Little Pharma Physic Garden at Fringe Exhibitions, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008

FINISHING-SCHOOL - Little Pharma Physic Garden
(Main Gallery)

JON BRUMIT - Monsanto's Workshop (Kernel Square Wave)
(Lower Level)

WAYNE SHIMABUKURO - Portraits of LA Artists (Fringe FIles)

Exhibition Dates: October 11 - November 8, 2008

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 11, from 6-9 PM

The Little Pharma Physic Garden by Finishing-School is a participatory installation that promotes education, community involvement, natural beauty, relaxation and renewal.

The garden model is based on several specific European gardens established by monks in the 16th and 17th centuries. Their calling was to encourage and empower the public to be directly involved in their own health and well-being and to promote the study of herbal medicine, known then as the "physic" or healing arts. The monks involved the public in community gardening and demonstrated the many uses of plants and the tradition of the plant world as the most common medicine source. These gardens also provided a place of natural rest, meditation, and spiritual renewal for many weary urban dwellers.

The Little Pharma Physic Garden includes a research library, seed bank, a publicly maintained herbal medicine garden, meditation vistas, and a workshop area. Additionally, the public is invited to participate in several events hosted by Finishing School and collaborators throughout the run of the exhibition. There will be an herbal medicine course, meditation events, and a gardening workshop as well as a pharma-themed costume workshop and bicycle tour sponsored by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. The bicycle tour and related workshop will be presented during a three-month residency by Finishing-School at MOCA titled Engagement Party.

Little Pharma is an umbrella inter-disciplinary investigation that explores and promotes various alternative medicines and lifestyles as viable antidotes to some of the Big Pharma pathologies. Projects include web and printed matter, exhibitions, workshops, roundtable meetings, lectures, and interventions. Little Pharma is included in the Rhizome Artbase collection.

FS SPECIAL EVENTS
Saturday, October 18
Herbal Medicine Garden Workshop
12-2pm
Fringe Exhibitions

Saturday, November 1
Meditation Workshop
12-2pm
Fringe Exhibitions

Thursday, November 6
Little Pharma Drug Run and Film Screening
7-11pm
Begins at MOCA on Grand Ave and finishes @ Fringe