Eater's Digest | Can You Drink this Cup?

Can You Drink this Cup?
By Tomoko

Have you ever heard of Kopi Luwak? It's the latest buzz amongst the most discriminating of coffee connoisseurs. I've yet to try it but the manner in which this “special” blend is prepared is what is fascinating. A Civet, described as a small, lithe-bodied, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa eats coffee cherries and the seeds which is what is used as the actual coffee bean. The matter is half digested and excreted. Farmers then pick up the excrement, find the beans, clean them then roast them to what is transformed into one of the most expensive coffees in the world. According to Kopi Luwak lovers, the digestion process is what gives it a very sweet and mild taste.

Port Rico a coffee shop in the West Village neighborhood of NYC stocks the coffee for $250 - $340 per pound. For those on a budget, smaller quantities such as 1/8 lbs. are available as well.

If this did not pique your sense of adventure when it comes to matters caffeine, there is another exotic coffee blend, "Black Ivory" masterfully produced by the Thai Elephant. The cost is approximately $1000 for 2.2lbs. Allegedly, the enzymes in the elephant’s digestive system helps break down the protein of the coffee which is what is believed to be responsible for bitterness. The elephants must consume 33 kilos (66 lbs) of coffee berries to produce 1 kilo (2.2lbs) of product. From as best as I can gather, "Black Ivory" isn't available in the United States yet, but is offered at select luxury hotels in Thailand, Maldives and Abu Dhabi.

For those who cannot afford the hefty price tag of a trip to the Maldives, perhaps a stroll through the Bronx Zoo to collect elephant dung when no one is looking is a practical solution.

KIDZ ART STOP | JULY 2014

Welcome to the Kidz Art Stop a place that will inspire visual communication and development with a playful fun factor for the child and adult. This monthly article will include fun activities for the home, classroom, park, play ground or family vacation. Our focus at Kidz Art Stop is literacy and the arts, stimulating the child’s thinking while they explore and learn creatively.

Art is a process, not a product so it’s the process that brings great rewards!!

Join your child for creative play time and witness art in process!!
 

Creating art expands the child’s ability to interact with the world around them, and provides a new set of skills for self-expression and communication. Not only does art help to develop the right side of the brain, it also cultivates important skills that benefit a child’s development.

Art may seem like fun and games… and YES IT IS!... but you may not realize that your child is actually learning a lot through exploring the arts and doing art activities.

Did you know young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are 4 times likely to be recognized for academic achievement, are 4 times more likely to participate in a math or science fair, and are 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem.

The facts are that art education makes a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and has been proven to help level the “learning field” across socio-economic boundaries, and has a measurable impact on at-risk youth in deterring delinquent behavior and truancy problems, while also increasing overall academic performance among those youth engaged in afterschool and summer arts programs.

We all know children love to play, love imagination, and love to create stories, so here at Kidz Art Stop we have created wonderful projects that incorporate imagination, storytelling and creative play.

 

LET’S PLAY!!!!!!

 

Break Dancing with Keith Haring

This project of Urban Art Break Dancers is inspired by Keith Haring, join us as we explore his artwork, his history, and his dream and desire to become an artist.

Keith Haring was born on May 4, 1958 was an artist and social activist in New York City. He was a well-recognized artist who spent most of his life using art to respond to the New York City street culture of the 1980’s by expressing concepts of birth, death, sexuality, disease, and war. He first received public attention with his public art in subways and in the streets. Some of his favorite materials to use were chalk and paint.

Keith Haring’s work told stories of people and politics, using bright colors and cartoonish shapes he created a lasting impression on the world. Keith Haring’s work is internationally recognized and highly collected today. Haring enjoyed telling stories and educating people with art. What story can you tell by using a Keith Haring inspired style? Will you draw a story of your family, school, friends, things you would change in the world, bullying, love, sadness, death etc. Let’s play together and tell our story with art.

 

Keith Haring Masterpieces
 

 

 

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• White watercolor or canvas paper or canvas board 
• Crayons /  oil pastels or paints (acrylic, watercolor, or tempura)
• Black oil pastel or black magic marker (for outline details)
• Pencil and eraser (sketch out shape then fill in and outline with black)

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS WEAR AN APRON OR SMOCK AND PROTECT YOUR WORK AREA BY PLACING NEWSPAPER OR A DROP CLOTH ON YOUR SURFACE AND ALWAYS CLEAN UP ONCE YOU ARE DONE, THAT WAY WHEN YOU ARE READY TO CREATE AGAIN YOUR WORKSPACE IS READY FOR YOU.

INSTRUCTIONS / INSPIRATION:

The simple idea of Keith Haring’s cartoonish shapes is to use lots of bright colors and shapes to tell a story.  Use your pencil to draw the outline of your artwork. Leave enough space in between for paint and coloring. Add a special message or word to your artwork that you can hang in your home, school or building to inspire others. See the supply list below and feel free to mix and match with materials. You can create a poster and hang it or share it with your community, there are so many things you can do. So, I ask that you be creative, brave and jump right into creative playtime and enjoy the process. See samples and finished artwork from our art students below and use them as inspiration for your masterpiece.

 

 

Photos by Jaime El Maestro

 Interactive questions:

1.    What colors did you use in your drawing?

2.    What message or words did you use in your masterpiece?

3.    How many colors did you use?

4.    Did Keith Haring paint and draw in the subways?

5.    What was your favorite part of this project?

 

See the video of children / artists at play creating their very own Keith Haring masterpieces….. http://youtu.be/_lGPw6PmASg

*** HOW TO WIN YOUR SURPRISE GIVEAWAY***

1.       YOU MUST BE A SUBSCRIBER

2.       SUBMIT YOUR KEITH HARING INSPIRED ART

3.       TELL US WHAT YOU MOST ENJOYED ABOUT THE ARTICLE AND PROJECT

4.        WE WILL CONTACT THE WINNER VIA EMAIL, POST YOUR ARTWORK IN NEXT MONTHS ISSUE AND MAIL YOU A SURPRISE ART GOODY BAG. 

Remember Art is life and life is Art, so live it creatively!!!

You can also visit my website at WWW.ARTSBYMIA.COM

Art instruction by Mia. Stay tuned in for NEW SUMMER ART CLASSES!

Register your email at www.artsbymia.com for our newsletter and up to the splatter paint minute of playtime creation with Mia.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR ARTWORK SO FEEL FREE TO EMAIL A PICTURE TO US AND WE WILL SHOWCASE YOUR WORK TOO!!!

Email: artbymamamia[at]yahoo.com

Article written by Mia Roman founder of Art By Mia.

©ArtByMia

Eater's Digest | If You Want Fresh Foods, Just Look Up

If You Want Fresh Foods, Just Look Up

By: Tomoko

Do you know that there are many rooftop farms sprouting up all over New York City and surrounding boroughs?

 

 

 

Brooklyn Grange, one of the forerunners, had its first rooftop farm in Long Island City in Queens. Now, has a second farm in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The grange covers a total 2.5 acres on two buildings, and they grow more than 50,000 pounds of organic food annually. In addition,  they also have chicken coops and more than 30 beehives on their rooftops. Brooklyn Grange developed its first farm in 2010 with a $200K start up of (personal loans, equity investments, fundraising, and Kickstarter.com), lo and behold, they profited that same year.
 

inhabitat.com

 

Brooklyn Grange
Ángel Franco/The New York Times

 

Enjoying the harvest and wine at Brooklyn Grange
onegirltwowineglasses.com

 

 

While Brooklyn Grange operates during the summer time. There is another rooftop farm called Gotham Green in Green Point, Brooklyn. They have hydroponic greenhouse, making them productive 365 days, and they grow bok choy, basil and oak leaf lettuce, and sell to retailers like Whole Foods and FreshDirect. Many quality conscious restaurants and health/environmentally conscious supermarkets choose to buy their products because of availability of fresh products throughout the year, and also their ability to deliver the products no matter what – since they are in NYC!. When the East Coast was hit by the last hurricane, those city farmers were the only ones who could deliver the goods to the restaurants as soon as the weather cleared. If you look at where your fresh foods come from (avocado from California, grapes from Chile, garlics from China, etc), you wonder how much of the food cost is actually the transportation cost. But for the city farmers, including those 2 farms mentioned above, all they had to do is to cross the bridge by bicycle. Talking about fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness, this is the future of the city farming. And they are financially sound for they are expanding rapidly.

 

 

 

 Gotham Green in Green Point, Brooklyn

Not only does the rooftop agriculture benefit the local food scene, it provides education and employment opportunities, it also benefits their landlord. By putting soil on top of the building and having greens grown on the rooftop, it reduces the temperature of the building significantly in the summertime, and reduces the AC bills drastically. Plus, the landlord also makes money from renting out the rooftop, often time 5-10 year lease, from which they never thought they would make money off of decades ago.

A city-owned food dis­tri­b­u­tion hub in Hunt’s Point, Bronx is also being planned to develop its 200,000-square-foot rooftop. When the project is complete, the location will become the largest rooftop farm, not only in the United States, but in the world. Not only Queens and Brooklyn, the Bronx has many box type buildings and rooftop farm candidates. As of 2012, the Bronx already had 13 rooftop farms and there are many being developed as we speak.

So when you need a respite in some green in the city, if you lift your eyes up, you may not be so far from one of those city oasis and some fresh tomatoes.

Eater's Digest | On Food Allergy

On Food Allergy
By Tomoko

Many lay claim to suffering from food allergies.  I question if every case is an actual food allergy or if some cases are psychosomatic.  My brother-in-law cannot eat certain types of fish. When he ingested some by accident, he almost ended up in the emergency room because his respiratory system became inflamed and he could not breathe.  While we might blame pollution, pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, and many other toxins which come in contact with our food, I am led to believe that some cases of food allergy are psychological.

I remember reading an article written by a mother with a small child who experienced a devastating earthquake in the 90s, in Kobe, Japan.  Due to the state of emergency, the city was shut down.  Residents in that region had no other option but to rely on emergency food and water supplied by the rescue mission.  The mother had a choice to make.  Her son allegedly had a severe food allergy.  She used to prepare special meals for him meticulously eliminating certain ingredients that were believed to trigger his allergies.  In the midst of catastrophe, she had to decide whether to risk his experiencing food allergies caused by the emergency food provided by the rescue mission or starve him to death.  She chose to feed him. He showed no signs of an allergic reaction to any of the food he ate.  She wondered whether her son’s allergic reaction was psychological, whether she planted a seed of fear in him and whether or not his body was simply obeying what his mind was led to believe.

People in war-torn countries or poverty stricken nations where the daily fight for survival is a way of life never worry about food allergies nor are they concerned about prescriptions for anti-depressants or sleeping pills.  They don't have time for that luxury.  Nonetheless, I notice those who live in relatively advanced societies where citizens can enjoy prolonged peace tend to create problems for themselves.

I know a mother who used to take so many anti-whatever medications for years, but she weaned herself off of everything when her son had a car accident and became wheel chair bound for life. When her focus was shifted from chemical and/or emotional imbalance to becoming a full time caregiver for her disabled son, all her “severe conditions” miraculously disappeared.

I am not by any means attempting to suggest that food allergies or other illnesses that require pharmaceutical interventions do not exist, but I believe that before one decides to self-diagnose, one should examine whether we are just creating health problems to keep us busy and distracted.

Every food on earth was originally created to nourish us. Rice and wheat have been around and have sustained civilizations for centuries.  So have meat, fish and everything else considered edible that grows from the earth.   I believe we should support environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture.  I support such efforts wholeheartedly.  Of equal importance however is our attitude toward food. Instead of putting fear in every spoonful of whatever we eat, perhaps if we pour over our gratitude and love to all the fruits of the earth, our body might react with joy.  It's possible that when “fear” is replaced with “gratitude” what might seem to be an allergic reaction might disappear, because as they say “Perfect love casts out fear”.

KIDZ ART STOP | JUNE 2014

Welcome to the Kidz Art Stop a place that will inspire visual communication and development with a playful fun factor for the child and adult. This monthly article will include fun activities for the home, classroom, park, play ground or family vacation. Our focus at Kidz Art Stop is literacy and the arts, stimulating the child’s thinking while they explore and learn creatively.

Art is a process, not a product so it’s the process that brings great rewards!!

 

Join your child for creative play time and witness art in process!!

Creating art expands the child’s ability to interact with the world around them, and provides a new set of skills for self-expression and communication. Not only does art help to develop the right side of the brain, it also cultivates important skills that benefit a child’s development.

Art may seem like fun and games… and YES IT IS!... but you may not realize that your child is actually learning a lot through exploring the arts and doing art activities.

Did you know young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week through at least one full year are 4 times likely to be recognized for academic achievement, are 4 times more likely to participate in a math or science fair, and are 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem.

The facts are that art education makes a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and has been proven to help level the “learning field” across socio-economic boundaries, and has a measurable impact on at-risk youth in deterring delinquent behavior and truancy problems, while also increasing overall academic performance among those youth engaged in afterschool and summer arts programs.

We all know children love to play, love imagination, and love to create stories, so here at Kidz Art Stop we have created wonderful projects that incorporate imagination, storytelling and creative play.

LET’S PLAY!!!!!!

THE PICASSO IN ME

This project of cubism portraits is inspired by Pablo Picasso, join us as we explore his artwork, his history, family, and his dream and desire to become an artist.

Pablo Ruiz y Picasso, also known as Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Spain and died on April 8, 1973 in France. He was a well known Painter, sculpture, printmaker, stage designer, ceramicist, poet and playwright who spent most of his life in France. He co-founded the art style and movement called Cubism. Picasso’s father was a painter and worked as a professor at the school of crafts and was a big influence and inspiration to Picasso. Picasso showed a passion and a skill for drawing from an early age. According to his mother, his first words were "piz, piz", a shortening of lápiz, the Spanish word for "pencil". From the age of seven, Picasso received formal artistic training from his father in figure drawing and oil painting.

Picasso was exceptionally prolific throughout his long lifetime. The total number of artworks he produced has been estimated at 50,000, comprising 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics, roughly 12,000 drawings, many thousands of prints, and numerous tapestries and rugs. So yes, Picasso was a very busy artist creating and playing every moment he had.

Fun Facts:

• Several paintings by Picasso rank among the most expensive paintings in the world.
• More of his paintings have been stolen than any other artist's, 550 of his works are listed as missing.
• When Picasso died at age 91 in April 1973, he had become one of the most famous and successful artist throughout history.

 

Picasso's Masterpieces





Les Demoiselles d'Avignon 1907 





Picasso Painting his piece called Guernica



SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• White watercolor or canvas paper or canvas board 
• Crayons /  oil pastels or paints (acrylic, watercolor, or tempura)
• Black oil pastel or black magic marker (for outline details)
• Pencil and eraser (sketch out cubism face then fill in and outline with black)

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR WORK AREA BY PLACING NEWSPAPER OR A DROP CLOTH ON YOUR SURFACE AND ALWAYS CLEAN UP ONCE YOU ARE DONE, THAT WAY WHEN YOU ARE READY TO CREATE AGAIN YOUR WORKSPACE IS READY FOR YOU.

INSTRUCTIONS / INSPIRATION:

The simple idea of cubism is for it to look like a drawing that was torn into a bunch of smaller pieces then put together again, but in a different order, which is the way Picasso actually explored with Cubism. The most common face/portrait view of cubism is that the face looks like a profile from one angle or multiple faces from another angle, the eyes are not even/symmetrical may be a bit tilted or off to the side, there may be just one ear in view, the mouth may not be centered, hair and accessories may be different from the other side…. So a Cubism portrait is not symmetrical at all, it’s abstract pieces coming together as one. So, I ask that you be creative, brave and jump right into creative playtime and enjoy the process. See samples and finished artwork from our art students below and use them as inspiration for your masterpiece.




















































Interactive questions:

1. How many shapes do you see in your drawing?
2. How many faces do you have in your masterpiece?
3. How many colors did you use?
4. Where was Picasso Born?
5. What did Picasso’s Father do for a living?
6. What was Picasso’s first word?
7. What was your favorite part of this project?

Remember Art is life and life is Art, so live it creatively!!!

You can also visit my website at WWW.ARTSBYMIA.COM

See the video of children / artists at play….. http://youtu.be/yimjz9DJWu4
art instruction by Mia. Stay tuned in for NEW SUMMER ART CLASSES!
Register your email at www.artsbymia.com for our newsletter and up to the splatter paint minute of playtime creation with Mia.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR ARTWORK SO FEEL FREE TO EMAIL A PICTURE TO US AND WE WILL SHOWCASE YOUR WORK TOO!!!

Email: artbymamamia[at]yahoo.com

Article written by Mia Roman founder of Art By Mia.
©ArtByMia

Gender Notions:"What She Said"

 

Gender Notions: "What She Said"
By Dalia Gonzalez

 

Recently I was reading a magazine profile on Mia Farrow and halfway through the article, it delved into the Woody Allen situation with Farrow's daughters. It was  jarring at first that the article switched focus in the middle of this amazing article on this intelligent activist who is doing things separate from this event in her own life. It was borderline sad that this author felt he needed to bring up the past. And these weren't even the brightest moments of this family's past.

 

The focus on Dylan Farrow's numerous testimony and conversations over the years about what happened made me think of how America, as a society, doesn't take what women say at face value. A few days before the Academy Awards this year, when Woody Allen was receiving a lifetime achievement award, the media was again talking about the allegations and court time. And immediately, people on social networks everywhere were quick to come to Allen's side, saying they hoped it wasn't true and how sad and shocking it was to hear about this all over again.

 

I wrote recently about my hair and how people always wanted to know when I was going to let it grow out. And that's so low on the problematic scale. Like when a woman says she doesn't plan for children or marriage, the first response is usually "you'll change your mind." A friend of mine was told by her mother that just having a job wasn't good enough for women anymore. That instead, they must also want a family of their own and a partner through it all to be considered a true adult woman. Women everywhere have their emotions dismissed as her "time of the month" and her decisions as a "change of her mind." Never mind that the male body also goes through a hormone cycle as well. Never mind that the woman has probably been agonizing over her decision for days if not months or years. Whatever she just said isn't a real answer. This becomes problematic when the extremes are taken: when "no" cannot mean "no" as long as a woman is saying it. People raised to believe women are flighty and forgetful of very serious matters will slowly begin to ignore every example of a woman making a decision and override it.

 

In Dylan Farrow's case, she was forced to re-live moments she would have preferred to forget, because the doctors and lawyers examining her and her case were slow to believe that her story had any foundation to it. This is a ridiculous example, if only because this case pitted Farrow's word against Allen's, and if the professionals were going to be so quick to ignore a complete side of the case, a fair trial and examination of events would never occur.

 

But this sort of thing happens to women every day. More than half of sexual assault cases go unreported every year, and at least a third of those that are reported come forward despite the fact that our society is so quick to blame the victim for the crime instead of the perpetrator. Our society's "rape culture" as it has been coined, is systematically silencing our women and robbing them of their authority and their words of its power; forcing these secrets into the closet, where they don't help anyone, and for some women, eat away at their confidence later in life.

 

We like to pretend that the world we live in is brimming with equality and that anyone who doesn't realize how good they have it is otherwise ungrateful. The discussion on privilege that is exploding from Princeton student Tal Fortgang's essay/rant on people telling him to check his privilege prove that.
 

We need to channel our penchant to dismiss women as flighty into actively trusting in them. It's a vicious circle when a woman fears speaking up because people will lash out, dismiss her, or blame her instead of helping. Less women will be inclined to step forward in the future. And we move further from the equality that we really need to move forward as humanity. Let's second guess ourselves next time we hear about a woman stepping forward with something that might be ugly to hear, or that affects solely her life as decided by her. Because the reverse leads to less justice for the world at large, not just half our population.

KIDZ ART STOP | MAY 2014

 

Welcome to the Kidz Art Stop a place that will inspire visual communication and development with a playful fun factor for the child and adult. This monthly article will include fun activities for the home, classroom, park, play ground or family vacation. Our focus at Kidz Art Stop is literacy and the arts, stimulating the child’s thinking while they explore and learn creatively.

Have you ever seen a child smooth finger paint over a sheet of paper with both hands and pull their fingertips through the paint to make squiggles, shapes and lines? Or observed a child happily coloring and exploring with crayons? If so, you have seen the concentration on these children’s faces, and the joyful expressions of art explored. You have witnessed creative art in process!!

Creating art expands the child’s ability to interact with the world around them, and provides a new set of skills for self-expression and communication. Not only does art help to develop the right side of the brain, it also cultivates important skills that benefit a child’s development.

Art may seem like fun and games… and yes it is!... but you may not realize that your child is actually learning a lot through exploring the arts and doing art activities. While at creative play they are picking up these skills:

Communication skills                                             Cognitive Development

Problem-Solving Skills                                           Decision Making

Social & Emotional Skills                                        Visual Learning

Motor Skills                                                             Inventiveness

Self-Expression and Creativity                               Cultural Awareness

Language Development                                          Improved Academic Performance

 

When kids are encouraged to express themselves and take risks in creating art, they develop a sense of innovation that will be important in their adult lives. Through self-expression and creativity, children’s skills will develop naturally, and their ability to create soar.

 

Art is a process, not a product so it’s the process that brings great rewards!!

 

We all know children love to play, love imagination, and love to create stories, so here at Kidz Art Stop we have created wonderful projects that incorporate imagination, storytelling and creative play.

 

 

IN AND AROUND TOWN CITYSCAPES WITH JAMES RIZZI

 

The New York painter/artist James Rizzi (October -1950 – December - 2011) is one of the most successful and famous artist of our time. The colorful and typical 3D technique stands for joy, vitality and a positive point of view. James Rizzi was one of the most popular artist of the past decades.

 

At First Glance, James Rizzi's art may be mistaken for the artistic efforts of a young child, however this is not an entirely erroneous judgment, for it is certain that Rizzi wanted to incorporate the freshness and vitality of children's art in his work. In this regard he is not alone. Some of the great artists of the twentieth century, including Klee, Dubuffet and Miro, deliberately used a childlike style in their work.

 

Rizzi, born and raised in New York, turned his childlike imagination into artistic powers, transforming the city itself into something wonderfully original. His large panorama of Urban life beams with energy and playfulness, reflecting all the diversity and human variety that is at the core of New York. Colorful happy streets where children jump rope, shoot baskets and walk their dogs.

 

Look at some of your fellow student artists images below and create your very own Rizzi inspired cityscape urban life art piece. It’s easy all you need is some art supplies and a little imagination.

 

Let’s get started.

 

I think it’s important to use white watercolor paper or heavy stock paper, no matter what the quality, as that is what makes the project so vibrant.

 

Instead of straight rectangular buildings, add curved lines and interesting shapes and faces as a substitute. Draw your buildings and shapes big enough to color in between. See student pictures below and in video to be inspired! Feel free to submit your completed James Rizzi inspired masterpiece to artbymamamia[at]yahoo.com we would love to showcase your work!!!

 

 

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

 

• WHITE WATERCOLOR PAPER OR HEAVY STOCK PAPER
• CRAYONS OR OIL PASTELS (FILL IN WITH VIBRANT COLORS)
• BLACK OIL PASTEL OR BLACK MAGIC MARKER (FOR OUTLINE DETAILS)
• PENCIL AND ERASER (SKETCH OUT YOUR CITYSCAPE THEN FILL IN AND OUTLINE WITH BLACK)

 

 

 

ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR WORK SIGN IT AND SHARE IT!!!!

 

 

 

Interactive questions:

 

 

 

1. How many shapes do you see in your drawing?
2. How many colors did you use?
3. How many faces, cars, people, animals in your drawing?
4. How many buildings do you have?
5. Is the weather warm, cold, rainy or cloudy?
6. What was your favorite part of this project?

 

 

STUDENT ARTIST VIDEO INSPIRATION:  http://animoto.com/play/I1LiRt8FF0amgexi9Jn72g

 

For videos on children’s art classes and projects you can go to http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtByMia1?feature=watch

 

You can also visit my website at www.artsbymia.com

 

Email: artbymamamia[at]yahoo.com

 

Article written by Mia Roman founder of Art By Mia.

©ArtByMia