Biomaterials Inventor Among Weekend Visitors

Innovative Napa Valley packaging design technology inventor Greg Gale stopped by Not A Cornfield last weekend, one of many invited guests and members of the general public who chose to spend part of their Labor Day long weekends at the 32-acre art project.

Gale is the founder of Regale Corp., a firm that specializes in molding fiber pulp into biodegradable packaging. Gale praised Lauren Bon's art work, calling it multi-dimensional and celebrating the piece's sustainability. He said that the Not A Cornfield corn stover -- the stalks, mostly -- could be ground into a slurry and reused, using only half the energy of other processes. "I know of no one who's ever molded corn," Gale said, "and the USDA says we can."

Gale was a panelist at the September 2, 2005 "Friday Nights @ Not A Cornfield: Artist Salon." He was joined by independent researcher Jenny Montgomery, Bon, and moderator Janet Owen, an art writer and curator. The event was subtitled, "The Future of Objects." Bon spoke at length about a range of topics, answering questions and engaging in open dialogs with audience members.

Sunday, September 4, 2005 brought out another collection of visitors to Not A Cornfield. The 6pm Story Series featured Bill Shishima, a docent at the Japanese American National Museum and an almost-lifelong resident of Los Angeles. Shishima discussed his city, his recollections, and his time spent in internment camps, in Wyoming, during World War II. Story Series curator Hilary Kaplan, per her custom, contextualized the conversation by discussing viewsheds. She also handed out tiny cups of custard, purchased from a favorite Sawtelle Boulevard market.