Gerard has agreed to help us procure the bamboo splits and has given us his blessing to reconstruct what we lovingly called “peanuts”. The mission for him has always been to spread the gift of sustainability through phenomenal art. With his teachings we can reach the Austin community and educate them about sustainability in a fun, hands on way. We would begin creating/installing 10 shelters on December 29th at Auditorium Shores with selected teams. We will work with various multi generational families borrowed from many aspects of Austin’s thriving Green culture. Realtors, designers, architects, artists, teachers, city employees, entrepreneurs, etc. will gather with their families to create an installation for all of Austin to enjoy.  We will create 10 unique structures using simple weaving techniques, all the while encouraging interested by-passers to participate in weaving the splits with us. The only tools required are rubber mallets and creativity. Patience and will power work in awe inspiring balance as our representatives play with adding and subtracting pieces to create incredibly strong and visually stunning structures for their community.

Learning together has been a wonderful process for the two of us. We have met and been inspired by so many wonderful people arriving at this point. We see First Nights as an opportunity to share our joy with new friends and old. We see Re:Growth as a way to continue the momentum of discovery and pride of accomplishment. We want to build a future together that celebrates sustainability with the community, not just in it.