Bartram’s Boxes Remix

About Bartram’s Boxes Remix

Bartram’s Boxes Remix is a collaborative project between the Center and Bartram’s Garden, home of famed 18th-century explorer and botanist John Bartram. The title of this project, Bartram’s Boxes Remix, references the boxes containing seeds, plants, and curiosities that John Bartram began sending to his colleagues in England in 1735, making Bartram’s Garden an international hub of plant knowledge and sharing.

In the spirit of John Bartram’s desire to share his passion for trees and other plants, the Center put the call out to artists to propose and create works in wood and other materials, inspired by 13 types of wood felled at Bartram’s Garden during a huge wind and rain storm. Artists had the option to select from 13 types of woods found onsite. This exhibition celebrates John Bartram’s legacy of discovery and will provide a unique opportunity for artists to “remix” the history, materials and inspiration of one of America’s oldest gardens in their work.

By September 2011, the Center had received over 100 responses from artists around the world. the Center’s Exhibitions Committee narrowed the first round of applicants to 58 artists and invited them to attend two retreats at the Garden – to see the site first hand for inspiration and to examine the refuse wood available to be recycled into art. Subsequently the artists submitted final proposals to the jury, comprised of Ms. Leah Douglas, Director of Exhibitions, Philadelphia International Airport; Joel T. Fry, Curator, Bartram’s Garden; and Mira Nakashima, Artist, Philadelphia. The spectacular and unique results, exemplified in this exhibition, include 32 Projects and 44 Artists.

Beth Feldman Brandt and Claire Owen are collaborating to produce 3 boxes of images, artifacts and poetry. As part of their proposal for the exhibit: “we aim to set up a virtual commonplace book where Bartram/tree scholars and fans can add their favorite Bartram quotes.”

Paige Davis & Bird Ross are devoting themselves to a year’s worth of exchange; with each other and other artists. For this project they will explore what the possibilities of a fertile exchange between artists can produce today. In the spirit of John Bartram and Peter Collision they will be packing and shipping inspirations and developments.

Christopher Storb, who is collaborating with Don Miller, started a blog to document their onsite project at Bartram’s Garden for the exhibition. Learn more about what Christopher and Don have been discovering at Bartram’s and see the project unfold here.

Bartram’s Boxes Remix continues a series initiated by the Center in 1987, to challenge artists to free themselves and make unexpected work that they had not yet time to create. Over the years, the exhibition series has proved very popular with the public and provides emerging and established international artists with forums for exhibiting new work.

Tour Logistics

Exhibition tour: September 2014–April 2017

Insurance: The borrowing institution will be required to insure work while on site and provide a Facility Report, Certificate of Insurance, and an Insurance Endorsement. Insurance while in transit will be covered by The Center for Art in Wood.

Contents: A detailed list of the 36 artworks including dimensions, installation specs, and images is available. Please view the galleries above.

Space required: Minimum of 2,000 square feet

Fee: The tentative rental fee of $15,000 provides: labels and narrative text, shipping and insurance to and from your site, and 20 copies of documentation. Additional copies of the documentation will be available to venues at a 40% discount.

Tentative Tour Schedule

Available as 3 month periods with three week turnaround.
Length of time period is negotiable. Please note preference.

May 2-July 19, 2014: The Center for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

June 6-August 30, 2015: Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI

October 2015-January 2016: The Bascom, Highlands, NC

April-May 2016-  Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA

June-August 2016: OPEN

September-December 2016: Lehigh University Art Galleries, Bethlehem, PA

January-April 2017: Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA

Please note three date choices with 1, 2 and 3 in order of preference and include in your response: name, title, organization, phone number, address, city, state, zip, and country. Return form to Karen Schoenewaldt, Registrar, at [email protected].