Party as Participation
Hosted by Elisabeth Smolarz
June 22, 1-3pm
The Arts Center at Governors Island, Cafe
We celebrated LMCC’s 50th anniversary as Manhattan’s Arts Council and our legacy of fostering vibrant creative communities! Party as Participation was the final installment of Party as Performance, a series of festivities hosted by an LMCC alumni artist who specialized in the art of bringing people together.
Elisabeth Smolarz (Arts Center Residency '12) presented ice cream flavors inspired by her experiences during her 2012 artist residency on Governors Island. These flavors celebrated the friendships and artist communities she formed during that time, as well as the distinctive features of the island itself, such as the weeping willow tree, the lavender fields, and the beloved Governors Island sheep: Flour, Sam, Evening, Chad, and Philip Aries. The tasting event offered a culinary journey blending elements of childhood nostalgia, art, and nature.
Flavors (as conceived by Elisabeth Smolarz):
Lavender Earl Grey: Celebrates the lavender fields of Governors Island
Rocky Road: Reflects the journey my dear friend Jamie Diamond and I experienced as artists in residence at Governors Island in 2013.
Chestnut: Celebrates the chestnut trees of Paggank (Lenape: Nut Island).
Apple sorbet: Honors the apple trees in Sam Van Aken's open orchard.
Pistachio: Represents my friend Georgia Lale's current experience as an LMCC artist in residence.
Strawberry: It's Hilarie Spangler's favorite.
Linden & Asian Plum: A tribute to my love of trees, best enjoyed under the weeping willow on 406-A Colonels Road (and if you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the beloved Governors Island sheep).
Elisabet Smolarz is a conceptual artist and curator living and working in Queens. She utilizes photography and video to demonstrate how consciousness and perception are formed as a result of larger social structures. Smolarz is founder/director of Spectral Lines. Spectral Lines is an artist-run salon in Ridgewood, NY. Additionally, Smolarz operates a small ice cream window at the same location, adding a delicious dimension to the community she fosters.