Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The 2011 BIG FEED

Photograph from a previous BIG FEED; Richard Saxton

Next month (October 15-16) the M12 art collective will host their annual BIG FEED celebration at the Yuma, Colorado Fairgrounds. Readers of our site may already be familiar with the M12 artists and Richard Saxton's work with his students in Yuma (please see the links below), so we can be certain that this event will be in keeping with the ethos of these artists' work: creative, playful, and forward-thinking.

It's an honor for me to share with everyone that I will be presenting on The Art of the Rural at this year's BIG FEED. I've been asked to offer a kind of "best of" contemporary rural arts and culture, and the invitation will present the opportunity to reflect on what we've covered here on the first two years of the site (two years!). As our coverage of the M12-related work has hopefully demonstrated, I have great respect for these artists and scholars' vision of how aesthetically-adventurous art and architecture can interact in a meaningful and sustainable way with communities. I look forward to sharing more of their artwork, ideas, and connections on this site when I return from Yuma.

I'll include below a list of this year's participants. The full BIG FEED program can be viewed here, and it contains much more information on each artist and presenter. As the schedule demonstrates, there's going to be an extraordinary range of perspectives shared during this two days, so, if folks live in the area, this will be an event not to be missed. That Saturday evening will come to an exciting close with a performance by the legendary alt.country group Blue Mountain.
The BIG FEED: Saturday, Oct. 15-16 at the Yuma County Fairgrounds, Yuma, Colorado.The entry to this event is FREE with a $5 donation and one food item to share!
  The BIG FEED is an annual event and action held by M12. It is a celebration of the regional landscape, experimental art and architecture, food, music, culture and community. It is a forum to connect community members and artists in a casual atmosphere, as well as an opportunity for the larger public to learn more about the groundbreaking work presented by the attending community members, artists, musicians, critics, and curators. Landing somewhere between a family reunion, potluck dinner, symposium, and festival, The BIG FEED is held every second weekend in October. The event is open to the public and free with a $5 donation and one food item to share. For more information on the event and the organization please visit the M12 website.
Saturday, October 15:
2:30PM—DJ Rockcrusher, Maiden Rock, WI (DJ, Country & Western 78’s)
3PM—Vic Anderson, Estes Park, CO (Country & Western, Yodeling musician)
4PM—CU Art Students, Boulder, CO (Visual Art Presentation)
4:30PM—Yuma County Rodeo Queens, Yuma, CO (Presentation)
5PM—Gregory Hill, Joes, CO, native (author of East of Denver)
5:30PM—The Art of the Rural Presentation
6:15—Eric Steen (artist) & Ro Guenzel (Head Brewmaster, Left Hand Brewery)
6:45PM—The BIG FEED (with spit-roasted bison) with music by 4H Royalty
7:30PM—Mimi Ziegler, Los Angeles, CA (editor of loud paper; author of Tiny Houses, New Museums, )
8:15PM—4H Royalty, Denver, CO (full set)  
9:00PM—Blue Mountain, Oxford, MS (full set)
Sunday, October 16:

9:30AM—PANCAKE FEED
10AM—Jami Lunde, Lyons, CO (full set) 
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