallest cupcake I had ever seen! The next day I taught one of my favorite workshops, transforming old T-shirts into new objects. We began by making over 20 dog toys for a local animal shelter, and then the 15 participants created items ranging from shoe strings to scarves and reworked shirts with new style. I was excited that Amy and Justin from the Trashion Fashion Show joined us, they stage “trashion” shows on the East Coast using ballet dancers as models. I also met a wonderful woman who’s family-owned business is interested in sponsoring a new sculpture from me. Thank you to all the Museum staff for hosting me and my traveling exhibition.
Now, back to my unexpected experience: whenever I visit my exhibition at a new museum I always spend a little time with the sculptures making minor repairs, mostly gluing glass back on to the Glass Evening Gown! This time I also worked on the Eco-Flamenco dress which is covered with eco-pledges made by 5,000 people. The Museum invites visitors to take their own eco-pledges and so on a whim, I filled out a pledge card and shared it that night during my gallery talk: “I will ask all of the hotels that I stay in to turn down the temperature in the mini-refrigerators”. This is a pet-peeve of mine because I always find them set on high, and I know that these refrigerators are used a very small percentage of the time they are on. When you think about the millions of hotel rooms around the world with refrigerators, this wastes a tremendous amount of energy which adds carbon to the atmosphere, unnecessarily contributing to climate change. So the day before I checked out of the Holiday Express Inn and Suites in Stamford (notably on the night of the full lunar eclipse and blood moon) I wrote my request on a comment card. By the time I returned home I had honestly forgotten about it until I received a note from the hotel manager saying: “We have shared your comments and feedback with our team and have started implementing (your suggestion) in our guest rooms.”
This was an empowering moment for me, I experienced how truly one small action can make a difference and it confirmed why I encourage people to make these pledges. I have since written to the parent company, InterContinental Hotels Group, to ask them to follow the lead of their hotel in Stamford and make this a policy at all of their properties.
Hotel room refrigerators, unnecessary contributors to climate change
I also did a little sleuthing around on the internet to see if I could find any information on the impact of mini-fridges in hotel rooms, the only thing I found was on www.KeyGreen.com, an organization in Denmark that awards eco-labels to over 2,400 hotels and other sites worldwide. They have their application form posted on-line and I was impressed to see a question asking the applying hotel if they have a policy to TURN OFF refrigerators (and TVs) when rooms are not in use. Not turn down, but turn OFF!
So, the next time you travel you might want to use this site, www.bookdifferent.com, to find a hotel that has a smaller carbon footprint. And if you encounter a refrigerator in your room, turn it to low (or off if you want to be radical) and leave a comment card for the hotel. And if they respond, please let me know!
Schack Art Center in Everett, WA
I was recently honored by being asked to emcee and show work in three trash-fashion shows across the great Pacific Northwest! Last summer I moved from Santa Fe, NM (my home for the last 20 years) to Portland, OR, where I grew up. It is great to be back in the climate that my body feels most comfortable in, and it’s exciting to discover new opportunities for my work in Oregon and Washington. Both states are renowned for their progressive sustainability efforts, and there is a lot of creative re-use, trash fashion, and innovative environmental education taking place here. Quite honestly, I did not know if there was room for another kid in the sand box, but I have been overwhelmed by the warm welcome I have received!
Upcycled Oregon in the State Capital
This spring started off with a bang at the Oregon State Capital in Salem where I emceed at a new event called Upcycle Oregon, created to raise awareness around resource use and waste reduction activities. The two day event began with a dynamic panel discussion featuring a diverse group of people that work with waste materials across Oregon. For example, Scott Hamlin is the co-founder/CEO of Loopworks which makes products and apparel out of industry scrap and waste materials such as old Southwest Airline seat covers. I really like this company because in addition to upcycling materials, they also design their products to be very durable and to be educational– as they state on their website: Only 1% of everything that’s purchased in the USA, is still in the USA after 6 months. That is an alarming statistic! Also on the panel was Mark Rumford with a company named Agilyx that is the first in the world to install commercial scale technology that turns waste plastics into refinery grade synthetic crude oil. That might not sound very exciting, but actually it’s a big deal because they can use the plastics that most recycling programs can’t take, which amounts to more than 75% of the plastics produced and usually landfilled. Their oil is recycled into plastic manufacturing feedstock or converted to transport fuels. I have grave concerns about the environmental and human health impacts of the huge amount of plastic we use and think we should focus on reducing our use of this material, especially single use items. However, like it or not our world is saturated with plastic and it is imperative to have a way to recycle it because not only does recycling keep it out of the landfills, but it also reduces the amount of oil we have to mine/refine.
This interesting panel was followed by an upcycled art exhibition, and then concluded with a trashion show the next day that showcased numerous new and seasoned designers. This was the first recycled fashion show that I have ever emceed in a state capital; it was a grand backdrop for the entire event and it felt significant to have our work honored in such an important historical and political location. I want to thank Carlee Wright from DIY Studio and and Jessica Ramey from Marion County who organized the upcycled art and fashion show, for inviting me to participate. DIY Studio is a neat organization that promotes creative, community and environmental awareness through teaching alternative approaches to creating art and diverting materials from the solid-waste stream.
Ruby Re-Usable with her fantastic models Lana, Lova and Lena Landfill.
Three weeks later I emceed a second trashion show at the Schack (pronounced shack!) Art Center in Everett, WA held in conjunction with an impressive exhibition titled Saving the Environment: Sustainable Art. This was a fun event for me because I met several experienced designers from Washington who have also been working with waste materials for many years. One of these, Ruby Re-Usable, is the colorful designer who organized the fashion show. Some of the other designers were Rebecca Maxim aka Alotta DeTritus, Jane Grafton aka Tinker’s Dam, and Kristie Maxim aka Elle Poubelle. I really enjoyed not only their creative names and impressive designs, but also the presentation and staging of their fashions. Susie Howell, an amazing photographer as well as designer of wearable upcycled fashions, hosted my spouse and me in her beautiful historic Marysville home!
One of the many high points of this experience was meeting artist Terra Holcomb. I recommend you take a moment to look at her work; she is very, very inspiring to me. Terra works exclusively with natural materials and makes ephemeral pieces that she wears for self portraits. In fact, the resulting piece of art is the photo because she leaves the garments to decompose back into nature. One of her few pieces that still exists, a magestic oceanic gown made from muscle shells, was one of the featured designs of the evening.
Washington State Recycling Association Conference
My Trashion Show Grand-Slam ended at the Washington State Recycling Association’s conference in Spokane, WA. Fashion show organizer, Abby Christensen invited me to join emcee Terra Heilman on stage at the elegant Davenport Hotel. I met yet another set of very talented designers and really enjoyed my time with the fun and dedicated group of Washington recyclers. As the previous executive director of the New Mexico Recycling Coalition, I was right at home with them and happy to have found my peeps.
Though I usually don’t participate in many trashion shows anymore, I had a great time at these events. (Most of my work these days revolves around creating new sculptures for my installation in the Atlanta Airport in 2017, and giving presentations and workshops to universities and various audiences.) It was like a door opened and I felt so welcomed this spring to Oregon and Washington by my colleagues in the upcycled art/fashion and waste reduction community, I’m so excited to become a part of these dynamic and warm-hearted groups!
I’m in the process of dreaming up some exciting new projects for my upcoming Atlanta exhibition with a number of local west coast groups including some the folks that I met at these events, so stay tuned for more details.
POST SCRIPT: I am writing this blog post while sitting on a train traveling back to Portland from Spokane, enjoying an absolutely beautiful ride along the Columbia River. As the train travels from the high desert climate of eastern Washington where Spokane is located, my heart swells at the site of the emerald green forests of the west side of this region. I longed for this land during the almost 30 years I lived outside of the Northwest, and find that, even now, after a short time away in a dryer area, I yearn for the moist climate my body was born to.
![IMG_5750[1]](https://recyclerunway.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_57501-300x225.jpg)
Dawn over the Columbia River, from the train to Portland
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Emerald green views of the Pacific Northwest
I have had the honor of being invited to several artists residencies, lectures on my work and upcycled workshops so far this year. Here is an account of my recent activities!
(Additional photos of my adventures can be seen in the links below to my facebook page. While looking at the photos PLEASE DO ME THE FAVOR of “liking” my facebook PAGE (not just the photos), I am almost up to 1,000 likes– Thanks a bunch!)
University of Wisconsin in Madison – February 18 to 20, 2014
Nancy giving a lecture to University of Wisconsin students
This visit was planned in conjunction with the next showing of my traveling exhibition ReDress: Upcycled Style at the Woodson Art Museum in Wausau Wisconsin, April 12-June 15. During my exhibition the museum will hold an upcycled fashion show featuring work created by UW-Madison Textile and Apparel Design students. In preparation for the fashion show in May, I spent 3 days on campus with the students. I gave several lectures sharing photos of my work; stories of my progression as an artist and environmental advocate; advice on being an entrepreneurial artist; and techniques, tools and safety tips for working with waste materials. I also spent two days in the studio with the students learning about their design ideas for their upcycled fashions and giving suggestions where I could.
Jennifer Angus, the Textile and Apparel Design Program Coordinator and Professor hosted my visit. Her work will also be featured at the Woodson Art Museum at the same time that ReDress will be there. It was a joy getting to know Jennifer and learn about her fascinating work creating elaborate patterns of meticulously pinned insects inspired by Victorian collections and textiles highlighting environmental issues – habitat loss and the importance of the insect world in an ecosystem’s health. Take a look at her intriguing work!
The UW- Madison is a very inspiring and progressive community; it was an honor to work with and get to know the faculty and students! See more photos of my time at the University. And thank you to my friend Heather Swan for hosting me in her lovely home!
Hatch Creative-reuse Art Festival in Champaign, Illinois – February 28 to March 1, 2014
Nancy gives an assembly to Garden Hill Elementary students
I was invited to be the artist in residence for the second annual Hatch Art Festival that features a juried art show, trash fashion contest and art fair. My residency started off with a wonderful day at the Garden Hills Elementary School giving two assemblies to 5th and 6th graders. Teacher Magen Barber and I co-created a day-long project that consisted of working with 6 classes to create up-cycled “flags” with eco-pledges made by the students. See more photos of my day with the students.
That evening was the juried upcycled art show opening reception that featured two of my sculptures, the Aluminum Drop Dress and the Faux Fur Coat, along with many wonderful pieces from local artists. The local paper ran a story about my work and the festival that you can read here. As a side note, the reporter for this article, Melissa Merli, had interviewed me in Washington DC at President Obama’s first inauguration when I was showcasing the Change Couture Collection at the Green Inaugural Ball. What a coincidence! It was fun to share memories of that very special time that culminated in my piece, the Obamanos Coat, being accepted into the Smithsonian Museum’s permanent collection!
T-shirt Transformation workshop participants
The next day I gave two workshops. In the morning we had a fun time transforming old worn T-shirts into scarves, dog toys, hats, etc! In the afternoon I worked with another group to create a backdrop for the trash fashion show from used coffee sleeves. That evening I gave a lecture about my work in the local library, followed by a delicious dinner with the very special people that organize and support this event.
The Hatch Art Festival and my residency were produced by The I.D.E.A. Store, a creative-reuse marketplace. If I were queen for the day I would decree that every city, town and village should have such a store. They accept items from homes and businesses that might otherwise be thrown away but can be reused by artists, seamstresses, tinkers and all other creative types. The energy in the store is all abuzz as people get excited and inspired by the multitude of well organized treasures rescued from the landfill. See photos of the store here.
It was a very full two days that left me energized from meeting so many wonderful, creative and fun people. And I must thank Shauna and Cliff Carey for hosting me the entire time in their beautiful home! View more photos from my Hatch Residency here.
Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond VA – March 4, 2014
Nancy speaking at Eastern Kentucky University
I was invited to be a speaker in the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Chautauqua Lecture series. Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, that first took place in New York in 1874. Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying that Chautauqua is “the most American thing in America”. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers and specialists of the day. The Eastern Kentucky University Chautauqua Lectures are 10 years old and each year has a theme, this year it is: Beauty Matters. My lecture was called “Recycle Runway: Environmental Education through Beauty”. I discussed how the beauty and glamor of my upcycled fashion sculptures capture people’s attention, allowing me the opportunity to raise awareness about today’s pressing environmental challenges and hopefully inspire action. Read a lovely article about my talk here.
My hosts: Dr. Mihn Nguyen and Dr. Alice Jones
In conjunction with the lecture I also gave an up-cycled derby hat workshop with art students, professors and community members. I was amazed at the range of styles that participants made! On my way out of town my host Alice Jones showed me some of the beautiful horses that run in the Derby races. It was fun to see the expansive horse farms as my plane took off. I wish I could see some of the upcycled hats being worn at the derby events!! Hopefully some of the participants will send me photos, meanwhile here are some photos from the workshop!
Woodson Art Museum Exhibition and Artists Residency Wausau, Wisconsin – May 1 to 4, 2014
My next residency will take place in conjunction with my exhibition at the Woodson Art Museum. I will be giving several workshops and lectures as well as helping to organize and emcee the upcycled fashion show showcasing the UW Madison student work described above. Below is a flyer outlining all my activities during my upcoming residency, I’m very excited!
Thanks to everyone who made all these trips possible, I feel so fortunate to be doing this work and having the honor of meeting so many fantastic people!
WFMZ-TV NEWS
September 25, 2013 news story about the ReDress Upcycled Style Exhibition in the Reading Public Museum.
Nancy Judd’s Recycle Runway Exhibition in the Atlanta Airport, 2012
In 2011-2012 I had an exhibition of 21 of my sculptures in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for 14 months. The ATL Airport has invited me back for a second show in 2016 because the first one was “one of our most popular exhibits”! The exhibition will open in the fall of 2019.
I’m so very honored that David Vogt and Katherine Dirga, the team behind the Atlanta Airport’s impressive Airport Art Program, have asked me to return– it is a great validation of the work that I have been doing for the last 15 years! I’m also excited because they want me to create a new body of work for the exhibit made with the airport community including airlines, concessionaires and contractors. Many of the sculptures will be made in interactive educational workshops with airport employees, passengers and other ATL community partners including school children. The educational opportunities and reach of this project are really thrilling to me!
In the coming months we will be reaching out to other organizations for collaborations and sponsorship. Please let me know if you are interested in being a part of this exciting exhibition… and stay tuned for updates as the project unfolds over the next three years.
Nancy@RecycleRunway.com
505-577-9712
Upcycled superhero is here to teach you about sink aerators
June, 4, 2013
By Enrique Limón
Read the article and see photos on line.
It’s a bird…it’s a LEED-certified plane…it’s Sol Man, Santa Fe’s own conservationist superhero!
“This is the Man in progress,” artist and environmental educator Nancy Judd says, leading the way to her studio where the work-in-progress lies, striking a classic flying-through-midair pose.
“This is the first time I’ve done anything specifically in energy conservation,” Judd, the head of Recycle Runway and co-founder of Recycle Santa Fe Art Market, says. “I make couture fashion sculptures from trash, and I use them to raise awareness about environmental issues.”
The city’s former recycling coordinator achieves this by setting up installations in high foot-traffic locations like shopping malls, airports and museums.
Sol Man is no exception, being that he’ll be unveiled this Wednesday at 4 pm at the Santa Fe Place Mall.
Utensils galore line Judd’s worktable, including pliers, heavy-duty gloves (“his cape still has sharp edges,” she warns), and a chart of the “ideal-proportion male.”
“For me, as an artist, this has been a really challenging process,” Judd says, working on Sol’s head. His torso is a discarded dress form rescued from a dumpster; his legs and arms were once conduit, covered with pipe insulation; and his bulging “muscles” are made from downcycled home insulation.
Other elements in the figure include rubber gasket scraps, yard signs from past political campaigns and ventilation ducts.
“My stuff is usually very feminine,” Judd confesses, “so making this guy—who is everything but—has been a challenge.”
Like every fabled crusader before him, Sol Man has a chimerical backstory.
It starts in an Ortiz Middle School science classroom. “The kids learned about where energy comes from, different energy sources, problems with different energy sources and about energy conservation,” the artist says.
During the students’ three-week immersion, Judd says they were assigned energy-conservation projects at home.
“PNM, our local electric company, provided them one of these energy-efficiency kits,” she says, opening up a small box containing compact fluorescent light bulbs, a low-flow shower head, a fridge thermometer and other green household implements—several of which now rest on the Man’s belt.
During that time, Judd also went into the sixth-graders’ art class—where, collectively, Sol Man’s look was born.
“I worked with them and said, ‘We’re gonna create an energy-efficient superhero. What would he look like?’”
The result was a slew of drawn submissions, with names like “Shiny Woman,” “Super Energy Conserver” and “Corserva-Woman”—who boasts a “built-in nightlight.”
“I took some of their ideas and created this guy,” Judd says.
Approaching the same students, this time at their Consumer Science class, Sol Man’s different elements—like the 300 mini faux solar panels that adorn his cape—came to be.
After his stint at the mall, Sol Man will tour statewide to continue his mission of raising energy awareness.
“In the long run, I want people to conserve energy,” Judd says of her efforts, realized in part through a fellowship awarded by Toyota and the National Audubon Society. “I want to raise awareness about our environmental impact as individuals—and energy is one of those places where we have a huge impact.”
She’s aware the message is trite, but insists, “energy is a huge, huge problem because it’s one of our main sources of CO2, which is one of the leading causes of climate change.”
Judd hopes her initiative sets a [low-emission] spark across the local art community and motivates others in her position to marry their creativity with bigger causes.
“One of the connections that I make about the work that I do is that, in the coming years, as we face climate change, we’re gonna have to use incredible creativity,” she says.
“Whether that’s the creativity of an artist to educate, or the creativity of an engineer to help solve problems, an inventor or even a politician on how to get laws passed—all of that is really about creative problem solving,” Judd continues. “And the bigger the problem, the more creativity we’re gonna need.”
Ortiz students test bulbs, make ‘trash fashion’ to learn about conserving
April 3, 2013
By Robert Nott
Read the article and see photos on line.
In an effort to draw attention to energy conservation efforts, Ortiz Middle School students engaged in a battle of the light bulbs in science class Wednesday, while building an “Energizer” superhero costume.
Their efforts were part of a collaboration between Santa Fe Public Schools, Recycle Runway artist Nancy Judd, Public Service Company of New Mexico and the Santa Fe Community College. The program, funded by a Toyota Together Green Grant and the National Audubon Society, was manpowered by about 125 sixth-graders at Ortiz.
The project is evenly divided between an experiment into how energy is created and conserved in Erika Sommer’s science class and an art-and-design “trash fashion” project in teacher Myoko Costello’s home-economics class.
Judd, an environmental activist and artist who runs Recycle Runway (creating “couture attire” from recycled items), said the project’s goal is to instill a sense of energy conservatism in the kids, with the hope that they will take what they learned home and incorporate their lessons into their home life. Lisa Randall, the school district’s energy conservation coordinator, said it provides “a home-school connection to energy conservation” that one doesn’t usually find in lesson plans.
Sommer’s class was engaged in an experiment to compare whether a 40-watt incandescent light bulb or a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) generates more light — and which one uses the most energy.
The students had to measure the amps, the lumens (a measure of the amount of light a bulb produces) and the watts of each bulb via a not-too-complicated setup involving a bulb board, a light meter and an interactive computer screen.
At one table in the class, several students, including Daryl Herrera, compared the effects of the two bulbs and came to the conclusion that the CFL bulb used less than half the energy of an incandescent bulb. (Most studies indicate that CFL bulbs use 75 percent less energy and last 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.) Herrera said he found the experiment useful, “So we know which bulbs we should use at home.”
Following the class, the kids were asked how many believed the project would make them want to conserve energy at home. Almost all raised their hands. Asked how many would suggest to their parents that the latter use CFL bulbs, almost all raised their hands again. And when asked how many of them have parents who actually listen to them — well, only about a third raised their hands.
Down the hallway, Judd organized the art students into teams to build the parts needed for the Energizer costume, which is due to be completed by the end of April. Afterward, the costume — currently sans a superhero to wear it — will tour the schools and perhaps other sites within the city.
To ensure it really is an energy-efficient costume, Judd utilized everything from HVAC duct vents (for the arms), a high-efficiency heater flue, PCP pipe, window insulation and discarded 2008 Obama campaign signs. Why Obama? “That’s mostly what can be found in Santa Fe,” Judd replied.
One of the art students, Rudi Martinez, busied herself making small solar panels to line the Energizer costume’s 60-inch by 45-inch cape. “We need to learn how to save energy rather than waste energy,” she said as she worked.
Ryan Baca, who was on hand to represent PNM, which provided all the kids with home energy kits (including CFL bulbs), seconded that thought. She said kids today have a greater awareness about environmental needs and conservation efforts and that this joint project gives them “a good, solid foundation in what energy conservation means to their community, their school and their home.”
Next week, Santa Fe school buildings will be placed in a “sleep mode” for spring break. Lights and computers will be shut off and heating kept to a minimum.
“Opal” by Nancy Judd
This spring of 2013 I was invited, along with 15 other Santa Fe artists, to create a new sculpture for a fundraiser for the Nature Conservancy and the Santa Fe Farmers Market. The event is called “Picnic for Earth” and is organized by the Patina Gallery next to the Santa Fe Plaza.
Each artist was given a beautiful oak picnic basket and encouraged to transform it in anyway that inspired us . The day I picked up my basket from the Patina Gallery, I took it home and buried it in the back yard! Having worked exclusively with trash for the last 15 years, the newness of the basket was blinding to me. It felt strange and pretty ironic to intentionally ruin the new basket but such are the dilemmas I face as an environmental artist! So, first I submersed it in my rain barrel, and then I buried it in the dirt. When I went to dig it up a month later, it was frozen in the ground and took me several weeks to finally unearth.
Opal Whitely
The inspiration for this piece I knew had to come from nature, but I was not clear exactly what that would be until, one morning, I awoke thinking about Opal Whiteley. As a teenager I had read “The Story of Opal”, the diary of a young girl living a hard life in logging camps amongst the forests of western Oregon. I remember being very inspired by her vision of, and conversations with, the spirits of the natural world. Creating a fairy that personified the spirit of the land seemed like a perfect fit for this project.
I had read Opal’s diary at Cascade Head Preserve, a Nature Conservancy site on the Oregon Coast. My parents had bought adjacent land in Cascade Head Ranch in the 1970s and had built a house overlooking the Salmon River Estuary. Starting when I was 7 years old, I had spent most weekends and summers at Cascade Head.
I am very grateful to the Nature Conservancy because it was on their land that I developed my appreciation for nature, which lead to my career in environmental education. It is a great honor to create this piece to benefit the Conservancy and the Santa Fe Farmers Market, which I visit religiously every week.
Nancy collecting materials at the Santa Fe Canyon Preserve
In addition to the picnic basket, I used a vintage dress given to me by a friend; plants that I collected at the Conservancy’s Santa Fe Canyon Preserve; and dried flowers from the Santa Fe Farmers Market. The branches are from different types of willows; the seeds on the wings are from a box elder; the necklace is made from juniper berries; the pods on the dress are clematis; the foliage around the neck is juniper mistletoe; and the petals on the picnic basket are dried peonies, marigolds and roses from the Santa Fe Farmers Market.
Detail of mistletoe and picnic basket on” Opal”
I did not know that the chartreuse foliage around the neckline was mistletoe until someone at the Nature Conservancy identified it for me. After a bit of research, I realized that it is a perfect fit for this garment. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant, deriving nutrients from its host. It is reported to have “a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community”. It can kill its host through invasion, but is also said to have a positive effect on biodiversity, providing high quality food and habitat for a broad range of animals in forests and woodlands worldwide.
As the spirits of nature create an image that we might recognize as human, what more perfect plant than mistletoe could they chose? Humans, like mistletoe, are often invasive and destructive, but our actions can also be beneficial, as seen by inspiring organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and the Santa Fe Farmers Market!
One morning while creating this dress, I awoke with the following poem in my head. It is the first time I have written a poem to accompany a garment and it felt like a perfect fit.
More and more, the spirits of the land
felt forgotten by humans,
and before they disappeared altogether
they decided to make themselves seen.
So branches, flowers and seeds
wove themselves together
and created a sprite to say:
As you pollute the air, the water, the soil,
as you cause plants and animals to die away
as you change the very earth itself
DON’T FORGET US.
While you live your lives–
dancing, working, singing, loving, praying–
remember our wildness in yourselves!
Nancy Judd, 2013
The opening for the “Picnic for Earth” is at the Patina Gallery on April 5, 2013 from 5:30pm-7:30pm. The show will be on display through April 26th. Patina Gallery is located at 131 West Palace Avenue, Santa Fe.
If you live in or near Santa Fe, I hope you can come to the opening on the 5th to see “Opal” in person!
Also, watch this video created by the Nature Conservancy about creating Opal.
In November 2012 I gave my second TEDx talk at an event called TEDxAcequiaMadre in Santa Fe, NM. My first TEDx talk was in Albuquerque (TEDXABQ).
If you are not familiar with TED talks they are global conferences focused on “ideas worth spreading.” TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, the beginning of their inspiring mission reads: “We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.” It is a great honor to be part of this community! TED talks can be viewed for free at www.TED.com. In 2009 local, self-organized conferences called TEDx events began internationally. As of the end of 2012, more than 16,000 talks have been given at more than 5,000 TEDx events in 1,200 cities in 133 countries.
Having given one TEDx talk already I did feel more prepared, but it still took a tremendous amount of time to write, reflect and practice. Since it is required that you memorize your talk, NO reading or notes, I spent 100s of hours practicing. Giving a TED talk is a commitment and experience unlike any other I have had!
Crime Scene and the Caution Dress
in the Atlanta Airport Exhibition, 2012
In my presentation I focused on a garment I created in 2012 called “Crime Scene” for my exhibition in the Atlanta Airport. The dress is part of a mini-collection made from police tape– the other dress, the “Caution Dress”, I made to wear for TEDxABQ. For my talk in Santa Fe I wore a dress commissioned by Coca-Cola in 2006 called Pop Can Couture made from aluminum cans cut into flowers, leaves and petals and sewn to a dress made from canvas scraps.
I titled my TEDxAcequiaMadre talk: “Undressing the Crime Scene– Addressing how to Slow Climate Change”. I feel like it is the first time that I have addressed the climate crisis this directly in any of my presentations.
I used the dress, Crime Scene, to explore how we have poisoned both the body of Mother Earth and our own bodies. As I share in the talk, when researching this presentation I fell into an armageddon panic about what we have done to the planet and the myriad of overwhelming problems that humanity is facing as a result. However, after a couple of weeks I managed to find my way back to the essence of what my work is about: creating a positive way to address these serious issues that does not instill guilt nor fear but instead inspires hope and action.
I would love to hear your reflections on my talk in the comment box below!
