We are grateful and honored to have an opportunity to create new art at this time of continued dificulty, as we emerge from the pandemic.

Indicator Species

We are currently building and raising funds for the creation and presentation of this interactive, kinetic and musical public artwork. We are looking forward to presenting "Indicator Species" to the public for the first time in the summer of 2022 in Seattle, in Black Rock City, and beyond.

"Indicator Species" is a sculpture, a stage, a gathering point, a way to think about the importance of small things in the diversity of an ecosystem. This project includes the design, engineering, fabrication, transportation, and installation of the large scale sculpture at two locations. Lelavision's Leah Mann will curate and direct live performances by a diverse cast of dancers, musicians, spoken word artists, and improvisers exploring the importance of environmental justice, social justice, and racial justice.

Lelavision's Ela Lamblin has designed and is fabricating the artwork out of Stainless Steel and Aluminum. Originally planned for 2020, we lost much of our promised funding due to public funds being reallocated for the pandemic. Our largest single funder, Burning Man Arts, made the 2020 honorarium funds available to us in 2021. We are seeking to make up for our lost funding, and cover the increased costs of materials and srvices. Your donation will go towards the creation of the artwork and It's subsequant appearances.

Support us fiscally in three ways:

1.Send Lelavision a tax deductable donation!

Write checks to our umbrella organization:
Jack Straw Cultural Center
4261 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105-6999
(make sure to put Lelavision on the memo line)

2. Donate directly Via PayPal or Cash App:

Donate via cash App

3. Donate to our Kickstarter Campaign:

We plan to launch the crowd funding aspect in spring of 2022. The link will be available on this page when it goes live.

 

 

 

 

 

This project was previously titled "the Importance of Small Things" as can be seen in the original concept in this video:

Ela Lamblin – sculptor, musician, co-director

When Ela was six years old his father made a deal with him: "I won't buy you any toys, but I'll help you make anything you want."  Thus, Ela was launched on a lifelong path of “making,” an attitude and lifestyle that was initiated by his off-the-grid home-schooled environment of his childhood in the mountains of Southern Oregon. 

In 1989, at the age of sixteen, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Atlanta College of Art.  He graduated with a BFA in sculpture in 1993. While at ACA Ela began experimenting with combining sound with form to create musical sculptures, a process that has resulted in more than forty large-scale musical instruments to date. From college onward, Ela's art has encompassed sculpture, music, film, and movement in live performance. Ela's artistic horizons continue to expand as he erases the lines between disciplines to create multi-faceted works that now include design and fabrication of public art, architectural design and planning, numerous recordings, short films and scores. 

EDUCATION 1993— BFA in sculpture, Atlanta College of Art. Atlanta, GA.

2005— Emerging Public Artist Program. Two-year training in the public art process. City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. Seattle, WA.

1992 – Internship, through the Atlanta College of Art, Atlanta, GA, with artist Scott Gilliam to construct and install Gilliam's "She Wolf" at PS-1, New York, NY.

CAREER PATH

2016-present—Creator of large-scale interactive public works for cities, festivals and events: Burning Man, Black Rock City, NV; Amazon &

Facebook company events, Seattle WA; Lost Lake Festival, Phoenix AZ.  

1997-present—Lelavision: performer, creative director, and co-founder. Inventor and fabricator of musical sculptures for this internationally known performing, touring, and teaching company combining kinetic musical-sculpture and performance. Co-creator of a repertoire of eleven shows centered around the sculptures.

1993-1999 —Musician and musical instrument inventor for UMO Ensemble, a Lacoq-based physical theater company. Collaborated on music and set design and toured the US with the six-member troupe.

AWARDS, HONORS 2017—Seattle Arts in the Park grant. Duwamish Waterway Park installation & performance. Seattle, WA.

2017—Burning Man Arts Honorarium. San Francisco, CA.

2016, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2003— 4Culture grants. Seattle, WA.

2015, 2003, 1999—Bossak Heilbron Foundation grants to create musical sculptures. Seattle, WA.

2010—Artist in Residence, to invent and build a glass musical instrument. Museum of Glass. Tacoma, WA.

2009—Grand Prize Winner, Chlorofilms Video Competition. For "Fertile Eyes," based on a science-and- performance collaboration with Dr. Anna Edlund.

2005, 2002, 2000—King County Special Projects grants to create musical sculptures. Seattle, WA.

2004—Artist Trust Music Fellowship. Seattle, WA.

1999-2002—Featured artist in "Heart and Hands: Musical Instrument Makers of America," a Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition.

2001, 1999, 1996—Artist Trust GAP grants to create musical sculptures. Seattle, WA.

1998— King County Arts Commission and Seattle Arts Commission grants to create and present "Kinesis," a kinetic musical sculpture and concert. Seattle, WA.

1995-96— Studio grant from the Artist Support Program, Jack Straw Foundation, for recordings of original musical sculptures. Seattle, WA.

1995-96— Seattle Arts Commission grant to create sculpture and performance. Seattle, WA.

1993, 1992— Sculpture awards. Juried exhibition, Atlanta College of Art. Atlanta, GA.

1992— Honorable Mention. Public Art from Recyclables Contest. City Hall. Atlanta, GA.

1992—Laura Whitner Dorsey Scholarship. Atlanta College of Art. Atlanta, GA.

1989 – Portfolio Scholarship. Atlanta College of Art. Atlanta, GA.

COMMISSIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

2018— "FLUCTUS FORMARUM": A permanently sited and public kinetic-musical- sculpture commissioned in conjunction with a Vashon High School residency funded by Vashon Artists in Schools, Vashon, WA.

2017 -2018— "Interspecies Communication." A 54'x 32'x 30' interactive and kinetic sculpture. Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada; Duwamish Waterway Park, Seattle, WA; Lost Lake Festival in Phoenix, AZ; Facebook Summer Party, Gasworks Park, Seattle, WA.

2015— "Magnificenterra." A stainless steel public sculpture commissioned by St Thomas School, Medina, WA. A kinetic and musical sculpture of the globe and atmosphere.

2006-2011— "Propagation." Art and science collaborations (sculpture, performance, lecture, video) with eight US scientists, sponsored by the Program in Science & Society of Emory University, Atlanta, GA; National Science Foundation; and 4Culture, Seattle, WA.

"Chemical Origins of Life." With Dr. David Lynn, Professor of Chemistry and Biology, Emory University. Presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, Washington, DC.

"Evolution in a Nutshell." With Dr. David Lynn. Performances at Northwest Film Forum Festival and Chicago Humanities Festival. Chicago, IL.

"Above the Genome." A performance video featuring Dr. Arri Eisen, Professor of Biology, Emory University, and the musical sculpture Epitone. At the Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA.

"The Accumulation of Change," centered around the musical-sculpture depicting DNA, titled Warm Pond. With Dr. David Lynn. Chicago Humanities Sights and Sounds Festival. Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.

"Musico Ballistica: The Bio Ballistic Ball." A performance centered around the musical sculpture titled "Orbtone" and three film shorts on biomechanics. With Dr. Stephen Vogel, Professor of Biomechanics, Duke University.

"Fertile Eyes." With Dr. Anna Edlund of Spelman University. Lelavision performance featuring the sculpture Pollenphones and a science-and-art video demonstrating pollination in flowering plants. Ordway International Children's Festival. Minneapolis, MN.

2010— "Terning." Giant tern puppets and video documentary. Shezad Morani and Joi Productions. collaborators. Commissioned by the Alaska Wilderness Project and the Backbone Campaign. Washington; Alaska.

2008— "Welcome to the Wheel World." Sculptural rendition of the Peirce Quincuncial projection map as a bike rack. Beacon Hill International School. Seattle, WA.

2005— "Whirl Piece." A stainless steel, wind-powered, kinetic and musical public sculpture at Yesler Community Center, Seattle. 1% for Arts Program. Seattle, WA.

2002 – "Children of the Tide." Sound score for this film on microscopic sea life by David Brugman. University of WA and Friday Harbor Laboratories. Washington.

LECTURER, TEACHER, CURATOR

2010-15— Facilitator, "Olympics of the Mind" invention camps, Vashon Island, WA.

2013— Co-curator of "Cre8Tive Zoo, Exhibitions of Wildly Innovative Music." City of Redmond Arts and Culture. Redmond, WA.

2005, 2004, 1998— King County Touring Roster. Seattle, WA.

2000-01— RecycleArtists Project with King County Solid Waste. Teaching waste reduction and conservation to high schoolers through music, theater and dance.

1998-2000— WA State Arts Commission Rural Residencies Program. Seattle, WA. ADDITIONAL ART PROJECTS

2010— Designer of private residence in Applegate, OR.

2008—Designer/builder of a 1400 sq. ft. private residence on Vashon Island, WA.

Dates— Designer/builder of iron railings in 5 residences, Vashon, WA; Applegate, OR.

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

2001-present— International touring with Lelavision. Co-director, composer, kinetic-musical sculpture designer/fabricator, and performer for Physical Music performances at 11 International Festivals in 6 countries and in other festivals and venues in major cities around the world, in the US, Canada, Cambodia, Thailand, Italy, et al.

Leah Mann – choreographer and co-director

Leah's work focuses on embodiment and somatic understanding for integrity and transformation. As a former competitive gymnast and with her degree in Health, Physical Education and Dance, she has utilized her kinetic, tactile and spacial learning style to reintegrate whole body practices into all her art actions - performing, teaching youth, facilitating social justice events, facilitating personal development workshops and producing events. Her work focuses on the common denominators of the human experience, the formation of community and healthy ecosystems, micro and macro.

In addition to being Co-Founder of Lelavision, Leah is the Director Emeritus and Co-Founder of the award-winning company, Moving in the Spirit - a dance, urban outreach , mentorship program in Atlanta, which has been thriving since 1987 and named one of the top 10 youth development organizations in the nation.