PATCHES WITHIN PROXIMITY, AREA GALLERY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE, PORTLAND.
Patches Within Proximity questions the shape of our environments. With the use of cross discipline forms of observation and recording we [The Geographic Observatory] hope to uncover edges. Edges, or boundaries inherently suggest that otherness matters, and in ecological terms could mean the difference in a species’ survival or decline. We are interested in this component of the world and seek to observe its presents with multiple perspectives, from within our current present state and time. The questions that have driven our experiments, investigations, and observations are; how does one identify an ecological patch? How do we see and understand ecological difference in built environments, weather it is urban or domestic space? Do ecological patches have to exist within geographic space? Can we identify the territory of new patches that have not existed prior?  We look to understand the edges we see and to push those edges to allow more room to move.  We are making to transform, relate, and connect. [Artist Talk - USM, Burnham Lounge, Robie Andrews Hall, Gorham, ME - April 9th] [Review Portland Phoenix]

VISITING ARTISIT WORKSHOP, NJ TRANSECT, MFA PROGRAM, MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY.
The Geographic Observatory in collaboration with Spurse lead a group of MFA students at Montclair University on an experimental expedition through a portion of the New Jersey Meadowlands. The expedition crossed wetlands, landfills, train tracks, highways, extinct cedar forests, and superfund sites. Along the course of the trek participants observed the landscape while experimenting with ways of recording there discovery’s. [Link to NJ Transect Blog]

TINTYPES DOCUMENTING DUAL SITE AND BLUEHAMMER
Both productions of the Creative Materal Group. Dual Sites runs the mounth of January at the Whitney Art Works in Portland Maine. Blue Hammer shows in Brooklyn at the Issue Project Room on January 15th 2010. [Link to Tintypes]

SPINELESS WONDERS, ATRIUM GALLERY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE LEWISTON.
Spineless Wonders: Invertebrates as Inspiration celebrates the diversity of species for the 2009 bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species. Paintings, prints, sculpture, poetry, video, sound, and work in clay, metal, fiber, glass, wood, and stone by 56 artists from around the country will all be part of the multi-dimensional exhibition. [Link to Atrium Gallery]

AGGREGATE, ICA, MAINE COLLEGE OF ART ALUMNI BIENNIAL.
Cole Caswell • Vasilios Gletsos • Eric Hongisto • Shannon Rankin • Aaron T Stephan
The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art (ICA at MECA) will present aggregate, a juried exhibition exploring place, pattern, and permutation. An opening reception for aggregate will take place during the First Friday Artwalk, September 4, 5 – 8 pm. The works in aggregate employ a process of accumulation and assembly of parts to make a whole—each artist elaborates on an initial matrix. Individual objects such as books, maps, game pieces, or mold spores are treated as building-block components. Five artists working in various media—painting, collage, photography, sculpture, and performance—manipulate the context and form of fragments to explore notions of geography, perception, and possibility. aggregate highlights new bodies of work by five alumni from MECA's Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts programs: Cole Caswell, MFA ’08; Vasilios Gletsos, Self Design ’01; Eric Hongisto, Painting ’97; Shannon Rankin, Graphic Design ’97; Aaron T Stephan, MFA ‘02. The exhibition is a juried biennial accepting three to five artists whose work is connected by a common theme. Jurors for aggregate were Nick Capasso, Ph.D., Senior Curator at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park; David K. Ross, visual artist, art historian, and critic, Montreal; Ellen Wieske, Assistant Director at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. [Review Portland Phoenix] [Review Maine Sunday Telegram] [Review Portland Press Herald]

BAIE SAINTE-MARIE ARTISIT RESIDENCY AWARD.
The Baie Sainte-Marie Artist Residency in New Edinburgh, Nova Scotia awarded to Jessica George, Cole Caswell, and Devin Dombrolowski. Thanks to the generosity of Barbara Jenny & Family. The residencey will occure for two weeks at the end of July.THE GEOGRAPHIC OBSERVATORY UNVEILS ITS RECYCLING BIN.
T he Geographic Observatory’s Recycling Bin was unveiled Saturday June 20, 2009. Look our for it by the ice cream shop on Peaks Island! [Pictures]

BLUE HAMMER, WHITNEY ART WORKS, PORTLAND, MAINE.
A Trans-Historical-Burlesque Dinner Theatre, written by [Leon Johnson] & [John Schmor]. Elements of the costums were collaboratively designed with [Jessica George] and Cole Caswell. In addition to the costumes a series of bowels were produced with a fictitious GPS track-logs of historic military movements. Through out the course of the performance a real time map of the performances geographical transgressions was projected. [Blue Hammer Blog].

EXPERIMENTAL GEOGRAPHY BOOK REALESE.
Experimental Geography explores the distinctions between geographical study and artistic experience of the earth, as well as the juncture where the two realms collide (and possibly make a new field altogether). This lavishly illustrated book features more than a dozen maps; artwork by Francis Alÿs, Alex Villar, and Yin Xiuzhen; and recent projects by The Center for Land Use Interpretation, the Raqs Media Collective, the Center for Urban Pedagogy, and [Spurse] with contributions from Cole Caswell, Chris Archer, and Jeffrey Jenkins. [link]

THE GEOGRAPHIC OBSERVATORY WEBSITE GOES ONLINE.
The Geographic Observatory, a collaborative experiment between Cole Caswell and Jessica George launched a website this October. The Geographic Observatory uses cross discipline modes of recording and exploration in the pursuit of understanding landscape, environment and community. [The Geographic Observatory]

SPECIES, GEM GALLERY, PEAKS ISLAND, MAINE.
Species opens September 12th at the Gem Gallery on Peaks Island. The show investigates and considers the perspectives we hold as we come to understand the inhabitants of a given environment.

FIRTST TRACES, CENTER FOR MAINE CONTEMPORARY ART, ROCKPORT, MAINE.
The Center For Maine Contemporary Art [CMCA] will be showing a cyanotype from the Canine Tracking Project in their First Traces show October 31 - December 20 2008. In addition to the cyanotype two notebooks and a diagram from the project will be on display. Visit CMCA for more information.

ITTY / BITTY INVITATIONAL, YES GALLERY WARREN RI.
A series of high resolution digital scans depicting the insect that cohabitate our live-workspace on Peaks Island will be include in a group show at the YES Gallery, 146 Water St. Warren RI 02885. The opening reception is friday Nov. 7 6-8:30pm, and the show runs November 7 - December 21, 2008. [YES Gallery and Studio].

[IATTK] INTERIOR ARACHNID TERRITORY TRACKING KIT / EXPERIMENTAL GEOGRAPHY.
The first of six exhibitions that include the Interior Arachnid Territory Tracking  Kit (IATTK) will open on September 19th at the Richard E. Peeler Art Center , DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana. The exhibition will be up until December 2nd. For more information on the IATTK please visit [IATTK]. For information on the exhibition visit [Experimental Geography] or [SPURSE].

ARTIST LECTURE MECA.
A lecture on mapping and its relation to an art practice will given to the incoming students at the Maine College of Art Saturday the 30th of August.

IMPRINT, GEM GALLERY, MAINE.
Imprint is a collaborative show produced by Cole Caswell and Jessica George. Exploring the ways with which we perceive and collect objects. The installation will include samples from a wide range of artistic projects, found artifacts, and personal items of interest. The show will open July 31st and will run through August 7th.

MFA THESIS SHOW AT THE ICA PORTLAND MAINE.
A new body of work will be installed at the [ICA in Portland Maine]. The Opening for the exhibition will be May 10th the show will run May 10-24. The Portland Perimeter Project, the Detritus Project, and the Canine Tracking Project will all be installed.

INCLUSION IN TREADING LIGHTLY.
Two Canine Drawings have been included in the treading lightly show at the Waterfall Arts center in Belfast Maine. Treading Lightly will open with a reception featuring live music and refreshments on Wednesday, March 5 th from 6 to 9 pm. For more information, email [info@waterfallarts.org] or visit there website at [www.waterfallarts.org].

WE ARE X [WAX] INCLUDED IN AS220 SPRING THING  II.
WAx studio has recently been included in the Spring Thing II fashion show at AS220 in providence RI. WAx a collaboration between cole caswell and jessica george to see more information visit [www.wearex.org] or [www.waxstudio.blogspot.com]

PROJECT  DETRITUS.
project detritus is a collaborative project between jessica george and cole caswell. using GPS waypoints and multiple cameras, they create a multi-perspective portrait of the contemporary environmental systems within casco bay. this past month a set of books were published which include their initial findings.
BOOK ONE -- circumnavigation / peaks island / views, is a compilation of the sum 200 plus images collected over the course of this 7 hr trek. the images are sequenced based on time, thus revealing the staggered and shifting perspectives of the collaborators.
BOOK TWO -- circumnavigation / peaks island / objects, depicts the man made artefacts collected at each waypoint, every 500 ft along the perimeter of the island. the objects and their locations hint towards and question the systems surrounding peaks island.
order detritus books one and two [HERE]

V E L V E T 9.
Velvet 9 is a live art auction, fashion show, and fundraiser for the Portland, Maine based non-profit, Rippleffect. They will showcase a piece by Cole Caswell in the live art auction. The event is scheduled for November 15th 2007. Tickets are on sale at Rippleffects [website].

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, MAINE COLLEGE OF ART.
Cole Caswell has joined the faculty of the Maine College of Art this fall. He is currently teaching Introduction to Photography and Artificial Studio Lighting.

ONSIGHT-CARTOGRAFFITI.
onsight-cartograffiti a cross discipline collective is currently working with Cole Caswell to design and produce land shapes. the collective focuses on landscape, space, and perspective. see their [linked] website for more info.

STUDIO RELOCATION.
The current studio and practice will be relocating from New Gloucester Maine to a live work space on Peaks Island.