Pilloton speaks this Thursday as part of the IMA’s Planet Indy series.  Here, she muses on a few questions in advance of her visit:

Q: What have you learned about the relationship between thoughtful design and the solving of large social problems?

We have learned that thoughtful design can address large social problems, but works best on a small scale. Instead of saying “how can design solve homelessness?” we’ve found that the best design initiatives are actually micro-local, that they address things on a very small scale for a defined group of people in our own backyards, and these solutions can serve as models for others to do the same in their own backyards. One million people with one design solution each will always be better than one person’s solution for one million people.

Q: In 2010, you toured the country in an Airstream trailer engaging with people about design.  What did you learn from that experience?

We learned a lot about how misunderstood design is among the general public, and how disconnected that is from the desire of the next generation to do good. People viewed examples of brilliant humanitarian design as “inventions,” or “the next million dollar idea,” rather than the result of a human-centered process that really does have impact. Students, on the other hand, took to the road show naturally, seeing the power that creativity can have on everyday lives. On a more practical note, we learned that two people and a dog, for 75 days in a confined space with no water or kitchen, is not a fun way to live. But we definitely have some good stories.

Q: As a designer and educator, what are you up to right now in Bertie County, North Carolina?  And why did you choose to take your energy to a rural community?

My partner Matthew Miller and I both have resumes that say we’re designers/builders, and the day-to-day schedules of high school shop teachers. We teach our Studio H curriculum within the public high school, offering students one year (two semesters + summer build) intensive design and construction education, put towards big built community architecture projects. We love working in a rural place like Bertie County because the impact we can have is exponential. There is such a need to do things differently, and to break the instinct to do the same things done in the same ways since the 1800′s. Design is an opportunity to shift the ways in which we view the future of Bertie County, or any place labeled economically challenged or resource-poor.

Pilloton’s talk at the IMA is also part of the fascinating IndyTalks series.  The post-talk Q&A period will be focused on Indianapolis specifically: how can design thinking make this city a better place to work, learn and live?

Now I’m obsessed with keeping excess water away from my home, and coupled with a heightened awareness of environmental issues, I have fast-forwarded to rain barrels. Previously the only thing I knew about rain barrels was a song I was taught as a child:

I have since learned there is WAY more to rain barrels than I had previously thought! Water is such a basic need that it’s not surprising humans have been devising methods of collecting it since ancient times. The Valens aqueduct brought water from surrounding hillsides to the medieval city of Constantinople (now Istanbul) to be stored in reservoirs and giant underground cisterns like Yerebatan Sarayi, pictured here:

In the desert, ancient Egyptians dug a network of underground cisterns that collected rainwater. Over these cisterns, Egyptian armies built fortresses that were almost impervious to enemy invasion. Clearly, collecting and recycling water is not a new concept.  As scientists began to understand the need for good sanitation and indoor plumbing became more available, older methods of water collection lost their popularity. The collected water was too contaminated. Today, we are vitally aware of the need to be good stewards of this precious resource!

Which brings me to my new best friend – rain barrels. Today a rain barrel can be as simple as a 55 gallon drum or container with a screen covered hole in the top. Be certain that the drum is food grade and has never been used to store chemicals. Then you’ll need a device that diverts rain water from your gutters into the barrel, a spigot toward the bottom, and an overflow outlet at the side. Because rain barrels are hot right now, there are a bazillion models from which to choose.

The Greenhouse purchased one from the Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District _. Other container sources are Middle Eastern markets, local wine retailers and Craigslist. Buying locally also helps reduce shipping and handling waste.

CAUTION: ARITHMETIC AHEAD: ENGAGE LEFT-BRAIN!

It is estimated that one inch of rainwater running off of a 1,000 square foot roof has the potential of producing 623 gallons of water. To calculate the gallon yield of your roof, multiply the square footage of each section of roof feeding into a downspout by 623 and divide by 1,000.

THERE WILL NOT BE A QUIZ: YOU CAN RELAX NOW!

It is apparent that you either need more than one rain barrel or you’ll need a way to deal with overflow. For this, you will need a rain diverter, a device that fits into the downspout and, when the barrel is full, diverts water back into your existing drainage system that presumably slopes away from your foundation. Rainwater collected in barrels and then recycled into your garden can really help reduce the strain on our storm sewer infrastructure.

…And, rain barrels can save you money. Water collected in rain barrels is not potable, but can be used to flush toilets, water plants and wash your car just to name a few application. To make it easy, plan to install a rain barrel close to the garage for car washing, and for plants, use a downspout close to the garden. Be advised that the water pressure of a gravity feed system can be sluggish; so elevate the rain barrel on some cinder blocks.

To prevent or reduce algae growth, place the barrel(s) in a shaded location, choose a dark colored barrel, and screen out leaves…a rain diverter will help with this. Some experts recommend adding a few spoonfuls of bleach. If you have mosquito concerns, one tablespoon of olive oil in your barrel will kill any mosquito larvae and not harm the water quality. There are also commercially available mosquito control dunks; but if you use the water within 2 weeks of collection, this shouldn’t be necessary.

Be certain that the barrel lid is secure at all times to prevent a small child or animal from falling in! It’s a good idea to drain the barrel prior to winter as Indy is notorious for “freeze and thaw” winters.

I have recently noticed suspicious animal tracks in the snow leading under my back deck. I may need a recipe for fricassee of groundhog! And finally…

Fathoming, though, is a big part of sustainability – that’s why we love it at the IMA.  Green thinking demands an experimental spirit, and usually reflects a nod to smart design.  The status quo (pollution, wastefulness, inefficiency) has got to go.

In that vein, this spring you can hear three free radicals speak at The Toby, as part of the IMA’s Planet Indy series: guerilla gardener Richard Reynolds is here tonight, design educator Emily Pilloton on March 24, and the uncategorizable Temple Grandin on April 28. (Grandin is a visual thinker, a cow whisperer, slaughterhouse designer, and heroine to anyone who lives with autism.  Plus, actress Claire Danes just won a slew of awards for portraying her. Thanks to her crossover appeal, tickets for Temple’s talk are already sold out, however overflow seating with a live feed are still available.)

While London-based Reynolds runs a global movement planting gardens in urban areas without permission, Pilloton has guested on The Colbert Report and is re-designing civic life in a poor rural town in North Carolina and the ways its kids are educated.  Introducing sustainability on the scene is often a case of designing a new system, whether it’s a wind farm, a carbon stock exchange, or a national network to power plug-in cars.

Behind the scenes at IMA, we need a redesigned system as well.  The IMA’s recycling program for staff and visitors, admittedly, leaves something to be desired.  There’s a meeting this week to review the text on our recycling bins for greater clarity and redesigning our dock to expand space for collected recyclables.  As a member of the IMA’s green team, I’ll definitely be collaborating with our crack Design staff to find solutions.

My fantasy is that we compost food scraps from Nourish Café and use it to feed the new plantings in 100 Acres.  Another fantasy is eliminating plastic from the Café (check out a prior meditation on plastic here).

But the IMA has gotten quite a few green things right, from energy efficient gallery lighting to a rain garden that absorbs storm water runoff.  Help us improve by leaving your suggestions for how you think we ought to keep greening.  Or supply your ideas for green innovators you’d love to hear speak…

In 1972, when the IMA received the piece of land now known as 100 Acres, the area had already been affected by human use and abuse. Original disruption occurred when the site was used for farmland, until at least the 1940s. In the 1960s, the land was a staging area for highway equipment used for the  construction of the 38th street bridge, which spans the White River. The lovely, tranquil lake that so inspires viewers and artists alike began as a gravel quarry for highway construction, that later filled with flood water from the river.

1937 aerial photo of land in agricultural use

Late 1960s aerial photo of land post 38th St. construction

1971 photo of museum prior to construction digging

Although it did not occur naturally, the lake still provides a unique habitat for our resident blue heron, who remains content in his home despite the past year’s construction activity.

Blue heron, post 100 Acres opening, Sept 2010

Visual representation of ecological succession over time (many thanks to physicalgeography.net)

Path entrenched in invasive honeysuckle; beautiful, but ecologically detrimental

Native wildflowers in 100 Acres, July 2010

Despite its history, there are numerous insects, a thriving assemblage of birds, turtles, raccoons, beaver, opossums, coyote, and deer in the Park. These wildlife populations tend to remain intact because of their common adaptability to urban areas. A survey  performed by Butler University, completed in 2006, took inventory of the flora and fauna found on 100 Acres. In the four years since then, we have seen increased diversity in many of the observed plant, wildlife and bird populations. Yet there is room for improvement.  Our hope is that we can fulfill the habitat needs for less common species to move into the area, as encouraged by the studies and ongoing research from Butler, Marian University’s EcoLab, US Geological Survey and the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District. Such collaborations are aiding the IMA in evaluating and practicing a logical land management plan.

Shy turtle residing in 100 Acres

What comes next, since 100 Acres resides in an urban environment and will have sustained human activity influencing it forever?  The IMA has taken the first steps for responsibility to the stewardship of renewal and care for the health of an important green space that allows an urban population a bit of respite from the concrete and asphalt jungle. It is time to understand that all green space is not created equal; the simple existence of green leaves and fallow land does not define the health of a landscape. Therefore, the museum’s horticulture and grounds staff is striving to restore the land to something resembling its former glory; a flood plain rich in species and beauty for the enjoyment and education of all.

Horticulture volunteers planting natives around Jaar's Park of the Laments

Native shrub planting

So back in March as the snow began to recede I would regularly peer out into the drab naked trees with great anticipation of watching them green up and return  to the former glory of last summer.  As luck would have it someone shared this link with me around the same time.  It’s the Timelapse group on vimeo and there are some breathtaking videos created via time lapse photography

Here is one example that blew my mind.

This all got me thinking.  What if I stuck a camera facing out of our window for a month and took a photo every half hour?   Well, sounded like there was only one way to find out.   So here is 1 month of spring as taken every half hour, condensed into 23 seconds.

Watch as the gardens go green.

Last month, 22 benches were packed in a 40 foot ocean-going freight container at the artist’s studio in Rotterdam. After an Atlantic ocean crossing, U.S. customs clearance, and a few truck trips, the container arrived at the park.

IMA staff assembled on the morning of arrival ready to unload and unpack. We opened the container to find each bench thoughtfully packed and placed within the container. As is typical with artwork in transit, extra materials were used to pad and protect each piece. However, given the size of the work, these “extra materials” amounted to a huge pile of Styrofoam.

Feeling a little guilty about leaving the Styrofoam in a dumpster for trash pickup, I began to ask coworkers if they knew of any places in Indy where we could take the foam to be recycled. Sure enough, just up the road from the IMA, we found exactly what we were looking for. We threw the first of two loads into an IMA Horticulture dump truck and headed to our destination.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Mark Vandersall and the friendly staff at the Createc Corporation. After unloading the dump truck, Mark was kind enough to walk us through the process of recycling EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) Styrofoam.

Clean, white EPS Styrofoam is fed into the granulator (much like a wood chipper) where it is chopped up into small pieces. These pieces then accumulate in a large dustless bag. From there, they move down to the “densifier” which uses an auger and pressure to eliminate the air in the foam granules. The final product is a highly condensed “log.” These recycled “logs” can then be molded to make new products such as building insulation and product packaging.

Granulator Dustless bag Extrusion

To give you an idea of just how dense the materials become; our dump truck full of material was condensed into this:

One cubic foot of recycled Styrofoam. (iPhone added for scale)

This blog entry has a dual purpose:

I want to thank the IMA staff who helped in the process of getting the materials recycled. Thanks to Chad Franer, Laurie Gilbert, TJ Lemanski, and Scott Shoultz (who is now, if he wasn’t already, an expert dump truck driver). I’m glad to know that at the IMA, we are always striving for ways to be green.

I also want to spread the word that there is a great place in Indy that is more than happy to take unwanted EPS Styrofoam off your hands. Createc accepts clean, white, molded EPS (#6) Styrofoam Monday through Friday from 9-4.

Happy recycling!

Snowdrops behind Deer-Zink are blooming.

Some of the Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’ in the beds around the Sutphin Fountain are very close to blooming.

Witchhazels are blooming all over the place.

Perennials are pushing new growth.

And I saw winter aconite that will be in bloom tomorrow. Hellebores should be showing color too.

So much happening. More later.

Director Chris Paine, via NUVO.net

@mitchmaxsom: Happy or sad, well-told stories that better help us understand another perspective or circumstance are beautiful and necessary

@joanofdarkknits: I watch them, but I hate them [at the same time]. I still have images burned into my brain from one on animal cruelty and one on child cruelty.

@raypawulich: They can be powerful, but if I’m going to invest my time in sitting still and watching something, I choose to be entertained.

Sure, they can really open your eyes. But sometimes, they just tell you to keep on keepin’ on. For example, I’ve been on an save-the-planet documentary kick lately, but I’ve always been pretty passionate about the environment. I don’t eat meat, I recycle, ride my bike a lot, I’ve worked for an environmentally-conscious local newspaper, and now an environmentally-conscious museum. All good things, but I have to admit, just like anyone I get lazy (I forgot my reusable grocery bag at home. Again. Oh well.) and stray from the path. Sometimes I just needed a jolt of reality to reaffirm my tree-hugging beliefs. That’s not a bad thing, right? Do what you gotta do to stay motivated.

Here are the last few documentaries I’ve seen that have done just that.

Watching those movies reminded me why I chose my way of life in the first place. They didn’t change my opinions, just made me aware again. Given my interest in all things ‘green,’ it’s probably no surprise to you that I really dig the Planet Indy speaker series here at the IMA. Tonight, you can see Who Killed the Electric Car? by director Chris Paine… here’s the trailer:

The aforementioned local paper, a.k.a. NUVO, recently interviewed Paine:

NUVO: Why did you think electric cars would make a good documentary?

Chris Paine: The mainstream media didn’t cover the story of why these 5,000 cars were all re-possessed and destroyed. We were shocked. And we thought, well, why is that? Then later, in the midst of a production at a television station in Michigan, someone there said, “You know, one of the reasons the story wasn’t covered was that so many of the TV stations got burned by covering the Firestone rollover stories earlier in the ‘90s.” Everyone had their advertising budgets pulled by the car companies. Car advertising is so critical to so many media outlets it usually pays to not do highly critical stories of the auto industry. So it created this vacuum for us.

Here’s a little info on the event: In the four years since filmmaker Chris Paine released the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?, electric vehicles have been revived. In that film, Paine documented the corporate leaders, government officials and consumers who embraced SUVs over electric cars, exploring the larger story of our car culture in the process.

See Who Killed the Electric Car? at 5:30 pm, then at 7:30 pm hear Paine discuss the latest progress on electric vehicles, the relationship between good design and sustainability, and new ways of thinking about mobility. After the program, see an electric car up close and get information about companies making electric vehicles in Indiana. How did we get that electric car in the building? Glad you asked…

So will you leave the Toby feeling depressed and hopeless? Maybe. Maybe you’ll feel outraged. Or maybe, like me,  it will just get you back on track. When NUVO asked Paine what people interested in seeing more electric cars should do, he gave a really simple, but brilliant answer:

They can keep motivated, keep asking questions and keep taking risks.

Have you seen a film or documentary that has changed your opinion on social issues? Has a film ever inspired you to make changes?

Tara Donovan, Untitled (Plastic Cups), 2008 (Photo by: Dennis Cowley/ Courtesy Pace- Wildenstein, New York)

We’re looking forward to a big IMA exhibition this April by contemporary artist Tara Donovan, who works in the medium of plastic. I’ve had plastic on the brain since watching the recent documentary Addicted to Plastic, directed by Ian Connacher:

The ironic fact is that plastic was invented as a substitute for natural materials like rubber and cork, in an attempt to conserve them. But now there is ten times more plastic than plankton in the oceans. One hope, according to scientist Freeman Dyson, is biotechnology — engineering fish or birds that can digest our byproducts.

All things plastic are born in the form of a pre-production pellet called a nurdle, about 5 mm in diameter. There is no death for plastic. That plastic spork or toy may break down into smaller pieces, but it never disintegrates. Meaning that the planet has to absorb it all.

What about the cultural impact of plastic? It had a starring role as the smart guy’s investment in 1967’s The Graduate. Some might say it liberated women, creating convenient food storage and reducing drudgery by making vacuums and irons weigh less. You could say that plastic does the opposite by taking power out of our hands—none of us make our own plastic at home.

So what are we to do, knowing that phthalates (the chemical that turns plastic into squishy, pliable vinyl) disrupt hormones? And that our addiction to petroleum-based plastic fuels our addiction to oil?

We innovate, that’s what. Some entrepreneurs consider landfills (brimming as they are with plastic) the “oil wells” of the future. Plastic can be creatively repurposed. Some companies are experimenting with bioplastics. And NEC makes a biodegradable cell phone.

Bring on the ingenuity. Time to dream up some alternatives to the plastic status quo…

Look like a rerun of X-Files? It’s not. If you’ve been around the Museum after dark recently, you may have spotted the new LED light installation in The Sutphin Fountain. Jeff Earl, head electrician at the IMA, replaced all the original white halogen lights, many submerged underwater, with the new technology. 

Red, green and blue LEDs of the 5mm type. Source: Wikipedia

A light emitting diode (LED) is an electronic light source. The first LED was built in the 1920s by a radio technician who noticed that diodes used in radio receivers emitted light when current was passed through them. The LED was introduced as a practical electronic component in 1962 (See Wikipedia). LEDs are considered more energy efficient and require less maintenance than traditional lighting. They also boast a life of about 50,000 hours–more than five years! This replacement energy concept is certainly green for the IMA’s future. The well-known Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas uses LED technology to create its 1,500 foot light display.

The new LED technology also serves as an revenue generator. The public can request various colored lighting shows for weddings, dinners and other special events for a fee. Because the lights are run off a computer, the 17 color choices are easy to navigate between. When the NCAA was here, Jeff recalled, they requested a  blue and orange display and were very pleased with the result.

The IMA is planning several upcoming LED projects at the IMA. One of these efforts includes installing 49 energy efficient LED lights in the overlook of the Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion of the Museum. (“Just before the Star Wars’ doors,” Jeff explained.)

Meet Jeff Earl and see time lapse footage of the LED light installation in the IMA ArtBabble video below.