Bronx River Art Center presents (as part of its 2013-14 series of exhibitions - Curatorial Practice):

Special Presentation/Livestream of "Weilikia Bronx"
Eric W. Sanderson, from the Mannahatta Project,
Offers Rare Glimpse of the Bronx's Original Ecology
Saturday, December 7, 2:00-4:00pm

As part of the exhibit "MAPnificent! Artists Use Maps", Eric W. Sanderson offers a first glimpse of his current new work "Weilikia Bronx," a web-based ecological mapping endeavor that grew out of his groundbreaking "Mannahatta Project". During the presentation, on Saturday, December 7, from 2pm to 4pm, Sanderson takes us on a "guided tour" of the Bronx as it looked before human development. Sanderson, the senior conservation ecologist for the Wildlife Conservation Society, points out the connection between science and art with this remarkable creative visualization enabled by sophisticated digital and satellite cartography.

Many joined us at the gallery to meet Eric Sanderson or logged in to view the livestream of this presentation. Below is a video of that presentation:

Welikia Bronx: My Good Home from Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) on Vimeo.

"MAPnificent! Artists Use Maps" is part of The Bronx River Art Center's current Curatorial Practice Series. This unique inter-disciplinary series sparks dynamic collaboration between guest curators, artists, and art students enrolled in BRAC educational programs. BRAC, under the leadership of executive director Gail Nathan, is dedicated to using art to stimulate social growth, by deepening our understanding of our mutual reliance, our dependence on the environment, and the interconnection of the natural and man-made parts of our urban world.

In assembling this show, Yulia Tikhonova, an independent curator dedicated to community-based curating, encouraged a cross-section of established and emerging Bronx and New York-based artists to see how maps inform countless human interactions beyond just getting from point A to point B. What is clear is that maps -- each possessed of its own particular geometry and aesthetics -- take us past the easily observed; maps help us understand not just the flow of people and things, but also the flow of statistics, demographics, and capital.

The participating artists are Lynn Avadenka, Nicky Enright, Irina Danilova, Paul Fabozzi, Alaistair Noble, Ariane Littman, Mannahatta, Hand Drawn Map Association, Marie Christine Katz, Aga Ousseinov, Amy Pryor, Asya Reznikov, Yumi Roth, Paula Scher, Viviane Rombaldi Seppey, André Vida, and Bice C. Wilson.

Tikhonova is the founder of the Brooklyn House of Kulture, which is dedicated to supporting artists of diverse immigrant backgrounds, particularly from Eastern European countries from the former Soviet Union.  "MAPnificent!" extends her research into the process of assimilation.

This project is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, Artworks, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Related education and public programs are supported, in part, by the José E. Serrano WCS-NOAA, Lower Bronx River Partnership Program, Simón Bolívar Foundation, The Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, Con Edison, and The New York Community Trust.

The Bronx River Art Center expresses its appreciation for the support of The City of New York, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., New York City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera, and members of the Council's Bronx Delegation.