Come and Get it! Fresh Art, Fresh Food at AAC!

Any community-based arts center should be a resource to the residents who support it. This summer we’ve partnered with two small organizations to offer Arlingtonians some alternative and affordable sources of fresh, local foods. Along with our community supported agriculture (CSA) partner Groundworks Farm, we’ve also recently joined forces with online grocery store Relay Foods.

Groundworks is a 40-acre family-owned and operated farm in Pittsville, MD (about two and half hours southeast of Arlington). Every Wednesday evening since early June they’ve been distributing fresh produce, meat, eggs, and cheese to Arlington subscribers. But this isn’t their only stop! They also distribute in Alexandria and Annapolis.

Not only have they been distributing food to local residents, but Groundworks has also provided weekly produce samples for the GREEN ACRES Soil Olympics exhibit. In this way, Groundworks has really become part of the living exhibition that is GREEN ACRES.

Groundworks co-owner Farmer Margaret Evans said  “The Arlington Arts Center has been a great location for our CSA pick up. Many of our members live right in the neighborhood and walk or bike to the pick up. It has been really great working with them and having them allow us to use the space. It’s our first year delivering CSA shares to Arlington and we’ve been blown away by the interest and support we’ve gotten here!” Registration is open for the upcoming Winter CSA, and they always offer earlybird discounts!

Our most recent partnership affords a different sort of distribution for the community. Relay Foods carries your standard groceries, but they specialize in locally sourced foods. Rather than grow it, they procure and deliver it. Part of the reason Relay Foods is excited to work with AAC is because GREEN ACRES instigates conversation and ideas about what really happens to your food before it gets to your refrigerator.

The basic idea behind this startup company is “Save time, save your community, save the planet!” With this partnership, AAC has become part of a network of more than 20 Relay Foods pick-up sites in the DC Metro area. They initially found us in a search for a drop-off site for Arlington shoppers, and the relationship has since expanded to include Relay Foods’ participation in some of our fall programs with a generous offer to help sponsor some events by donating food and gift certificates.

Like art-making, food production and preparation requires collaboration, direction, talented players, and enthusiastic audiences. As we continue to grow our community presence we look forward to keeping it local, buying organic, and improving the quality of life in Arlington, which is what excites us about our relationship with organizations like Groundworks and Relay Foods.

–Written By Beth Evans, Education Intern at AAC

This exhibition is made possible by an Emily Hall Tremaine Exhibition Award. The Exhibition Award program was founded in 1998 to honor Emily Hall Tremaine. It rewards innovation and experimentation among curators by supporting thematic exhibitions that challenge audiences and expand the boundaries of contemporary art.