Furtle the Turtle

December 7, 2009
turtle2

Furtle the Turtle is born! (Photo: Morgan Zigler)

What do turtles, bread and art all have in common?

The new and improved “Furtle” the Turtle Bread Oven, of course! This summer, I worked with Sketch, a working arts organization for street-involved youth, to complete the beautiful bread oven we had started last year.

Led by Evergreen’s Artists in Residence Shannon Crossman and Morgan Zigler along with the Sketch Artist Co-ordinators Kerry Boileau and Sue Cohen, youth participants learned about sustainable shelter, and together we experimented with cob to insulate and decorate the wood-fired oven.

Finding a home for our oven was the next phase. We decided a mobile cart would enable us to roll the oven around the site. After taking into consideration the weight of our oven – more than half a tonne! – we had to order a custom built metal chassis to support it.

Youth artists from Sketch also designed and installed a shingled roof with green roof panels, a rain water collection system, mosaic work surfaces as well as storage for wood and utensils.

The finished product was toasted with a community celebration when we fired up the oven and made bread together. All season long the oven played a part in Sun-Ripened Saturdays activities at Evergreen Brick Works, when families and children would make and share delicious edible creations together.

Please feel free to visit Furtle next time you’re down at the site.

Comments Off | Art, Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto | Permalink
Posted by Lisa from Evergreen Brick Works

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