culture/nature/structure

Meghan Moe Beitiks
writing

Interactive Studio (2017-18)

An upper-division undergraduate course at Grand Valley State University, exploring interactive technologies and paradigms. Students learn basic electricity, processing, arduino, max/msp, and consider human/apparatus interactions. More information and student work examples on the course website.

CSPA Q14: Cultural Vibrancy (2016)

As the Lead Editor of the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts Quarterly, I invited guest editors to curate issues around specific themes within arts and sustainability, oversee issue development, and manage issue launch. I also got to curate some issues myself. This is an issue I edited.

Q14: CULTURAL VIBRANCY asks: What does it mean to be culturally vibrant in the face of an escalating climate? How do we adapt to the continually evolving present? What changes, what moves? What is alive? An in-depth interpretation of “Culture” as the fourth pillar of sustainability, this issue looks more deeply at the way culture shapes our relationship to ecologies. Featuring contributions by Jane Bennett, Elizabeth Orr, Guy Eytan, Andrew Yang, Ian Garrett, and Anne-Marie Melster.

Review of SoilCulture (2016)

SoilCulture is, ultimately, the documentation of a strong collection of artists exploring soil at a time when its importance and preciousness is politically and ecologically pressing. This puts some artworks in the position of celebrating or propagandizing. While these efforts may be needed, the conversation that SoilCulture frames also points to the importance of diversity and critical discourse in ecological/cultural work, largely because such elements are sometimes lacking in its own curation. Regardless, the projects put forth solid juxtapositions of scientific and artistic research with soil, including artist/scientist collaborations, and research processes reframed. It is a fascinating snapshot in time of artists engaging with a crucial issue.”

Read my full review on ecoartscotland.

Time Studio (2016-19)

Student work examples from Time Studio, an upper-division undergraduate course focusing on video, sound, performance and conceptual explorations of Time at Grand Valley State University. Students learn video and sound editing as well as performance practices. For more information, check out the course website.

CSPA Q13: On Social Equity (2016)

As the Lead Editor of the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts Quarterly, I invited guest editors to curate issues around specific themes within arts and sustainability, oversee issue development, and manage issue launch. I also got to curate some issues myself. This is an issue I edited.

Q13: ON SOCIAL EQUITY is third of a four-part series on the pillars of sustainability. What is social equity? How do art and performance define and address it? Focus on questions of access, material, meaning and communication in communities both human and non-. With contributions from Theresa May, A.Laurie Palmer, Ross Stanton Jordan, Kristina Wong, Corinne Erni and Anne-Marie Melster.

Making and Meaning (2016-19)

Student work examples from Making and Meaning, a Contemporary Art Foundations course at Grand Valley State University, required of Art & Design majors, and open to non-majors. Explore more examples on the course website.

Introduction to Performance (2015)

Student work from “Introduction to Performance” at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2015.

First Annual Moscow Science Art Conference (2012)

As published in CSPA Q9: Science/Art.

CSPA REPORT: Sustainability in Theater (2012)

As published in CSPA Q8: THE SEA IS RISING.

A + E Conference at the Nevada Museum of Art (2011)

   This weekend, William Fox described artists as having an arc of inquiry that is equal and parallel to scientists. He did this at the A + E Conference at the Nevada Museum of Art. I know because I was there.

The Center for the Art and Environment has been building steadily since its initial conference in 2008. I wanted to go so badly back then: couldn’t make it happen. Now spent the weekend standing in the same room as eco-art behemoths.

The concept of an institution for art and environment is incredibly unique. Partly because eco-art by its very nature is difficult to archive and exhibit. Partly because there’s no precedent. And partly because, well, most of the eco-art dialogue in recent years has been happening on blogs and websites, nimbler programs with little or no funding-slash-facilities.

So it’s both weird and wonderful to encounter 3 floors of a building exclusively designed for eco-art. It’s dizzying to realize that while I’m very familiar with the work of Fritz Haeg, The Harrisons and Chris Jordan, before this weekend I’d never actually seen them in person. It’s especially weird to do all this in Reno, with the lights and the gambling and whatnot.

Back to Chicago tomorrow. Everything is old and new at once.

Considering Sustainable Design @ PQ (2011)

Every four years theater artists of all kinds gather in the Czech Republic for the Prague Quadrennial. Countries set up pavilions to display the best of their professional and graduate-level stage design. The city is swarmed with performances, lectures, panels and demonstrations. When I first went in 2003, site-specific performance was highlighted as a fascinating trend in scenography. Since then, the Quadrennial has expanded from a stage-design conference to a dialogue on all things performance and space. Site-specific projects are more the rule, less the exception. I’m here until June 27th, nerding out with the folks from the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts. We’ll be participating in a Roundtable Discussion– Considering Sustainable Design— on June 21st. Check sustainablepractice.org for further updates. Until then, I’m loving me some cobblestones.

p.s. : the Latvian pavilions are kicking butt, as usual.

Artport: 2 Degrees of Separation (2011)

As published in CSPA Q5: ON INTERNATIONAL ACTION.

Healthy Parks, Healthy People conference. (2011)

I love conferences. I love them when they’re full of moving lights and impossible ideas, and I love them when most of the attendants are barefoot and eating quinoa. The “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” conference was neither of these things. It was full of very smart folks very interested in making change– who were also in an excellent position to do so. Which means I was in a dizzied cloud of endorphins for most of it. Or maybe it was the free coffee (which came in silicone-and-ceramic-fake-paper-coffee cups! Yeah, those things! I was excited, too).

These folks did not let me hide in the blogger background. I was forced into breakout groups and brainstorming sessions, coaxed into collaboration with big players in public space and health. I’ll be posting about the experience on sustainablepractice.org and maybe inhabitat.com, but for now, let me just say how refreshing it is to watch government officials, corporate VPs, and non-profit directors draw mind-maps and talk about healthy communities. One director even took her shoes off.

I’m in Yosemite (working. seriously).

This is my second year as Lighting Technician for the Bracebridge Dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. It’s a great gig, for a number of reasons: the scenery, the free food, the fact that the TD actually listens to my design suggestions (two new specials this year!). In between shifts in the scissor lift, I’m finishing up my COP16 coverage and preparing for SFSketchfest. I’ve also been watching the videos from Green Stage Scratch Night. It looks like it was a great production, with a lot of work done in very limited time. Unfortunately their camerawoman got caught in a subway strike and it had to be filmed on an iphone. Took me ten minutes for me to get the courage to watch it. Definitely a learning experience, made some necessary edits clear. In the meantime, I’m waving hello to the deer.

COP 16 Coverage from Cancun, Mexico (2010)

I’ll be in Cancun from November 26- December 5th covering the cultural aspect of the COP16 talks for inhabitat.com, and, time permitting, Culturebot. Here’s a feed of my posts. Here’s Inhabitat’s flickr page. Pardon me while I disappear for long bit.

I’ve been writing for Culturebot. (2010-2014)

I’ve been following Culturebot for awhile now, so when they put out a call for “non-NYC” writers, I submitted myself, droolingly. They cover some of the most exciting and relevant art happenings, and they do it with depth and craft. Here’s my first piece for them. There are more as time and opportunity allow. My culture-nerd culture always needs feeding.

“Good Fix” at Green Stage Scratch Night (2010)

I’ve been working on a play called “Good Fix.” It’s about do-gooding and righteous highs. An excerpt of it is going to be read on “Green Stage Scratch Night,” Nov. 28th at 7:30 at the Rosemary Branch in Islington, in the UK. Green Stage is all about creating original environmental work. Imma see about begging someone to tape the reading for me. Just as soon as I send them the full script.

Is Joy a Sustainable Fuel? (2009)

Creative Visions

When you see a big painted bus driving down the  highway (a BIG bus, an old school bus, not some passenger van) that says RUNS ON VEGETABLE OIL; when that bus is covered in a thousand brushstrokes of color; is filled with young folk who may or may not have dreadlocks, may or may not play drums, and may or may not flash you a peace sign, what do you do?  Do you roll your eyes?  Do you smile?  Is the joy that seems to sustain them for real?  Can it last?  Or is it the glory of youth and naïveté?

Read the full piece as published in the CSPA Quarterly.