Eco Arts marries Creativity & Nature article

Zola Gallery

Zola Gallery. 

The Eco Arts Council of the Quad Cities endorses Zola, an Eco-Art Gallery.

The Eco Arts Council of the Quad Cities supports our community as a place of creative and celebratory environments in which encouragement is given to innovative events, participatory arts projects and a destination for artist residencies - for advocating, demonstrating and creating works that celebrate the Midwest Region and Mississippi area life and environmental issues of our home in the Quad Cities area. It is the belief of the EACQC that people’s sense of identity, attachment and sustainability to their hometown can be improved with these provisions.

Zola Gallery is dedicated to creating a movement in culture that keeps the idea of ecology close to our awareness and inspires appreciation of Nature and supports natural living. Zola is the Quad Cities first and premier model for an EcoArts gallery, taking the lead in EcoArts growth and environmental practices. 

Zola offers high quality EcoArt pieces in a professional, industry-standard setting, a meeting place for members of the EACQC to gather, a location to teach educational Eco workshops, as well as a variety of retail services: art lessons, educational workshops, art installation, art critique and publication, graphic design, creative consultation, large scale mural painting, as well as custom canvas frames built to order. Zola generates sales through Art  “rentals”. Rental periods are in three-month rental increments. At the end of each rental term, clients will have the option to purchase. This arrangement will be promoted to business and organizations interested in becoming more “Green” and renting artwork is beneficial to clients as they can write it off as an “operating” expense. Zola offers outreach Eco Art demonstration services and promote current exhibitions through these opportunities in order to generate additional sales.

Zola operates on a strong philosophical foundation. Zola boldly re-envisions the by-products of modern society while encouraging consumers and institutions to be eco-logical citizens. Zola will support “Environmental Art” that supports Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Upcycle, Refurbish, Repurpose and such eco-friendly practices and use of products in production of Eco Art. Unlike the conventional art world, in addition to serving typical scenes and audience members, we will also serve the uninitiated, typically intimidated, and promote community engaging art participation and appreciation through on-site and outreach Eco-Art making opportunities. Zola will encourage reconnection with nature, our relationship to it and celebratory discovery of such through art making, art-purchasing and group exhibition of Eco Art.

Zola works with artists, collectors, educators, and our community at large to provide community building through public art exhibitions, educational opportunities, and promotion while fostering artistic and cultural experiences within the community. Zola compliments existing creative endeavors within the area.

Zola supports and promotes the “Creativity and Placemaking” trend that involves cultural facilities designed to leverage the benefits of collaboration and co-location. This trend includes: Multi-use hubs that integrate arts, culture, heritage and library facilities to share resources and operation costs, and to develop strategic partnerships, cultural or creative incubators that, in various ways, offer a platform of support for creators and enable connection, production and networking among creators and with the public, multi-sector convergence centers that are designed to maximize socialization, networking, and random collisions, and thus become major connecting hubs and economic engines in communities, artist live/work or studio complexes that focus on live/work studios, artist living spaces and a variety of space uses including rehearsal spaces, retail and cafés, integrated community projects that include cultural, environmental and social uses.

The Quad Cities area needs a venue to promote highly original, diverse, and successful contemporary ecological art for clients’ needs. They need a gallery space already exemplifying and embodying all aspects of the EcoArt movement, and sustainable living practices. A need exists for a creative and original viewing space outside of the traditional quad cities art-gallery setting. Zola allows for a retail space capable of taking EACQC to the next level by combining visual, ecological, performing, and literary art with a retail storefront, as well as allowing for creative incubation and collaborative networking which is fundamental in building existing as well as future businesses.

The presentation of ecological artwork, artist workshops, and local handmade goods within an original gallery setting will provide a highly unique, creative and cultural experience to a diverse audience- from the casual gallery visitor, to the curious child and parent, to the professional artist, the art student, as well as the potential art investor. A goal is to create a culture center for all instead of a culture for a few. Attention will be given to show symbiotically what’s going on in these places and a positive representation and sense of who is there, too.

Zola sells to clients seeking an investment in Fine Art while maintaining the highest environmental standards. Clients seek the design experience of Zola’s professionals whether it be a physical art object for their home or business, interior design, art instruction, exterior design, educational opportunities, creative community events, creative consultation, and access to original artwork and handmade products.

Customers desire this product because they see a potential gain for investment with pieces constructed by renowned artists with developing careers, as well as wanting to continue to be part of our growing network that is passionate about supporting our local economy. Customers are also seeking to decorate a space with original pieces of fine art that cannot be duplicated or found anywhere else. Zola is the Quad Cities’ only industry-standard ecological art gallery, and we believe this will attract a fair amount of clientele. With the growing momentum of the green movement, consumers are thinking twice about what they buy: keeping in mind local economics and sustainable practices as well as global aspects, Zola’s products are readily available for the common consumer. Clients that are seeking creative, collaborative, and sustainable service have a need that can be fulfilled by the design and ecological expertise and experience of the staff of Zola.

Inquiries can be made to Ecoartscouncilqc@aol.com subject line: Zola Gallery.

Green for the Holidays

Green Holiday Tips

Facts at a Glance

“Oh, Christmas tree…”

Artificial trees can consume significant energy and petroleum-based materials during their manufacture.

Today nearly all of the trees sold at seasonal Christmas-tree lots are grown on tree farms. So choosing a cut tree doesn’t hurt forests; however, potted trees and large plants are nice options to cutting down live trees.

Recycling fresh trees after Christmas can make a huge difference in reducing holiday waste. Instead of taking up space in the landfill, trees can be ground into wood chips, which can be used to mulch gardens or parks or to prevent erosion at a local watershed.

According to one U.S. Department of Energy study, if everyone replaced their conventional holiday light strings with LEDs, at least two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity could be saved in a month.

“Give the gift of life…”

By giving gifts that can be “experienced”, like tickets to a concert, baseball game or a certificate for a special “date night”, you can minimize wrapping and still win points and create memories with the receiver.

Give the gift of “You”. Give a gift certificate for your time to child sit, or pet sit. Or you can offer to share your talents, such as photography, financial planning, hairstyling, or a few hours of tutoring. For kiddos you can give them the gift of a “Picnic in the park” date, a camping trip or plant a tree in someone's name. Another creative gift would be to make a family recipe book from the favorites you’ve collected and pictures of the family members the recipes come from. Creating a personal scrapbook for a loved on or even making a calendar for the coming year using your own photographs is a nice personal gift that will also serve as a memory keeper.

When purchasing gifts from mainstream stores, buy ones that are durable; not over-packaged; and are energy efficient. If the gift requires batteries, use rechargeable batteries. Try not to buy products made of tropical woods like teak, rosewood, or mahogany. You can give gifts that are unpackaged or minimally packaged, without unnecessary plastic wrap or cardboard backing and give gifts that carry long-term warranties that are repairable.

Be Eco-Friendly This Holiday Season!

Eco-Friendly Holidays

“True Meaning and True Practices”

Eco Holidays are about consciously choosing to simplify and satisfy while practicing good stewardship. It is about focusing on compassion versus consumption, people verses products, and respect the importance of accountability and it’s precedence over accumulation. Greening your holiday is about reducing the negative impact on the environment and increasing positive impact to your experiences. Our practices during the holidays should be more important than the products received during the holidays. By simplifying what we do and how we do it, we are better able to enjoy the journey of sharing the holidays with loved ones.

Make Your Holiday Ideas Sustainable

A sustainable holiday is one that holds meaning to us as we enjoy and prioritize what is most important to us - be it a spiritual ritual or a tradition and memory making practice.

·         Identify Waste: Seek alternatives to things that cause waste. This includes our money, our time and the impact of the environment.

·         Involve Others: Practice “Creative Collaborative Networking” during the holidays. Engage each other’s resources, energies and talents in preparing for and enjoying the holidays.

Eco-Friendly Gifts: Your Green Gift Giving Guide

Choose eco-friendly gifts that are resourceful, conscientious and creative. They are affordable, unique and giving with thought is more eco responsible and meaningful than trendy.

Scale Down

Ask yourself these questions before shopping for eco-friendly gifts: Whom do you really need to buy for? How much do you really need to spend? Do the presents you're buying have a purpose or meaning? As you ask yourself these questions and commit to scaling down, you will reduce unnecessary spending, waste, stress and feel the satisfaction in simplifying.

Quality, Not Quantity

Quality is more relevant than quantity every time. Avoid buying lots of inexpensive and poorly made items and opt for fewer quality items that will last longer, be useful and hold meaning to the recipient. We need to put more focus on relationships than materialism - meaning over matter.

Buy Local

Search thrift stores, antique stores, craft shows, swap meets, local listings, and seek out one-of-a-kind and locally made eco-friendly gifts. Online auctions and creative stores such as etsy showcases creative artists and works.

Don't Buy New

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure holds true. If you can find gifts that match your loved ones special interests and collections, hobbies and personal pursuits, your gift will have more meaning and used; secondhand, vintage, and antique items can be appropriately given to not only help with waste diversion, but add to your loved one’s treasure box of nostalgia and creative pursuits.

Homemade and Handmade

Green gift giving can be simple and meaningful. Try making homemade food, especially organic and healthy. For those wishing to cut back on unnecessary gift giving and wanting to practice healthy and natural lifestyles, make homemade trail mix, cut fruit bouquets, or give an indoor garden herb kit. Gather family and friends together for the afternoon and cook and prepare holiday trays together. Just be sure to check for allergies or dietary restrictions!

Can you draw, paint, make pottery, sew, crochet or knit, take nice photos, make scrapbooks, darling crafts or share some other talent such as a musical ability through your holiday gift giving? Host a craft night or a holiday talent show and make one-of-a-kind eco-friendly gifts or entertain with creativity as a gift for your friends and family!

Sustainable Materials

Eco-friendly gifts should avoid plastics, polyesters, hardwoods or any other non-sustainable materials. Opt instead for cotton, bamboo, wool, etc. Try to find organic when possible and for non-toxic paints on things.

Give the Gift of Charity

For the real “hard to shop for” person on your list, donate money, plant a tree, or support their favorite church or charitable organization in their name or give a gift certificate to a local garden store, or buy a membership to the local zoo, botanical garden or art museum.

Educate

Green gift giving can include buying things that are green, and buying things that teach green. Perhaps a vegetable gardening book accompanied by a few garden tools and seeds, an air purifying indoor plant accompanied by a book about botany, a nature gift basket with binoculars, a nature journal and an outdoor guide book.