CEDAR RAPIDS — The combined efforts of two groups will equal an Earth Day celebration greater than the sum of its parts.

Eco-Arts Festival 2011 promises something for everyone, says Mike Wyrick, a board member of the Corridor Conservation Coalition.

Mike Wyrick

Last year, the coalition — a group of more than a dozen area non-profits — hosted its own Earth Day celebration, while a separate event was held by the New Bohemia Group in southeast Cedar Rapids.

A natural synergy between the organizations led to one festival this year, set for Saturday, April 16, in numerous venues in and around New Bohemia and Czech Village.

“With all of us working together, it should be even bigger and better this year,” says Wyrick, who is also chairman of the Cedar-Wapsi Group of the Sierra Club. “There truly is just a lot going on.”

Events include a 5K walk/run; tours of the New Bohemia solar array and Water Tower Place rooftop garden; recycled art exhibit; sustainable fashion show and more than 40 vendors with eco-friendly products.

A concert and workshop by the Banana Slugs String Band from California; a circuit-bending workshop by Roth Mobot of Chicago and a public art installation are among other highlights.

Festival-goers are encouraged to use a map of the building sites, available at the event — centered along Third Street SE — or print the schedule from the Czech Village/New Bohemia Main Street District’s website: www.newboczech.info

Jim Jacobmeyer

Jim Jacobmeyer, one of the event organizers, says the streetscape construction under way in the New Bohemia district should not interfere with the festival.

Parking is available in the city lots off Second Street SE.

Jacobmeyer says the festival’s focus on the environment is timely, especially in the wake of the nuclear crisis in Japan.

“There’s a growing concern of our impact on the ecosystem,” he says.

The festival precedes the national celebration of Earth Day on April 22.

Jacobmeyer says work under way by German artist Mirko Siakkou-Flodin exemplifies the festival’s theme of art and the environment.

German sculpture Mirko Siakkou-Flodin (left) welds metal onto his sculpture with intern Dane Reedus, a Kirkwood liberal arts major, at Kirkwood Community College's Jones Hall in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)

Mirko Siakkou-Flodin

The sculptor, who uses the name, Mo, has been working on his project since mid-March along with students from Kirkwood Community College, Mount Mercy University, Johnson School of the Arts and Metro High School.

Mo, 47, who lives in a small German village in Upper Swabia, says the students have helped gather recyclables, such as cans, bottles, rebar and a discarded fan, to be used in the sculpture.

The sculpture — a dung beetle rolling the Earth — will be installed during the festival at New Bo Park, but will be mobile.

Mo says the dung beetle is among the world’s best recyclers. The sculpture is doing the same by using recycled objects, including old tires that will cover the beetle.

“The material has some stories to tell,” he says.

 FYI

Eco-Arts Festival 2011 will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 16 in numerous venues in and around New Bohemia on Third Street SE.

Registration is still being accepted for the 5K run/walk.

Find the 5K registration form and see the full schedule at: www.newboczech.info

A scale model sits next to the actual sculpture under construction by German artist Mirko Siakkou-Flodin at Kirkwood Community College's Jones Hall in Cedar Rapids. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)

For progress on the sculpture by artist Mirko Siakkou-Flodin, see: www.mo-kunst.de

 Teachers are invited to a free workshop with the Banana Slugs String Band from 9:30-11:30 a.m. as part of the festival, sponsored by the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency. The workshop, at St. Wenceslaus Church, 1224 5th St. SE, integrates music, poetry, drama and movement with hands-on science, including a unit on how dirt is made. Register by noon Friday, April 15 by email: kristin.simon@ecicog.org or call Jason at (319) 377-5290.

Schedule of events:

SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS

A. Horizons, 819 5th St Southeast

9 — 10 a.m.        Hall & Hall Engineers, Environmental Planning and Design

10 — 11 a.m.      Jonah Brucker-Cohen, Guest Artist, NY, NY, Interactive Network Projects

11 — 12                Mo Flodin, Environmental Artist in Residence, Zubdorf, Germany

12 — 1 p.m.        Green Iowa AmeriCorps, Dream of the Modern World

2 — 3 p.m.          Isabel Barbuzza, U of I, Associate Professor, Dimensional Practice/Sculpture

3 — 4 p.m.          Trees Forever, “Trees: Energy, Water and Air Benefits”

B. RECYCLED ART SHOW; ROTH MOBOT;

SCRAPYARD CHALLENGE

Cherry Building, 329 10th Ave SE

9 a.m. — 12        Roth Mobot Circuit Bending Workshop

9 a.m. — 4           DNR Trailer

10 a.m. — 4        Mini Maker Faire Demos and Displays

10 a.m. — 4        Cherry Building Open House

10 a.m. — 4        Recycled Art Show

10 a.m. — 4        Ceramic Center Open Studio

1 — 7 p.m.          Scrapyard Challenge — featuring Drawbots

C. SUSTAINABLE FASHION

WORKSHOP AND SHOW

Gatherings, 905 3rd St SE

1 — 4 p.m.                Sustainable Clothing Fashion Workshop with Sonya Darrow

4 — 5:30 p.m.          Flaming Cameros

5:30 — 7 p.m.     Deep Dish Divas

7 — 8 p.m.                Sustainable Fashion Show

D. WATER TOWER PLACE —

ROOFTOP GARDEN TOUR

Water Tower Place, 900 2nd St SE

11 a.m. — 2 p.m.     Roof Top Garden Guided Tours

E. WELLNESS EXPO

Bottleworks Lawn, 905 3rd St SE

10 a.m. — 4 p.m.              Wellness Expo

F. JUNK ART; MUSIC & DANCE WORKSHOPS;

MO FLODIN SCULPTURE INSTALLATION

New Bo Park, 3rd St SE

10 a.m. — 12      EIAA Junk Art Workshop

10 — 11 a.m.      Eco-Arts 2011 Bike Ride

10 a.m. — 12      Turning the Wheel CR Dance Company

12 — 1 p.m.        EIAA Junk Rhythm Workshop

3 — 4 p.m.          Junk Funk Jam Session

                Also many all-day activities from 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.

Mo Flodin Sculpture Installation, 10 a.m.

Camera Obscura

Recycled Music Makers

G. NEW BOHEMIA SOLAR ARRAY PROJECT

Kouba Building, 1011 3rd St, SE

11 a.m. New Bohemia Solar Array Guided Tour

2 p.m.   New Bohemia Solar Array Guided Tour

H. PROJECT AWARE; ISU SCHOOL OF DESIGN

Matyk Building, 1029 3rd St SE

10 a.m. — 5 p.m.              Project AWARE; ISU School of Design

I. ECO-FRIENDLY EXPO

African American Museum of Iowa, 55 12th Ave SE

10 a.m. — 4 p.m.              Eco-Friendly Vendors, Artisans and Organizations

10 a.m. — 12      Paddy Mac Celtic Band

Noon — 2 p.m. Rob Lumbard, Musical Guest

J. THE BANANA SLUGS STRING BAND

WORKSHOP AND CONCERT

St. Wenceslaus, 1230 5th St SE

9:30- 11:30 a.m. Banana Slugs Workshop

1 — 2 p.m.          Banana Slugs String Band Concert

K. RISING ABOVE GALLERY TOUR AND

MOVE THAT BUILDING PRESENTATION

NCSML Kosek Building, 87 16th Ave SW

11 a.m. — 12      Lamb Cake Contest

1 — 2 p.m.          Cake Walk

2 — 3 p.m.          Rising Above Gallery Tour

3 — 4 p.m.          Move that Building! Presentation

L. RECYCLE 5K RUN/WALK

Sokol Park

7:30 a.m.              Registration

9 a.m.    Start

10 a.m. Awards