Indicator Species

Indicator Species is Lelavision's latest project, bringing community together around a large public artwork to celebrate with performances, science talks, and wellness experiences. Company co-founder and sculptor, Ela Lamblin's 35 foot tall interactive, kinetic, and musical sculpture "Plecoptera" will be the center-piece for a weekend festival curated by Lelavision co-founder Leah Mann.

The mission of the event is to delight people in the celebration of diversity both in our environment and in our society. The event explores the intersections of environmental justice, social justice, and racial justice

Presenters will be BIPOC artists, scientists, recovery specialists, somatic practitioners, musicians, dancers, and community activists. There will be a drum circle, yoga, meditation, dance, music, participatory arts activities, environmental and health discussions, karaoke, and free organic food in collaboration with For All and local farmers.

Featured performers include:

Karinyo
Sumayya Diop
Chantel Jackson
Merna Hecht
Trio Guadalevin
Seattle Kokon Taiko
Carlynn Newhouse
Nic Masangkay
JR Rhodes.

Participatory art features include a neuroscience of hope installation, "Dreamathon", and a big bug maker space with Chantal Uto's, Mushi Atsui, Japanese Insects of Gigantic Proportion".

We believe that this project is important because creative and restorative experiences that bring community together to be delighted and informed and to highlight essential environmental and social issues are needed now more than ever.

This project is made possible through the support of: community sponsor, Mukai Farm and Garden, Black Rock Arts Foundation, King County Creative, Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership at Morehouse, InterPlay Seattle, InterPlay Racial Equity & Transformation Mini-Grant, 4 Culture, and generous individual donations to Lelavision's Kickstarter. We are also grateful for donations from Vashon Island Baking Company and Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship. Event Hours: Friday, August 12, 6-8pm Saturday, August 13, 11am - 7pm Sunday, August 14, 6-8pm

Support us fiscally in three ways:

1.Send Lelavision a tax deductable donation!

Write checks to our umbrella organization:
Jack Straw Cultural Center
4261 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105-6999
(make sure to put Lelavision on the memo line)

2. Donate directly Via PayPal or Cash App:

Donate via cash App

3. Donate to our Kickstarter Campaign:

Indicator species

 

 

 

 

 

This project was previously titled "the Importance of Small Things" as can be seen in the original concept in this video:

Ela Lamblin – sculptor, musician, co-director

When Ela was six years old his father made a deal with him: "I won't buy you any toys, but I'll help you make anything you want."  Thus, Ela was launched on a lifelong path of “making,” an attitude and lifestyle that was initiated by his off-the-grid home-schooled environment of his childhood in the mountains of Southern Oregon. 

In 1989, at the age of sixteen, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Atlanta College of Art.  He graduated with a BFA in sculpture in 1993. While at ACA Ela began experimenting with combining sound with form to create musical sculptures, a process that has resulted in more than forty large-scale musical instruments to date. From college onward, Ela's art has encompassed sculpture, music, film, and movement in live performance. Ela's artistic horizons continue to expand as he erases the lines between disciplines to create multi-faceted works that now include design and fabrication of public art, architectural design and planning, numerous recordings, short films and scores. 

EDUCATION 1993— BFA in sculpture, Atlanta College of Art. Atlanta, GA.

2005— Emerging Public Artist Program. Two-year training in the public art process. City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. Seattle, WA.

1992 – Internship, through the Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta, GA, with artist Scott Gilliam to construct and install Gilliam's "She Wolf" at PS-1, New York, NY.

CAREER PATH

2016-present—Creator of large-scale interactive public works for cities, festivals and events: Burning Man, Black Rock City, NV; Amazon &

Facebook company events, Seattle WA; Lost Lake Festival, Phoenix AZ.  

1997-present—Lelavision: performer, creative director, and co-founder. Inventor and fabricator of musical sculptures for this internationally known performing, touring, and teaching company combining kinetic musical-sculpture and performance. Co-creator of a repertoire of eleven shows centered around the sculptures.

1993-1999 —Musician and musical instrument inventor for UMO Ensemble, a Lacoq-based physical theater company. Collaborated on music and set design and toured the US with the six-member troupe.

AWARDS, HONORS 2017—Seattle Arts in the Park grant. Duwamish Waterway Park installation & performance. Seattle, WA.

2017—Burning Man Arts Honorarium. San Francisco, CA.

2016, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003— 4Culture grants. Seattle, WA.

2015, 2003, 1999—Bossak Heilbron Foundation grants to create musical sculptures. Seattle, WA.

2010—Artist in Residence, to invent and build a glass musical instrument. Museum of Glass. Tacoma, WA.

2009—Grand Prize Winner, Chlorofilms Video Competition. For "Fertile Eyes," based on a science-and- performance collaboration with Dr. Anna Edlund.

2005, 2002, 2000—King County Special Projects grants to create musical sculptures. Seattle, WA.

2004—Artist Trust Music Fellowship. Seattle, WA.

1999-2002—Featured artist in "Heart and Hands: Musical Instrument Makers of America," a Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition.

2001, 1999, 1996—Artist Trust GAP grants to create musical sculptures. Seattle, WA.

1998— King County Arts Commission and Seattle Arts Commission grants to create and present "Kinesis," a kinetic musical sculpture and concert. Seattle, WA.

1995-96— Studio grant from the Artist Support Program, Jack Straw Foundation, for recordings of original musical sculptures. Seattle, WA.

1995-96— Seattle Arts Commission grant to create sculpture and performance. Seattle, WA.

1993, 1992— Sculpture awards. Juried exhibition, Atlanta College of Art. Atlanta, GA.

1992— Honorable Mention. Public Art from Recyclables Contest. City Hall. Atlanta, GA.

1992—Laura Whitner Dorsey Scholarship. Atlanta College of Art. Atlanta, GA.

1989 – Portfolio Scholarship. Atlanta College of Art. Atlanta, GA.

COMMISSIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

2018— "FLUCTUS FORMARUM": A permanently sited and public kinetic-musical- sculpture commissioned in conjunction with a Vashon High School residency funded by Vashon Artists in Schools, Vashon, WA.

2017 -2018— "Interspecies Communication." A 54'x 32'x 30' interactive and kinetic sculpture. Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada; Duwamish Waterway Park, Seattle, WA; Lost Lake Festival in Phoenix, AZ; Facebook Summer Party, Gasworks Park, Seattle, WA.

2015— "Magnificenterra." A stainless steel public sculpture commissioned by St Thomas School, Medina, WA. A kinetic and musical sculpture of the globe and atmosphere.

2006-2011— "Propagation." Art and science collaborations (sculpture, performance, lecture, video) with eight US scientists, sponsored by the Program in Science & Society of Emory University, Atlanta, GA; National Science Foundation; and 4Culture, Seattle, WA.

"Chemical Origins of Life." With Dr. David Lynn, Professor of Chemistry and Biology, Emory University. Presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, Washington, DC.

"Evolution in a Nutshell." With Dr. David Lynn. Performances at Northwest Film Forum Festival and Chicago Humanities Festival. Chicago, IL.

"Above the Genome." A performance video featuring Dr. Arri Eisen, Professor of Biology, Emory University, and the musical sculpture Epitone. At the Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA.

"The Accumulation of Change," centered around the musical-sculpture depicting DNA, titled Warm Pond. With Dr. David Lynn. Chicago Humanities Sights and Sounds Festival. Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.

"Musico Ballistica: The Bio Ballistic Ball." A performance centered around the musical sculpture titled "Orbtone" and three film shorts on biomechanics. With Dr. Stephen Vogel, Professor of Biomechanics, Duke University.

"Fertile Eyes." With Dr. Anna Edlund of Spelman University. Lelavision performance featuring the sculpture Pollenphones and a science-and-art video demonstrating pollination in flowering plants. Ordway International Children's Festival. Minneapolis, MN.

2010— "Terning." Giant tern puppets and video documentary. Shezad Morani and Joi Productions. collaborators. Commissioned by the Alaska Wilderness Project and the Backbone Campaign. Washington; Alaska.

2008— "Welcome to the Wheel World." Sculptural rendition of the Peirce Quincuncial projection map as a bike rack. Beacon Hill International School. Seattle, WA.

2005— "Whirl Piece." A stainless steel, wind-powered, kinetic and musical public sculpture at Yesler Community Center, Seattle. 1% for Arts Program. Seattle, WA.

2002 – "Children of the Tide." Sound score for this film on microscopic sea life by David Brugman. University of WA and Friday Harbor Laboratories. Washington.

LECTURER, TEACHER, CURATOR

2010-15— Facilitator, "Olympics of the Mind" invention camps, Vashon Island, WA.

2013— Co-curator of "Cre8Tive Zoo, Exhibitions of Wildly Innovative Music." City of Redmond Arts and Culture. Redmond, WA.

2005, 2004, 1998— King County Touring Roster. Seattle, WA.

2000-01— RecycleArtists Project with King County Solid Waste. Teaching waste reduction and conservation to high schoolers through music, theater and dance.

1998-2000— WA State Arts Commission Rural Residencies Program. Seattle, WA. ADDITIONAL ART PROJECTS

2010— Designer of private residence in Applegate, OR.

2008—Designer/builder of a 1400 sq. ft. private residence on Vashon Island, WA.

Dates— Designer/builder of iron railings in 5 residences, Vashon, WA; Applegate, OR.

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

2001-present— International touring with Lelavision. Co-director, composer, kinetic-musical sculpture designer/fabricator, and performer for Physical Music performances at 11 International Festivals in 6 countries and in other festivals and venues in major cities around the world, in the US, Canada, Cambodia, Thailand, Italy, et al.

Leah Mann – choreographer and co-director

Leah's work focuses on embodiment and somatic understanding for integrity and transformation. As a former competitive gymnast and with her degree in Health, Physical Education and Dance, she has utilized her kinetic, tactile and spacial learning style to reintegrate whole body practices into all her art actions - performing, teaching youth, facilitating social justice events, facilitating personal development workshops and producing events. Her work focuses on the common denominators of the human experience, the formation of community and healthy ecosystems, micro and macro.

In addition to being Co-Founder of Lelavision, Leah is the Director Emeritus and Co-Founder of the award-winning company, Moving in the Spirit - a dance, urban outreach , mentorship program in Atlanta, which has been thriving since 1987 and named one of the top 10 youth development organizations in the nation.