Common milkweed (native)
Through a sculptural garden installation, local artist, Iviva Olenick is "greening" the exterior of the Invisible Dog, celebrating contributions of native and nonnative plants (and peoples) to the (bio)diversity of Brooklyn through Plant(n)ation: Brooklyn as Farm. Iviva will adorn the windowsills of the Invisible Dog with a crowd-informed "farm" of textile, decorative, and food crops. Through scheduled and accidental conversations with community members and visitors, Iviva will hear you describe plants you love and miss from your home country and city, or from an earlier version of Brooklyn. Planting the crops most likely to survive, Iviva will curate a windowsill garden as sculptural installation and conversation about the need to honor and include native and nonnative peoples and plants in our ever-evolving community, culture and way of life. Plant(n)ation will debut on March 9, 2019, with new blooms appearing throughout the spring, summer and fall, and public harvests in late summer–fall.
In conjunction with the opening of 50 States: Arkansas & Political Gestures on March 9, Iviva will be onsite at the Invisible Dog from 6–8pm Saturday to introduce the Brooklyn Arts Council-sponsored project. Iviva's textile banner garden simulations will adorn the exterior of the Invisible Dog through May, to be replaced by a farm including plants requested by community members. Visit the artist on Saturday, March 9 to share the names and descriptions of plants you miss from other countries, cities, and states. Iviva will research the likelihood of growing them in Brooklyn, and consider adding them to the vertical farm.
Iviva Olenick is a Brooklyn-born and based artist and educator. She has exhibited her handcrafted works with Muriel Guepin Gallery, NYC since 2008. Additional exhibition venues include the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling, NYC; Museum of Design Atlanta, GA; the Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; Wyckoff House Museum, Brooklyn, NY; the Center for Book Arts, NYC, among others. Iviva has received several Community Arts Fund grants from the Brooklyn Arts Council to support community-engaged projects, and from Puffin Foundation West.
Website: www.ivivaolenick.com.
On View
March 9–October 31, 2019
Opening Reception
Saturday, March 9
6–8pm
Admission
Free
Location
The Main Gallery
51 Bergen St.