Spore Project is GO!

Starting NOW Orlando artist  Doug Rhodehamel's Sport Project is officially LAUNCHED with Doug'as signature paperbag mushrooms being planted by people all around the world to support arts education and creativity. It's easy-peasy, just make some paper bag mushrooms (as seen on Doug's how-to video), plant them in your yard or at a local event (with permission of course) and participate in this campaign to draw attention to the need for further funding for the arts in schools. The arts are often one of the first things targeted when budgets get slashed - they're seen as unnecessary, a frill (in comparison to, say, algebra, which we've all had garbage-bags full of use for, eh? Yep, I'm still wildly resentful of that waste of hours of the only life I might have) but how many of us benefitted enormously from or even built our careers on classes in art, music, language or literature, things that weren't going to appear on a standardized test but turned out to be the loves of our lives?
      The Spore Project hopes to draw attention to both that need and to the simple joy of making art all over the world - already paperbag mushrooms have appeared in tons of places around the globe, even at this year's Olympics. This is the month to get in on the act (that's me with the Pepto-pink, rhinestone-and-maribou mushroom I made for Doug's art event "Fungus of the Stars." I thought paper bags could use a little glamour.)
       You can meet Doug this weekend at Whole Foods in Winter Park Saturday, May 1 from noon - 4pm and Sunday, May 2 from 1-5 pm to learn more about the project or just check out his video and website and try it out for yourself.

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