The surprising little "grove" of white mulberry trees that appeared in my backyard during a rewilding project sparked an exploration that led to the discovery of their link to the silk industry: their leaves are the primary source of food for the Bombyx mori silkworm that weaves a cocoon of the finest silk thread in... Continue Reading →
Now I'm getting to the fun part of the White Mulberry Project: foraging for my art supplies! I've researched the history of the tree with its connection to the silk trade in China, how it arrived in the United States and, locally for me, its roots in the economic history of my hometown of Whitehall,... Continue Reading →
When a small grove of white mulberry trees sprouted in my backyard during a rewilding project, my research led to the discovery of their link to the silk industry established in China over 4,000 years ago. The leaves of the white mulberry (Morus alba) are the primary foodsource of the Bombyx mori silkworm, which produces... Continue Reading →
This White Mulberry Earthpod is one of two artworks-in-progress created for The White Mulberry Project: A Silk Road Runs Through It to be presented on August 26, 2023 in my studio's Eco-Garden in upstate New York. I decided to use a gourd as the foundation for this piece as the form represents the roots of... Continue Reading →
Since the surprising discovery of (non-native) white mulberry trees in my backyard in Whitehall, NY, I began to research their link to the silk industry, particularly the Champlain Silk Mills in Whitehall which flourished from the late 1800s through the early 1950s. Silkworms arrived in Virginia as early as 1613 as the Chinese silk industry... Continue Reading →
Whew! My white mulberry trees are budding for their second year! After I pruned them last November, I was a bit concerned I may have over-done it. But here they are, having survived not only my pruning but having been underground in a yard that had been mowed for over 60 years. They are impressively... Continue Reading →
EXCITING NEWS! I am thrilled to have been awarded a $10,000 New York State Rural & Traditional Arts Fellowship administered by the Arts Council for Wyoming County in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts. I will create two sculptural works of art from my Eco-Garden Project and exhibit them in a... Continue Reading →
By the end of August my little grove of surprise white mulberry trees were already as high as the windows on the house. They grew fast! Even more surprising, they appeared in a patch of lawn that had been consistently mowed for over sixty years! How did they survive that long underground? Plus they didn't... Continue Reading →
It all began with No Mow May. Although it's a pollinator movement popularized by Plantlife in the UK and a very good reason to refrain from mowing until later in the spring, I had an ulterior motive for allowing the lawn to grow until June: I wanted to expand my Eco-Garden Project research to discover... Continue Reading →
