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WATERSHED
2000 Our inaugural
event was named "Whale Forest," after environmental
sculptor Shane Eagleton's performance stage--a
life-size humpback whale surrounded by forest
animals, all carved from a storm-fallen redwood
tree. In 1997, "These Are My Rivers" was selected
to honor artist Arthur Okamura, who created
stunning watershed banners painted with dendritic
river and water-flow patterns. In 1998, "Daylight
the Creek" brought attention to Strawberry Creek,
tunneled beneath Martin Luther King Jr. Park at the
center of the city, the site of the festival. To
bring attention to local efforts to daylight
Strawberry Creek, it was "miked" and "allowed to
speak" while the poets read on stage with the sound
of the creek streaming gently in the background. In
1999, with Joy Harjo and John Trudell as featured
poets, the theme of "Seven Generations" reminded us
all of the long-term vision required to restore
balance between our daily urban environments and
nature. This year's theme, "River Totems," was a
poetic evocation of the images that inspire
imaginative and positive envisioning of our
relationship with the natural world. During the
afternoon readings, Jane Hirshfield hosted three
series of performances focusing on the specific
"spirit powers" of the fish, the bear, and the
tree. Watershed's ability to build new audiences
for literature speaks to the essential role Poetry
Flash plays in using art to heighten awareness and
concern for critical social issues. The sixth
annual Watershed Festival is scheduled for
Saturday, September 8, 2001, when our theme will be
"Stewards of the Land." To find out more, look for
special announcements in the Flash, or log on to:
www.poetryflash.org. Thanks to the
following for making the 2000 Watershed Festival
possible: Collaborators:
Robert Hass, EcoCity Builders, Ecology
Center/Berkeley Farmers' Market, Earth Native
Environmental Witness Campaign, California Poets in
the Schools, Integrated Arts, Berkeley Art
Festival, Shorebird Nature Center, Brush Strokes
Studio, East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, River of
Words Environmental Poetry and Art Project
K&endash;12 Poets &
Musicians: Billy Brook, Ernest Callenbach, Jim
Dodge, Sharon Doubiago, CB Follett, Dennis
Fritzinger, Freeman House, Robert Hass, Julia
Butterfly Hill, Jane Hirshfield, Isaac James,
Michael McClure, Rich Mertes, Bill Noble, Chris
Olander, Kay Ryan, Richard Schwartz, Abena
Songbird, Robin Somers, Hannah Stein, Patti Trimble
with Bill Horvitz (guitar) & Pablo Rodriguez
(vocals), Loraine Web, Word-Music Continuum, Al
Young Environmental
Speakers: Richard Register (EcoCity Builders),
Joshua Bradt (Urban Creeks Council), Paul Revier
(Save the Bay), John Steere (San Francisco Bay
Joint Venture), Gary Mason (Strawberry Creek
Restoration), Kirk Lumpkin (Ecology Center/Berkeley
Farmers' Market), Judith Redmond (Community
Alliance w/Family Farmers), Kristina Caizareas
(Food First), and Mark Thompson (Yuba
Nation) River
Village Exhibitors: Aquatic Outreach Institute,
Bay Area Headwaters Coalition, Berkeley Art
Festival, Brush Strokes Studios, Circle of Life
Foundation, City of Berkeley URCW Program,
California Poets in the Schools, Earth Native
Witness Campaign, East Bay Depot for Creative
Reuse, EcoCity Builders, Ecology Center, Friends of
the Eel River, Friends of Temescal Creek, Ginsberg
Poetry Garden, Heyday Books, In Defense of Animals,
Integrated Arts, Mattole Restoration Council,
Michoacan Reforestation Fund, Native American
Cultural Center, New College/Santa Rosa, Petaluma
Poetry Walk, Poets & Writers/San Francisco,
River of Words/International Rivers Network, San
Francisco Bay Joint Venture, San Francisco
Vegetarian Society, Save The Bay, Shorebird Nature
Center, Whole Earth Magazine, Wilderness Press
Special
thanks to: Jane Hirshfield for generously
allowing the use of "Tree" and Annie Stenzel for
creating a letterpress broadside of this wonderful
poem as a thank you to this year's Watershed
donors; Arthur Okamura for his shimmering Watershed
banners; Sloan and Nick Morgan for hosting the
after-event reception Volunteers:
Claire Baker, Ian Baldridge, Molly Baldridge,
Catalina Cariaga, S. Preston Chase, Andrew Clark,
Ruth Finnerty, Mary Garner, Mauricio Garnica, Maya
Joseph-Goteiner, Toby Kaplan, Michael T. Kelly,
Kristin Land, Bruce LeBaron, Nancy Lieblich,
Kimberly Magill, Bill Mastin, Kirstin Miller, Nick
Morgan, Andrew Prince, Michelle Ryan, Steve
Rosenbaum, Rob Schlegel, Miriam Stucky, Zeno
Swijtink, Rafael Vidales, Amy & Mike Wong, Jill
Wright Supporters:
The Watershed Keepers--our individual donors &
volunteers; Alameda County Arts Commission;
Zellerbach Family Fund; Alameda Countywide Clean
Water Program; East Bay Express; Civic Arts
Program, City of Berkeley; East Bay Municipal
Utility District; Poets & Writers, Inc. through
a grant received from The James Irvine Foundation;
Acme Bread Co.; Art Store; Berkeley Bowl Produce;
Bette's-To-Go; Cheese Board; Clay People; AG
Ferrari; Fetzer Vineyards; La Farine Bakery; Golden
Pacific Brewing; Grace Baking; Saul's Delicatessen;
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants; Peaberry's Coffee
& Teas; Leslie Ceramics; Monterey Market;
Semifreddi's Bakery; Nabolom Bakery Collective;
Noah's Bagels; Real Goods; Trader Joe's; Vision
Paper; Voila the Juice Company; and Whole
Foods Technical:
Justin Baird and Ian Baldridge (sound), Steven
C. Wilson (photography), David Huang (photography),
David Grace (video)
WATERSHED Saturday,
September 9, 2000 • 11 am to 4:30 pm •
Free 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:15 12:30 12:45 1:15 1:45 2:00 2:15 2:30 2:45 3:00 3:30 4:00 |
Since
1996, Poetry Flash has worked with former U.S. Poet
Laureate Robert Hass to produce five Watershed
Environmental Poetry Festivals. Each year, we have
adopted a new creative theme that is incorporated
into the stage performances as well as "River
Village," the area set aside for interactive
displays and exhibits put on by grass-roots
literary and environmental organizations.
