Blend Studio & Long Hunter State Park Host MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Blend Studio & Long Hunter State Park presents MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE project- Recycling Bottles into Art and Hope. The event will feature Tina Ahyoka, and run in conjunction with a public art sculpture at Long Hunter State Park.

The event runs March 6, 2010 - March 27, 2010, with an opening reception: First Saturday Gallery Crawl held March 6, 2010; 6-9pm. An Artist Talk will be held Saturday, March 13, 2010; 1-3pm

"Message In A Bottle" is a project created by Tina Ahyoka that combines the act of recycling glass bottles with artistic creation. This community-based project will be on display in an interactive installation at Blend Studio from March 6 to March 27, 2010, with an opening reception on March 6, from 6-9pm. An artist talk is scheduled for Saturday, March 13, from 1-3pm, in which Tina Ahyoka will explain her interest in glass recycling and educate attendees about the importance of glass recycling. The focus of the project and the exhibition in the gallery space is to create beauty and hope out of our consumption practices, as well as educating the public about what happens to glass that is recycled here in Middle Tennessee. Everyone who ever buys a product that is packaged in a glass container will become aware of glass recycling and how it impacts our lives.

Throughout the month of March 2010, the exhibition at Blend Studio will contain not only works of art made out of recycled glass bottles, but also an installation of a glass wall structure made of bottles. Upon viewing the ‘wall', visitors of the show are invited to write a message on a reclaimed piece of foil conveying hope and/or a commitment to remain aware and active as a member of our community to be better stewards of the planet as a whole. All of these messages will forever be sealed within the bottles when at the end of the month they'll be transported to Long Hunter State Park where they'll become part of a large-scale public art scuplture during the month of April. The public art structure will be a beautiful reminder of what is possible when we come together as a community and also provide an educational element on the importance of glass recycling.

Get Involved! Recycle your bottles. Individuals and local businesses are encouraged to recycle their own glass beverage bottles for the project. Volunteer. Weekend workdays will be organized in April at the location of the outdoor public art structure in Long Hunter State Park where the community can take part in the construction. How to help! Contact Blend Studio or visit the website to fill out a form about your interest!

Long Hunter State Park consists of 2900 acres situated along the southeast shore of J. Percy Priest Lake. It consists of four units: Couchville, Baker's Grove, Bryant Grove and Sellars Farm. Picnicking, swimming, hiking, backpacking, boating, fishing, nature photography and wildlife observation are among the activities available to park visitors. Planned activities include interpretive and recreation programs for the general public and environmental education programs for school and other interested groups. Long Hunter State Park currently has nearly 20 miles of hiking trails offering a quality outdoor experience for everyone.

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