The Miss Rockaway Armada

This Thursday!!! Come on down & get us on the river!! A benefit for Miss Rockaway with some incredible artists who have graciously donated work to support us.

New York (March 26, 2007) - The Miss Rockaway Armada will host a benefit art exhibit in New York City on the evening of March 29, 2007 at 6pm. The group is calling on artists and art enthusiasts for their support to send this scrap-raft flotilla down the Mississippi River. Currently docked for the winter at a biker bar in Illinois, this group of artists, performers, dreamers and doers from all over the country will get back on the water in June. The group hopes to raise funds for much needed motors, fuel, nautical equipment and transportation. The auction will feature performances by members of the Armada and art from the river itself including a life-sized story booth decorated by David Ellis & Swoon. The benefit show will feature work from dozens of artists, including:

*Swoon
*Elbow-Toe
*The Barnstormers
*Dennis McNett
*Gore B
*Visual Resistance
*The 62
*Tod Seelie
*Space 1026
*and many more!

The Armada project was conceived by street artist Swoon, and has been built and organized by a collective of 25 artists, performers and activists from New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Wisconsin. The collective floats down the Mississippi River on a 110 foot raft made of scrap materials. Last year they spent months gathering resources to build this floating home/art project, then floated from Minneapolis to Andalusia, Illinois; all the while stopping to meet people, share skills, perform, swap stories, and otherwise engage in cultural exchange. However, they have many miles to go before they reach New Orleans. The Armada is gearing up to tackle the Big Muddy again and are eager to see who and what they will encounter as they continue the impossible experience that characterizes Miss Rockaway.

The group is creating a mobile cultural center that embodies their search for creative and sustainable ways of living.

For information contact A’yen Tran, ayen@missrockaway.org. Ad Hoc Art is located at 49 Bogart St. in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Dennis from Rock Island sent us these holiday cards made from photos he took of the wintering Miss Rockaway at Ducky’s Lagoon in Andalusia Illinois.

As the raft slumbers, there’s already a buzz about reconvening in the Spring to continue on down the river…stay tuned.

Happy Holidays.

Love,

The Miss Rockaway Armada.