Regular readers know that I have a real back-and-forth relationship with grand conceptual-art projects -- that although I find many of them eye-rollingly silly, there are others that I find infinitely fascinating, and especially when they have a chance of actually being pulled off in the real world. Take for example a new project gaining steam in Chicago right now called The Mobile Garden; the brainchild of local artist Joe Baldwin, the concept is a simple one, to convert the back car of a CTA "el" train into a flatbed full of local plants, to be tugged behind that train throughout the city all day as a way to remind people of various green issues the city faces in our modern times. But here's the amazing thing, that others are starting to hop on board this idea as well -- the project now has an official board of directors, is applying for non-profit status, and is also being taken seriously by the Chicago Transit Authority themselves, who have gone on record saying that they'd be up for an experiment like this if it can simply be funded by outside sources.

And to that end, Joe and the board are just now starting up fundraising activities; and for those who can't afford to donate monetarily, you can always join the Mobile Garden Facebook group and simply help spread the word. I have to admit, I'm fascinated by the idea of this actually being pulled off, and look forward to the day when we can see train cars full of wildlife chugging along the elevated lines of the city. If you too think this is an interesting idea that deserves to be tried, I encourage you to get involved in whatever way you can.