Omame Projecto: Celebration da Terra Artists Rio ’92
View Stone Garden excerpt on video at 29:40 minutes on the video
View Rolling Thunder excerpt on video at 28:26 minutes on the video.
100 International Artists for Ecology joined with Artists for Ecology in Brazil (parhaps 60 or more) to participate as advocates (artist activists) on behalf of the Earth. Maida Withers invited Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Stacy Palatt, and Janine Ploetz to accompany her to Brazil from Washington, DC to Brasilia for two weeks and then to Rio de Janeiro for the United Nation’s Earth Summit (Eco ’92)
Maida Withers Dance Construction Company and invited Brazilian contemporary dancers performed Rolling Thunder on a beach stage that was sponsored by the City of Rio de Janeiro.
The Company performed Stone Garden at the Musea de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro at dusk for about one hour. Dancers in flesh colored leotards crawled in slow motion across the rocks from one end to the other. It was magical to not be able to distinguish whether you were watching a dancer or a rock. Ken Haritsuka was carving a rock during the performance with his delicate pounding sound for his continuous one-line drawings.
We participated with other artist in many site event throughout the city and on Sugar Loaf Mountain. Many educational events were done with children in Brasilia. Most of our events in Brasilia were on the mall to bring attend to ecology for Brazil political figures.
Marilyn Wood, Co-Founder of International Center for Celebration art, organized the American Artists for Ecology participation at the end of May through June 14, 1992.
The video features events by artists for ecology: Interview of Marilyn Wood; Sugar Loaf Dance; Paulo on fire on skates; Gloria McLean dancing in the trees; Rolling Thunder on Stage with the aluminum ducts; Thomas Music; Fire Works; MWDCCo performing Stone Garden; Metje banners in black.
Organizations and Corporations making our participation possible in Brazil:
D.C. Commission for the Arts and Humanities / National Endowment for the Arts, a Federal Agency
The George Washington University
Bonita and Andrew Cacho and the Andrew Cacho African Drummers and Dancers, Inc.
J. Bruce Steward, Center for Liturgy and the Arts
Carolyn and LeRoy Morgan, Comus, Inc.
Kenneth B. Weckstein, Epstein Becker and Green
Ethel and Joseph Danzansky Foundation, Inc.
Jeffrey Strum, Gotham Building Maintenance of Washington, Inc.
Julie Portman, Ki Theatre
Market Development Group, Inc.
Tish Carter, New Moves, Inc.
Truland Foundation
Presenting Organizations:
International Conference on Celebration, Santa Fe, New Mexico (Marilyn Wood, Founder)
Musea de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Projeto Omame, Brasilia, Brazil (Movimento Artistas Pela Natureza de Brazil, Governo do Distrito Federal, Gaia Foundation, Earth Love Fund, Fundacao Onda Azul, Teatro Nacional)