12X12 PROJECT at First Street Green Features Ivy Halderman & More, Now thru 9/1

Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc) in partnership with World Policy Institute, First Street Green, NYC Parks, and New York City artists, will present WPI's second installation of THE 12X12 PROJECT at First Park, 33 E. 1st Street, in Manhattan's East Village. An opening event, cosponsored by First Street Green and FABnyc, will kick off the Manhattan installation on August 10 from 5-7PM.The installation will be open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. today, August 6 through September 1.

THE 12X12 PROJECT originated from a book by author and WPI Senior Fellow, William Powers. Powers chronicled his season living in a "tiny house" in the 2010 award-winning, national "green living" bestseller: TWELVE BY TWELVE: A ONE ROOM CABIN, OFF THE GRID & BEYOND THE AMERICAN DREAM. Inspired by the book, artists Betsy Damon, Simon Draper, Erik Ajemian and Christy Rupp formed a creative team to engage the public in dialogue about how smarter consumption might change their lives-and the planet.

The roving 12x12 installation is a simple, modular space that houses panels containing text and questions from the TWELVE BY TWELVE book. These panels vary, allowing the project to grow and evolve. Participants and park visitors to the installation will engage with the question "What's your 12x12?" in order to spark new thinking around what smart consumption means for each person. Featured artists selected by FABnyc and WPI will also be in residence over the course of four weeks:

August 6 -11, 2013: Presented by WPI, NYC-based artist Ivy Haldeman will use the 12 x 12 as a space to reflect on the aesthetics of darkness as an indirect means of living sustainably. In opposition to a mentality of 24/7 activity, Ivy will make the 12 x 12 into a place for napping and rest.

August 13 - 18, 2013: Presented by FABnyc, Mario Chamorro, Catalina Parra, and Pablo Gnecco ofThe Happiness Lab will create social experiments through art within the 12x12 space in order to explore and visualize how people use their own happiness to develop sustainable communities.

August 20 - 25, 2013: Presented by WPI, musician Jonathan Koh will compose music in the 12x12 space, using a combination of classical techniques and synthesizers. His work will contemplate how music can help the listener engage with space and reflect on smart consumption in a small space.

August 27 - September 1, 2013: Presented by FABnyc, NYC-based performance artist Shawn Shafner invites visitors to create their own square patch of latch hook rug, 12 rows across and 12 columns up and down. The last day of the project, the squares will be sewn together, creating a vibrant patchwork and an expression of community collaboration.

Social media will facilitate discussions among artists, their audience, and the global community during and after the installations. Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram (@12x12project) will serve as online meeting places.

For more information, visit the12x12project.tumblr.com/.