MAXIMUM OF MAXIMUMS & VIDEO PICNIC 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007 6-10 p.m.
An artists' benefit to restore New Orleans Wetlands
VIDEO PICNIC 2007
One night screening featuring Nicole Antebi, Lara Bank, Emil Dora, Ryan Lamb, Matt MacFarland,
Noah Peffer, Jennifer Porter & more
9 pm-10 pm screening
MAXIMUM OF MAXIMUMS
Small works by over 50 visual artists
Partial proceeds of sales donated to Common Ground Wetlands Restoration Project
Artists include:
Nicole Antebi/Jaime Antonio/Ginnie Baer/Chris Bassett/Dan Bayles/Elonda Billera/Darryl Blood/Rochelle Botello/James Boulton/Brian Boyer/Naomi Buckley/Castle Castle/Stephen Childs/Alice Cisternino-Jackel/David Coyne/Michael David/Sam Davis/Ismael de Anda/Lauren Dees/Walpa D'Mark/Emil Dora/Spencer Douglass/Finishing School/Oscar Fernando Galeana/Janice Gomez/Monica Gonzalez/Hilary Graves/Sarah Grear/Phillip Griswold/Kent Hammond/Joel Heflin/Gustavo Herrera/Katie Herzog/Fatima Hoang/Ami Howard/Malisa Humphrey/Ben Jackel/Gina Kelly/Aragna Ker/John Knuth/Ryan Lamb/Patricia Liverman/Jay Lizo/Matt MacFarland/Amy Maloof/Alesandro Mares/Michelle Matthews/Justin Michell/Lara Miller/Allison Owen/Maeghan Reid/Brett Riegler/Jeff Ribaudo/ Jean Robison/Carrie Rose/ John Rubio/Shizu Saldamando/Ben Shaffer/Amanda Tan/TOMMY!/Erin Trefry/Devon Tsuno/Phil Wagner/Matt Wardell/Max Warsh
Every 2 miles of wetlands reduces a hurricane's surge by half a foot. Louisiana is losing its protective fringe of marshes and barrier islands faster than any place in the United States. Since the 1930s some 1,900 square miles of coastal wetlands—nearly the size of Delaware—have vanished beneath the Gulf of Mexico due to human development and intervention. The state continues to lose about 25 square miles of land each year, roughly one acre every 33 minutes.
Common Ground is a community-initiated volunteer organization offering assistance, mutual aid and support to the New Orleans area. Their mission is to provide short-term relief for victims of hurricane disasters in the gulf coast region, and long-term support in rebuilding the communities affected in the New Orleans area. Their Wetlands Restoration program was created to address the dangers faced by New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by working to bring immediate attention to the ecological and political causes and effects of the 2005 hurricane devastation. They are dedicated to educating as many folks as possible, both in Louisiana and beyond, on the critical role that wetlands play in protection from storm surge and how to best keep them healthy.
Amongst other things, in the last 10 months, the Common Ground Wetlands Restoration Project has planted over 11,500 clumps of smooth cord grass, a species that helps prevent erosion, throughout coastal Louisiana. Common Ground volunteers have also been assisting with the planting of over 6,500 cypress trees in the Louisiana wetlands.
