Artists and Berea Cat unite for ART AID for HAITI

'HAITIAN ICEALITY' - is the understanding of the relationship between the Haitian people, their culture and environment while cultivating a sustainable global culture of peace.

• -- The brown weave is surrounded by a blue mat as a symbol of isolation in the Caribbean. The natural weave and shells are a representation of the flora and fauna of Haiti.
  -- The background is cracked to symbolize the current earthquake as well as a historical statement*
  -- The Peace Stone is a representation of the Worlds Children Peace Monument (WCPM).
  -- The Peace Stone Colors are Blue and White - the United Nations colors - symbolizing the UN workers who died in the line of duty.
  -- White Dove is the universal symbol of Peace.
  -- The Dove’s ‘Heart of Gold’ is a symbol of the generosity of all the people of the world helping out in this crisis.
  At the core of the heart and artwork is a colorful gem inscribed with a map of the Haitian area.
  
  "The City of Berea is the home of the Environmental Art Movement. And Environmental Art has been recognized as the indigenous art form North East Ohio.
  ICEAlity inspires architecture for humanity and can be called a Cleveland artists foundation.....ART AID has the ability to actually help make a difference in the situation in Haiti and I just can't see not using this sustainable initiative to help make a difference in the future of the country”, David Jakupca said.
  
  *When this part was painted at the ARK in Berea, to accelerate the drying process, it was left on the floor near a heater vent to dry while I ran some errands. Later we found Rebel, our adopted cat from Berea Animal Rescue, had climbed into the warm wet paint and made some additions to the painting himself then used it as a catnapping place. He has done this before, and upon review, as Cultural Ambassador, I decided to leave the natural ”corrections” Rebel had made to the final painting.

For more infor mation on ART AID visit:
http://www.americantowns.com/oh/berea/news/cleveland-artists-holding-charity-art-aid-auction-for-haiti-253240

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1987 to 2007- Twenty Years of Community Service
"ICEALITY - assisting in the understanding of the relationship between Humans and
their Environment through the Arts to promote a sustainable Culture of Peace"

International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA)
P. O. Box 81496
Cleveland, Ohio 44181 USA
Phone/fax: 440-891-8376
Email: ICEA2000@sbcglobal.net
http://www.theicea.org

The Living Green Walls at the ARK in Berea

ARK in Berea - Green architects are now moving into designing living green walls -- think a vertical garden on the wall of a building -- as green roofs become more common stream. The ICEAlity incorporated in these walls help cool the buildings in the summer (reducing solar heat), insulate the building in the winter, water management (reduced storm water runoff for growth), and have the potential for helping feed the people (think vegetables, herbs....).
The living wall offers a real benefit in rain water mitigation, offering the potential for reducing the burden on storm sewers and, down the line, pollution into water systems. And, the green vegetation provide a cooling effect in summer. And, part of the ARK in Berea’s overall environmental impact on climate change -- the 25 year old “living wall” increase greenery while improving the air.

There are two main categories of green walls: green façades and living walls. Green façades are made up of climbing plants either growing directly on a wall or, more recently, specially designed supporting structures. The plant shoot system grows up the side of the building while being rooted to the ground. In a living wall the modular panels are often comprised of polypropylene plastic containers, geotextiles, irrigation systems, a growing medium and vegetation.

As shown in reports from the US Network for EXPO2000, a project of the International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA), urban population growth is not a sustainable option. Arne Dunker, manager of the Klimahaus in Bremerhaven states, "I remember having a discussion about whether it's a good idea to teach people that mankind is part of the global climate problem....this was way back in 2000 during the EXPO 2000 Worlds Fair in Hanover, Germany, this was a very controversial situation then, but today there’s no question that mankind contributes a lot to the climate problem."

Green buildings are now an essential constituent of urban quality of life. It is noteworthy, however, that some cities have been more successful in implementing a green building policy than others. One concideration is geography, the insulating implications of five or six inches of soil might not be critical in modern super insulated buildings, but most buildings in temperate climates, are unlikely to have R-40 or so in the walls. Thus, an additional factor is the interesting question of back fitting opportunities in soome cities. Vertical walls could be relatively easy retro-fitted onto many buildings and many homes around the world. And they might offer the potential for significant energy savings along with fresh vegetables for the dinner table.

Greener buildings are supposed to revolutionize the way the nation's built environment operates chiefly by using less energy. Seeing as U.S. commercial buildings account for about 30 percent of carbon emissions, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, improving the performance of the built environment is a key focus of all green building rating systems. But the green building industry has a dirty little secret: Until recently, few people really kept track of how so-called "high-performance buildings" were actually performing. The iconic Cleveland architecture of the ARK in Berea pre-dates the U.S. Green Building Council and its LEED certification program.

The main driver for green buildings in the United States is the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (USGBC-LEED) rating system. LEED-certified buildings, at the basic Certified level, are designed to use 30 percent less energy than buildings built to standard code. It would make sense to assume that LEED-certified buildings at all levels do in fact perform as advertised.

"We're not seeing the true performance we might have expected [out of LEED-certified buildings]," says Jared Silliker, owner of Silliker + Partners, a green building-focused consulting firm based in Seattle.

Unfortunately, in practice, incorporating commercial "green roofs" is used by businesses more as a public relations pitch aimed at the general population who don't know any better. "Green" roofs actually require an extraordinary amount of precautionary measures from water proofing to speciaized drainage to additional structural fortification to support the extra loads. By the time any savings from lower cooling costs are finally realized, it's time for some costly roof repair work - which, by the way, may well cost more that the average roof repair/replacement. All for the sake of "giving back" to the environment, or replacing the CO2 that the building's footprint took from the land it sits on. It's the way the world works today; auto, oil, banking, and every other industry, including the green industry, have been spinning their PR magic for years but as long as tax payers are not footing the bill there is no problem.

Similarly, commercial "green walls”, though admirable for the heat gain reductions to the building envelope it will bring, may cost more than the very simple and zero maintenance solution of simply designing buildings with an "outer skin" that "floats" (is suspended) a foot or so away from the face of the building, providing a thermal break. Essentially a giant shade that air can flow behind so that no heat gain is realized by the actual building envelope.

The ARK in BEREA living green wall is a residential example done in a cost effective manner that is a good solution for preventing houses from heating in summer and does not require substantial life-time maintenance costs, and a added incentive is that it is quite attractive.

The plant primarily used in the ARK in Berea living wall is English Ivy and are about 25 years old.
Characteristics of English Ivy Plants: Taxonomy classifies English ivy plants as Hedera helix.
English ivy plants can act as groundcovers, spreading horizontally and reaching 8" in height. But they are also climbers, due to their aerial rootlets, which allow them to climb to heights of 80' or more. They will eventually bear insignificant greenish flowers but are grown primarily for their evergreen foliage.

Simple Care for English Ivy Plants:
Their ability to grow in shade has made English ivy plants a traditional groundcover for problematic areas where most plants do not grow well. Their vigorous, dense grow habit makes them an effective groundcover where the object is to crowd out weeds. On slopes, they can be used for erosion control. The advantage of ivy vines climbing ability makes them excellent for ‘living walls’. In the Christmas carol, "The Holly and The Ivy," we see a symbolism with these two evergreen plants can be cut and used for natural Holiday decorations too.

ICEA Cleveland Ingenuity: Green Walls Would Make Great Highway Sound Barriers.
I think some civil engineers really need to pick up on this. The ICEAlity is that if they incorporated these into the sound barriers that ran between busy highways and city neighborhoods, it would be a beautiful feature that would help clean up the air and cancel out noise quite well. This is really a good idea, sometimes simpler ideas are the most effective.

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/lazylandscaping/g/planttaxonomy.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_wall
http://www.usgbc.org/leed/
http://www.klimahaus-bremerhaven.de/
http://www.TheICEA.Org

Berea Artist's Yard a Work of Art

ARK in Berea - David and Renate Jakupca's garden designs always incorporates ICEAlity for people, since "that's who home gardens are mainly for," says David, founder of the International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA) in Cleveland, Ohio. The gardens around the couple's historic ARK in Berea house have been featured in many home and horticulture news stories.

"For us, the plants are the last step," notes David. "ICEAlity is first established using a relationship between a house and its surroundings, creating spaces in which people will want to spend time and relate with those surroundings.

For 35 years, their "people-friendly" designs for outdoor living emphasize views and other pleasing elements, shade, and stress-free maintenance. But they are also friendly to the animals and environment.
The ARK in Berea Garden has an area of plants indigenous to Ohio and is officially designated as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation and the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Do Try This at Home:
To evaluate your yard, the Jakupcas recommend standing with your back to the door you use most, usually a side or back door.
"Identify existing fixtures that you can use as anchors to link the doors of your house to the surrounding landscape as you develop your garden," says David.
Then take a folding chair and spend time in various places around the yard to see which lend themselves to outdoor living, he says. "Note the feeling and mood of each, its existing trees, views, and sunlight."

Sit and Smell the Roses:
"Why plant perennials only to walk past them?" asks David. Instead, place sitting and other activity areas right in the middle of them. That way, you create an extra "room" where you can eat or read the newspaper, and the plants' appearance and fragrance become part of your experience.

Expanses of field or lawn also qualify for David's "room-with-a-view" effect. He mows a curving, eight-foot-wide swath from their gardens' edge into the woodland that is used as an outdoor art studio. A similair artists refuge is further back where a small circle is mowed out from the woods around a bench shaded by small trees the couple planted. "Instead of spending your time and money cutting grass you can sit and relax and have great place to watch the sunset," he says, "and see lots of bird activity."
Another sitting area is easily sculpted into the wildflowers at the edge of the treelawn." Benches are an easy way to enhance outdoor-living space when their design and materials fit a setting's mood, says David "They draw people to them and emphasize the best views on your property and its surroundings."
"Always provide some kind of external support for all types of seating," reminds Renate, "such as shrubs, or anything that keeps your back from feeling exposed."

Rooms without Walls: The couple's inviting outdoor "living room" nestles under the shade of a circle of trees. After dark, up-lights on the trees accentuate the overarching branches that provide the area's living "ceiling." The "floor" was constructed from a simple two-inch-deep sand foundation overlaid with pebble stone. The Jakupca's reclaimed another area in their garden from space many might never think to use and that is the back of an outdoor sculpture. Using its rustic rock exterior as backdrop, they shaped this east-facing location into a patio sheltered by apple and black walnut trees. There is a concord grape arbor whose simple design includes growing support fashioned from live whute pine trees. They've also used these rough-hewn barn boards for a deer barrier and privacy fence.

The ABC's of Planting:
Once they've built their outdoor-living spaces, the Jakupcas choose all plants according to a property's physical characteristics and a hierarchy that begins with trees and then adds shrubs and perennials.
"Gardens need all three," says David. "Trees provide vertical structure against the sky as well as a 'ceiling.' Shrubs define and enclose space and add fragrance. Perennials, which bring the highest maintenance, are detail plants that provide color and leaf variety, from the smallest, used for edging, to the drama of tall grasses."
"Once you've defined the spaces where people will be, very often, the plantings you want to have there will simply suggest themselves," David says.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/
http://www.NWF.Org

American Cultural Ambassadors David and Renate Jakupca offers condolences to families of Air France Disaster

ARK in Berea - (ICEAnews) -American Cultural Ambassadors David and Renate Jakupca on Friday paid tribute to the victims of the Air France jet that crashed over the Atlantic.

"We were deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Air France jst crash with 228 people on board," the Ambassadors wrote. "This accident ended the lives of hundreds of people, crew members and passengers and has led to immeasurable sorrow and loss to their loved ones. Sharing the sorrow and pain of the International Community, we wish strength of spirit to the relatives of the innocent victims.
We would like to send our heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of those who are involved. At this difficult time, all those affected by this tragedy are in our thoughts and prayers." they said.

An Air France 447, a A330 jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed over the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009

The passengers were of 32 different nationalities: 72 French, 59 Brazilians, 26 Germans, 10 Italians, and others from various countries. Among the crew members there were 12 victims: one was from Brazil and 11 were of French nationality.

1987 to 2007- ICEA Celebrating Twenty Years of Community Service
"Assisting in understanding of the relationship between Humans and
their Environment through the Arts"

International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA)

P. O. Box 81496
Cleveland, Ohio 44181

USAPhone/fax: 440-891-8376

Email: ICEA2000@sbcglobal.net

www.TheICEA.Org

Berea marks International Museum Day

ARK in BEREA, May 18, 2009 - American Cultural Ambassadors David and Renate Jakupca stressed the importance of preserving and protecting the country’s heritage.
They said history play a significant role for the social, economic and political development of a community as well as a country.
The Ambassadors speaking at a symposium that opened here on Monday in connection with the International Museum Day marked here for under a theme “Museums for Tourism”.
The Ambassadors said museums exhibit the tangible and intangible heritages of humanity thereby preserving and transferring history to the next generation as well us promoting them to tourists.
Accordingly, they said the main aim of celebrating the day is to show the contribution of museums for the development of tourism and raise the awareness of the public on the issue.
Manager of the ARK in Berea, the worlds first Eco-Museum, Edward Gottschick on his part said the museum has been executing activities aiming at the ongoing development activities of the community.
Organizing visits to various historical places and symposiums aiming at raising the awareness of the society about ICEAlity and the community history are among the activities that have been carried out by the museum for the same purpose.
International Museum Day has been celebrated all over the world since 1977.
Each year, a theme is decided on by the ICEA's Advisory Committee.
---END---

http://www.bereahistoricalsociety.org/
http://www.wrhs.org/
http://www.ohiohistory.org/

At the ARK in BEREA Eco-Museum everyday is a green EARTHDAY.

At the ARK in BEREA, Ohio, the first thing a visitor encounters is a frontal landscape covered in food plants: apple, nut, cherry trees, grapes, raspberries, strawberries with organic vegetables and flowers grown in season. The grounds are an official wildlife habitat of both the Ohio Wildlife and National Wildlife Federations, not only providing food and shelter for all nature’s creatures, but setting an example of urban sustainability - adding Michele Obama in the White House as the newest convert!

On this Earth Day 2009, confronting society are problems of mankind’s own making, solutions to which we, if we are to be responsible citizens of the Earth, must dedicate ourselves to. Humanity is daily destroying its rightful place in God’s universe with industrial pollution and violent acts against itself and its surroundings. Modern technology, more often than not, brings us closer to the assumed facts of these problems, promises to help us figure out solutions to them, yet creates a more complicated network of issues to confront than before.

Since its inception in 1987, the International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA) has played a pioneering role in finding solutions to issues of contemporary urban life that will enhance our human-made environment, manage our natural resources and create works of art to delight the eye and the mind. Our environmental artists are central to each level of human existence, from the basic provision of food and shelter to issues of community, manufacture and governance. Berea, Ohio is the home of the global Environmental Arts Movement that is indigenous to North East Ohio. ICEAlity defines what it is to be humane in any natural endeavor.

ICEA’s mission statement is: “ ICEAlity….to assist an understanding between humans and their environment through the arts, ultimately supporting a sustainable Culture of Peace“.
This sums up what has been the right catalyst in the past decade for the interaction between technology and human expression to foster. ICEA’s responsible community programs and cultural projects will always be dictated by positive human values, and rooted in people’s sense of place on this Earth Day and the 364 days that follow.
Works of ICEAlity are models for holistic solutions to problems, rich in values, casual relationships between the parts of the composition and the whole, concerns for the quality of the product of the complete life experience.

"It’s possibly one of the most important things we (ICEA) can give to a child - teaching them the impact they have on the environment and the difference they can make just by themselves in the world," said Renate Jakupca, founder of ICEA. The future into which young people today will be launched is already at hand in many respects. We know that it will be technology-driven for communications, visualization and information. We know that resources will be ever more scarce, and the options for using them constrained by the long-term effect of politics. Already the second generation of ICEA students are making use of the knowledge that they have acquired through our annual youth programs:
COASTWEEKS: http://www.coastweeks.com/
Worlds Children Peace Monument: http://www.wcpm.info/

The depth of character, both individually and as a community, is tested not by actions in good times, but by the quality of decisions in difficult times. The Arts will always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with each member and facet of society to face whatever challenges emerge. At ICEA, we will be seeking opportunities to partner with the business community and social agencies, to sustain a high local quality of life for all. We will also work diligently to showcase our local community in attracting cultural tourism and new sustainable business developement.
Communities that pull together in hard times emerge as the future leaders in better times. The investment by ICEA sends a signal to the cultural sector – it is time to lead through these difficult days ahead. In uncertainty, let us all work together to build a community we will be proud to pass on to our children.

Peace Friends,

David and Renate Jakupca
Berea, Ohio

Links:
http://grassrootsonline.org/

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/
http://www.wiserearth.org/

http://greenersearchengine.com/

"Berea Green Movement Edition"

"Berea Green Movement Edition"for Saturday, March 28, 2009

Berea is participating in the global "Earth Hour" effort tomorrow, Saturday March 28, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Turn off your lights for this hour. For more info about Earth Hour, check out EarthHour.org ( http://www.earthhour.org/ )

In Berea, local organizations will show support for Earth Hour and encourage green habits with ICEAlity, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the ARK in BEREA, hosted by American Cultural Ambassadors David and Renate jakupca. When the lights go out, there will be outdoor activities to encourage movement, imagination and recycling fun!

Around the World, lights went out at tourism landmarks and homes across the globe for Earth Hour 2009, a global event designed to highlight the threat from climate change.
From the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and London's Houses of Parliament, lights were dimmed as part of a campaign to encourage people to cut energy use and curb greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.
Organisers said the action showed millions of people wanted governments to work out a strong new UN deal to fight global warming by the end of 2009, even though the global economic crisis has raised worries about the costs.
"We have been dreaming of a new climate deal for a long time," Kim Carstensen, head of a global climate initiative at the conservation group WWF, said in a candle-lit bar in the German city of Bonn, which hosts UN climate talks between March 29 and April 8.
"Now we're no longer so alone with our dream. We're sharing it with all these people switching off their lights," he said as delegates and activists sipped bluish cocktails.
The UN Climate Panel says greenhouse gas emissions are warming the planet and will lead to more floods, droughts, heatwaves, rising sea levels and animal and plant extinctions.
World emissions have risen by about 70 percent since the 1970s. China has recently overtaken the United States as the top emitter, ahead of the European Union, Russia and India.
BILLION PEOPLE TAKE PART
The UN Climate Panel says rich nations will have to cut their emissions to a level between 25 and 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid the worst effects of warming. Developing nations will also have to slow the rise of their emissions by 2020, it says.
Australia first held Earth Hour in 2007 and it went global in 2008, attracting 50 million people, organisers say. WWF, which started the event, is hoping one billion people from nearly 90 countries will take part.
"The primary reason we do it is because we want people to think, even if it is for an hour, what they can do to lower their carbon footprint, and ideally take that beyond the hour," Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley told reporters at Sydney's Bondi Beach.
In Asia, lights at landmarks in China, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines were dimmed as people celebrated with candle-lit picnics and concerts.
Buildings in Singapore's business district went dark along with major landmarks such as the Singapore Flyer, a giant observation wheel.
Other global landmarks that switched off their lights included the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Reserve Bank in Mumbai, the dome of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, Egypt's Great Pyramids and the Acropolis in Athens.

To help save energy 24/7/365 check out GreenerSearchEngine.com ( http://www.greenersearchengine.com ) aka "Envirogle" a local-based eco-project.
We BereaBuzz.com ( http://www.Bereabuzz.com ) hopes to see you there!
Nonprofit Newswire 10 Years of Service... http://www.nonprofitnewswire.com/

Bev Miko
International Center for Environmental Arts
http://www.theicea.org/