One Man’s Discarded Trinkets Become Art - in a Dumpster (via GOOD)
JILLIAN ANTHONY
Writer
When Brooklyn-based collage artist Mac Premo was preparing to move from his longtime studio to a much smaller one, he knew he had to get rid of hundreds of items from his past. But instead of simply tossing everything in the trash, he decided to catalog each item and the memories associated with them.
The result was The Dumpster Project, a public art installation inside a 30-foot-long dumpster. He took each discarded item, photographed it, then placed it inside of the dumpster to create a giant collage filled with remnants of his life. The objects often tell a story of a specific place and time, with an emphasis on the friends and family that made the memory important. About 500 of the objects will be recorded along with a description on the project’s blog, highlighting items from moments that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but collectively make up an entire existence.
“I think that we define ourselves through the things that we collect and the things that we keep,” Premo says in a video about the project. “I think we imbue meaning into objects and I think subsequently those objects become a record of who you are.”
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The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
We love this video and song by The Civil Wars. It blends our love of folk, guitar, and great harmonies with shots of vintage apparel, old buildings, and hidden creeks and streams.
What are you jamming to today?
(Source: unitedbyblue.com, via onceuponawildflower)
Pop Up Garden
by Alli Blum
Janet’s brother wanted know what kind of edible plant would grow well in Philadelphia, so she suggested grapes. Grapes grow on winding, stretching vines that take over their habitat. Before Janet’s brother knew it, his neighbors two doors down were enjoying grapes of their own!
We heard this story from a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) garden expert at a temporary hidden gem in downtown Philadelphia at 20th and Market Streets. Here, as well as at Logan Square and at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society headquarters, are pop-up gardens. All summer long, the pop-up garden will take over what was once a vacant lot, giving it new life as a garden and a UBB Approved Hidden Gem.
Janet’s brother wanted know what kind of edible plant would grow well in Philadelphia, so she suggested grapes. Grapes grow on winding, stretching vines that take over their habitat. Before Janet’s brother knew it, his neighbors two doors down were enjoying grapes of their own!
We heard this story from a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) garden expert at a temporary hidden gem in downtown Philadelphia at 20th and Market Streets. Here, as well as at Logan Square and at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society headquarters, are pop-up gardens. All summer long, the pop-up garden will take over what was once a vacant lot, giving it new life as a garden and a UBB Approved Hidden Gem.
Hidden Gems Series for United By Blue | by K. Friedgen
Things Should Be Special: The Farm and Fisherman
UBB Hidden Gems Part 2 of 2
April 18, 2011
As sustainability has encroached into the mainstream and the local food movement has become de rigueur at many Philadelphia BYOs, sometimes it’s easy to confuse “from a farm” with “farm to table.” Vegetables alone do not a farm-to-table meal make.
But Chef Joshua Lawler of The Farm and Fisherman was born and bred into the farm-to-table movement before it was trendy. He grew up gardening and cooking with home grown ingredients, and can’t imagine cooking any other way. “Even if I was doing sushi or another concept, I would still cook this way.” For Chef Lawler, farm-to-table isn’t a fad or trend, it’s just how he has always made good, simple food. It’s his way of life.
“I’ve always loved tomatoes, but I only eat them when they’re in season,” he says. “They taste better that way. Things should be special, and there’s a lot to be said for the seasonality of things. The sacrifice makes it better, you know what I mean?” And I do know what he means. I know exactly what he means. Too often, doing right by the environment is misinterpreted to mean suffering. Sacrifice doesn’t have to mean making life worse, sometimes it just means delaying gratification a stitch longer—and making it that much more enjoyable in the process.
And so Chef Lawler’s new restaurant is the first UBB hidden gem. Here’s how he meets our criteria:
1. Commitment to Sustainable Seafood: The restaurant commits itself to providing a dining experience true to the Delaware Valley while also sourcing ingredients that respect the Delaware Valley, both on land and under water.
Find Forgotten Beauty at UBB’s Favorite Flea Markets
Ever walk into someone’s perfectly decorated house and have a wave of envy wash over you? Ever wonder where they get those cute novelty items that fit seamlessly into their living space? We’re going to let you in on a little secret: they probably got that vintage porcelain milk jug you’ve been eyeing at a flea market. Flea markets are an awesome and often forgotten way to find unique (and yes…sometimes a little off-kilter and odd) gifts for friends and family, or just a fun and fairly inexpensive way to spend an afternoon.
Here are some of our favorite flea markets for finding forgotten beauty:
- Rice’s Flea Market: For those in the Philadelphia area, Rice’s Flea Market is only about an hour north of the city and offers everything from antiques to soaps and swords to woodcrafts. Rice’s does have a few vendors that house the typical “knock-offs” like bags and sunglasses, so if you’re in the market for some Dior without the price-tag, feel free to peruse those stalls. Starting in March and ending in December, they’re open every Tuesday and Saturday.
- Punk Rock Flea Market: If transportation outside city limits is an issue and you aren’t afraid of rubbing elbows with some punks, R5 productions hosts the biannual Punk Rock Flea Market. The date and place are usually subject to change, but it’s an event that can’t be missed for those looking for some weird handmade jewelry or kooky novelty gifts for a friend. This past market in early December was actually in two neighboring buildings with a separate market devoted solely to record and album sales, so for record collectors and fans of old jazz or new-wave punk, the Punk Rock Flea Market is your best bet.
(Source: unitedbyblue.com)
Things Should Be Special: UBB Hidden Gems Part 2 of 2
As sustainability has encroached into the mainstream and the local food movement has become de rigueur at many Philadelphia BYOs, sometimes it’s easy to confuse “from a farm” with “farm to table.” Vegetables alone do not a farm-to-table meal make.
But Chef Joshua Lawler of The Farm and Fisherman was born and bred into the farm-to-table movement before it was trendy. He grew up gardening and cooking with home grown ingredients, and can’t imagine cooking any other way. “Even if I was doing sushi or another concept, I would still cook this way.” For Chef Lawler, farm-to-table isn’t a fad or trend, it’s just how he has always made good, simple food. It’s his way of life.
“I’ve always loved tomatoes, but I only eat them when they’re in season,” he says. “They taste better that way. Things should be special, and there’s a lot to be said for the seasonality of things. The sacrifice makes it better, you know what I mean?” And I do know what he means. I know exactly what he means. Too often, doing right by the environment is misinterpreted to mean suffering. Sacrifice doesn’t have to mean making life worse, sometimes it just means delaying gratification a stitch longer—and making it that much more enjoyable in the process.
And so Chef Lawler’s new restaurant is the first UBB hidden gem. Here’s how he meets our criteria:
1. Commitment to Sustainable Seafood: The restaurant commits itself to providing a dining experience true to the Delaware Valley while also sourcing ingredients that respect the Delaware Valley, both on land and under water.
I frequently lament that the East coast hasn’t caught up with the west coast (by which I mean San Francisco) in our sustainable seafood offerings, but Chef Lawler explained the conundrum. Many of the fish greenlighted on seafood watch lists don’t swim near our shores. So he faces a choice: rod and reel-caught fish that fly 4,000 miles to Philadelphia versus trawl caught porgie or bluefish from New Jersey.
Ultimately, though, Lawler’s using his establishment to catalyze an overall greater presence of sustainably fished fare on Philly tables. Reel and rod fishing, not unlike organic farming, is a hard business to earn a living, and Chef Lawler hopes that his efforts and the relationships he’s building will help him to source sustainable ingredients on a larger scale than his 30 seat BYO. “Now, more than ever, chefs want to know everything. How it’s raised, where it’s raised, everything,” he says.
2. Too New For Your Neighbors to Know: The Farm and Fisherman is a new player on the Philly restaurant scene. If you’re spending the afternoon on antique row, you just might be so overwhelmed by the neighborhood’s red bricks and classic Philadelphia historical architecture that you walk past it. That is, unless you happen to peek through the windows.
If the city block doesn’t obscure The Farm and Fisherman well enough, it’s constantly booked Saturday nights will. Chef Lawler started his venture in the beginning of March, and weekend reservations are already hard to come by. Our advice: mix things up and go on a Tuesday.
3. Menu Changes Daily: During our conversation, Chef Lawler made a few points. First, that no two nights are the same. And he means this literally: There are no daily additions to the menu because every day’s menu is new. If he picks up a really cool white sweet potato at the market in the morning, he’ll decide what to do with it and print it on the menu for that evening. And then it will be gone tomorrow. Every meal is an adventure.
Some menu items manage to hang on a little longer than others. “The Egg,” as Chef Lawler calls it, has been a mainstay and will be for as long as kale is in season. A Pancetta Wrapped Farm Egg with Red Russian and Tuscan kale and civet mushrooms. Bummer for me that I dropped by before the dinner hour, wouldn’t you say?
Education is available for inquisitive diners, and Chef Lawler and his team are happy to talk about how they compost their scraps, and will soon be sending others to feed Medford hens, who will supply the eggs. Given a few minutes, he’ll gladly explain the benefits of true farm-to-table cooking and how committed he is to offering diners a true Delaware Valley experience. But he understands that his patrons are out hoping to enjoy a nice date and a delicious meal. They want to engage the other diners in their close quarters while savoring neighborhood fare in one of the city’s most alley-rich quarters. What they don’t want is a lecture.
Which is fine by Chef Lawler. He believes in farm-to-table because it’s what he is. It’s all he knows. And he’s happy to let diners discover its pleasures on their own.
(Source: unitedbyblue.com)