Common Ground Partnership

Chinese Website for Common Ground

Well, it's taken some time, but I beleive we got it right. With the help of our Common Grounsd coordinator in Beijing,Carissa Welton - ably assisted by her trusted translatorJudy Wang - we've finally launched the Chinese version of our Website at www.CommonGround2008.cn   Check it out and then send the link along to your frinds and colleagues in China...we're about to begin the curatorial process there to selcet the 10 artists who will represent China in the Host Collection for Common Ground 2008.

Curators chosen for the 2008 Celebrated Artist Collection

We’re excited to announce that John and Margie Labadie have been appointed curators to select the 20 artists from around the globe who will make up Common Ground’s 2008 Celebrated Artist Series.  And what a great fit they are for Common Ground. Their interest in the intersection of art, technology and the environment is evident in their work, their lifestyle, and their overall approach to creativity. John describes himself as “an artist, a communicator, a channeler of sensations, a describer of sentient perceptions, a synthesizer of diverse intellectualizations, and a purveyor of exotic marginalia”. See a selection of the Labadie’s artwork, their CV’s and more about their approach to the craft of digital art here.  Besides teaching in the Art Department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, the Labadie’s also head up the Digital Academyat the UNCP. John was recently a Fulbright Scholar in "digital art" at the National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan, and Margie has an MFA in Printmaking. Their works have been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries, universities and museums around the globe. Care to submit a piece for their consideration in the Common Ground Collection?  Contact John at johnantoine@CommonGround2008.com   

Exciting news: We've selected Odyssey as the official image (left) with which to launch the Common Ground selection process. Artists Victor Raphael and Clayton Spada will represent the U.S. in the The Celebrated Artist Series.

Artist commentary: "Our ancient ancestors observed the universe, and then painted images in caves. Millennia later, Einstein reflected his thoughts about the universe across sheets of paper. How far apart, really, are cave paintings from the theory of general relativity? Perhaps, not far at all. Human history exists, as it turns out, because of the thin blue line that allows our world to survive."  Odyssey ©2006 Victor Raphael and Clayton Spada.

Wow...talk about high-powered dialog! I attended the CERES Conference in Boston last week. Between the plenary presentations, the breakout sessions and the 'hallway networking' a few things are coming into focus: Investors, environmentalists and business leaders are all cautiously optimistic that sustainability conditions in North America and developing countries will improve in the next two decades. The “Advancing Sustainable Prosperity” survey was conducted at this conference and had some really interesting results. Check them out here.

Calling All Artists and Designers

Art has a unique ability to bridge the gap across the cultural divide. In fact, artists have played a vital role in shaping the ‘world-view’ of their day throughout history. Now it’s your turn! We invite you to submit your digital art to be included in the 2008 Common Ground Collection. There will be prizes, an awards gala, an international touring exhibition, and more. The 2008 Common Ground Collection isaccepting entries from every corner of the globe. Please e-mail us here and tell us about your interest or go directly to the Call For Entries form to upload your artwork.

Yeah...That Means You!!!

Are you an art industry professional, a curator, a gallery owner, an art publishers, or anyone passionate about the intersection of art, new media and philanthropy? Would you consider joining our judging panel for the 2008 Common Ground Collection?  To explore ideas on how you could collaborate with us, please contact digitalart@CommonGround2008.com. If you’re a representative of the print, broadcast or online media, drop us a line at press@CommonGround2008.com for a media kit. If you’re a potential sponsor, we’d like to talk with you about extending your brand identity into the Chinese, European and American markets simultaneously with a refillable CSR initiative. Please contact us at support@CommonGround2008.com.

BSR in NYC

I’m off next week to the Big Apple, attending a conference put on by an organization called Business for Social Responsibility www.bsr.org. Big corporations may be an easy target – even a deserving one –  for their contribution to the nasty state of our environment. But they finally seem to be coming around to the realization that it actually is good business strategy to think and act responsibly. OK, so it may be self-serving, i.e. healthy profits and feel-good PR from green behavior. Yet I can’t help but think that it’s a positive step in the right direction as long as they dedicate money, technology and human resources to help fix the mess that we’ve created. We are all in this together.

Green Drinks and Green Networking

It was a pleasure to connect with a really lively group last night in the heart of L.A.’s Westside. LA Green Drinks www.lagreendrinks.blogspot.com is part of an International group, loosely aligned but all with the same notion: Once a month in cities all over the world, people in the environmental field meet for a beer and schmoozing in a session known as Green Drinks. Anyone concerned about environmental issues attends: NGOs, academia, government, business, even just the curious. LA Green Drinks/Culver City is the 1st Thursday of every month.

LA Green Drinks/Silverlake is the 3rd Thursday of every month. To subscribe to the LA Green Drinks list, email: lagreendrinks@gmail.com.

Wanna meet me there next month?

Digital Art and the Environment

Art and technology each uniquely contributes to closing the gap between disparate cultures. Digital art actually leverages the best of both worlds.

At Common Ground, we use new technologies to give voice to artists around the world who share concerns about an issue that unites us all: Environmental sustainability and pollution prevention.  To be sure, there are many other important shared concerns that know no boundaries, from hunger, to violence, to disease…each that calls for more cross-cultural exchange.

One issue seems to overlap all others. It’s global in scope while at the same time has a very personal affect on each and every one of us. That issue is our environment and ensuring we that take better care of it.

Common Ground is a place for different viewpoints on the environment from individual artists around the world. They collaborate with each other, learn from each other, and perhaps even contribute to new and creative solutions to some of our most urgent environmental concerns.

Are you ready for your voice – and your artistic expression– to make a difference? Please join our community and let your voice be heard.