Kristen Baumlier, Associate Professor, Cleveland Institute of Art and member of Fossil Fools, will lead an interactive workshop at 9:15 a.m. on Oct. 19 at CSU. Participants will work together to develop innovative and effective ways in which symbols, humor and live interactions can be used to get others interested in your cause. Brainstorming and visioning sessions will lead to creative “power-formance” ideas and live interactions that can easily be put into action. To learn about Baumlier and her work, visit her Web site at www.kristenbaumlier.com or the Fossil Fools Web site at fossilfools.org.

BIONEERS CLEVELAND: How did Fossil Fuels get its start?

KRISTEN BAUMLIER: Fossil Fools is a combined set of installations and performances about the past and future of fossil fuels and energy resources. We met in summer 2005 at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, Calif. We do performances and interactive installations to create discussion about energy.

BC: Is Fossil Fools primarily a local group or is it more widespread than that?

KB: We do projects in various locations, usually at festivals or events. We have done projects in California, Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky. We are planning to continue doing projects together.

BC: Please tell us about your own art—both within Fossil Fools and on an individual basis? Does all your work focus on energy issues?

KB: I research issues of science and history through art. I believe that art can communicate new ideas, and call people to action. Information access and literacy is a central theme in my work. I want viewers to see things in a new way. Art making is a process of research and discovery. I am interested in continuing to combine forms and disciplines, and aim to make work that asks questions.

Now is the Future – The Future is Now is a live performance that focuses on the past, present and future of energy consumption and our depletion of global resources. I perform as the Petroleum Pop Princess Baroness Mistress with the Crude Oil Dancers in a fully choreographed and video pop concert. The show features original theme songs, dance moves, animation/video projections, and audience interaction to raise the audience’s awareness of energy issues and conservation.

The show is quick-paced, and uses humor to parody the pop performance genre. Petroleum history, energy supply and demand, conservation, public transportation and global warming are the main themes in the show that connect current issues to audience action.

I believe in performance and music being able to communicate a message and reinforce ideas to an audience.

BC: The Fossil Fools Web site describes your Crude Oil Dancers as wearing petroleum-based outfits. Some people may be surprised that an artist looking to raise energy consciousness would make this choice. Can you tell us a little bit about that decision?

KB: The outfits used to be plastic (petroleum-based.) This was a deliberate choice—to be able to have the dancers “wrapped” in petroleum for the performance, for an ironic choice in materials.

BC: How did you become aware of Bioneers?

KB: I became aware of the Bioneers by reading about the conference last year.

I won’t be performing—but I am doing a workshop about activism and performance.