User:Stephype/sandbox

Waterpod (2009)
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Mattingly says she was inspired to create Waterpod in 2006 because at the time she felt that NYC was not doing enough to bring attention to rising water levels. Over the life of the project a rotating cast of artist joined the crew of the Waterpod. A number of them were intereviewed about the project, and reported that life on the boat forced a shift in focus onto everything it takes to keep a fragile, man-made ecosystem running.

Flock House (2012)
Flock House premiered in May 2012 at The Clocktower Gallery in NYC, and is an extension of previous projects to do with water, nomadic structures and sustainability such as her Waterpod project from 2009. The project featured a series of four portable, self-sufficient ecosystems built with reclaimed materials and installed at temporary sites across the five boroughs of New York City. The structures are meant to be demonstrate the possibilities of small scale systems and run off a combination of passive and human-powered energy, and include human-scale gardens and systems for collecting water from rain run-off. .

Following the May 2012 premier, the migratory structures traveled the New York City park system between June and August 2012, appearing in places such as Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Battery Park, and the [Snug Harbor]]. During each installation of the work, and different person lived within the structure for the duration, sometimes for as long as two weeks at a time. Participating people include Christopher Robbins from Ghana ThinkTank, Greg Lindquist, and Amelia Marzac. The Flock Houses also traveled to Bronx Museum, the Maiden Lane Exhibition Space, and Omi Sculpture Park in Ghent, NY.

Flock House has travelled to other cities, including a commission for the Bemis Center in Oklahoma from March 13–September 2014. Additionally, it was the focal point of an exhibition at College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts at Boston University’s 808 Gallery.

Swale (2016)
Swale is a floating food forest situated on an 130-foot by 140-foot barge that docks in harbors around NYC. It is part art installation, part community engagement project, and was launched during July 2016 after a year of planning and building in collaboration with numerous community groups. After receiving initial seed funding from A Blade of Grass, Mary Mattingly and her team, including cultural worker and curator Amanda McDonald Crowley, launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise additional funds and awarenes during May 2016 where they raised $32,000 from 333 people.

The inspiration for Swale came after Mattingly learned that is generally illegal to grow food on public land. The food gardens on Swale include vegetables like broccoli and kale and also fruits like tomatoes and plums, and can be harvested for free distribution via community partners. During summer 2016, Swale docked in the Bronx at Concrete Plant Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governors Island.