Our current window features the froggy pictured above, a lovely wearable sculpture created by Mindport staff member Carol Oberton for the Bellingham Procession of the Species, a parade celebrating creativity, community, and our connection with nature.
It’s April 2, which means that Bellingham’s Seventh Annual Procession of the Species is now less than a month away.
Carol, one of the creative prompters of the Bellingham Procession from its inception in 2004, has been showing up at Mindport lately with large insect heads constructed from old plastic take-out containers, plumbing bits she’s found in the recycling bins here, and cast-off black mesh. If you’re bored with staff meetings, try having someone come with an oversized beetle head for everyone to try on. Works wonders! (Actually, we are never really bored in Mindport staff meetings – it’s the only time most of us are in the building in the same time, and we have a good time checking in with each other.)
Anyhow, Carol, who’s been both amphibious and crustaceous in the parade, and the rest of the Procession collaborators invite everyone to join in the fun. There are Procession workshops every Saturday in April to help you get ideas for and construct banners, creepy creatures, stroller beasts, heads, tails, masks, BIG puppets, and the like. The workshops are held at the Environmental Learning Center, 514 West Holly and are free and open to all. Since there are only three simple rules to follow: no motorized vehicles, no live animals, and no words written or spoken, you can really let your imagination go. Check out the Procession web site for more details:
www.bpots.org.
Once you’ve got yourself ready, just line up Saturday, May 1 at 3:30 behind the library. You’ll march through the streets with your fellow creatures and wind up at the ending celebration held in Maritime Heritage Park. We’ll see you there.
The Bellingham Procession of the Species is a collaboration of the City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department and Start Here Community Arts.
