The Jerry Garcia Foundation and numerous other nonprofits are currently on tour with the Dead & Company, the band consisting of Grateful Dead alumni Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined by musicians John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. The foundation appears in the charity outreach village known as Participation Row, an area where nonprofits are encouraged to engage the community and share their good works.
Now, the Jerry Garcia Foundation has invited another iconic name from the 1960s to participate on the tour: Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane, who still performs with Hot Tuna, will join the tour via his Psylodelic Gallery. The gallery, established by Jorma and his wife Vanessa, showcases art inspired by the psychedelic era and is located at their Fur Peace Ranch Center for Art and Culture in Pomeroy, Ohio. Garcia’s visual art is on permanent display at the Psylodelic Gallery, which is housed in a refurbished grain silo (hence the pun).
“We are honored to play a small part at the Participation Row at the Blossom Music Center. All of us have an obligation to stand up and speak out for our causes; our voices matter,” said the Kaukonens in a press release. “The Psylodelic Gallery celebrates the rich musical history and art of the ’60s, and our mission has always been to speak out against cutting any funding for the arts.”
The press release continues: “The spirit of the summer of love is present on Dead & Company tour, and the ethos is speaking through those passionate about combining art with good causes. In the name of creativity and conservation, the Jerry Garcia Foundation has initiated a butterfly preservation art project on this concert tour, and is giving free non-GMO milkweed seed packets to the first 300 concertgoers to visit their tent at Participation Row. The seed packets were generously donated by the Save Our Monarchs Foundation.”
Watch Jerry Garcia’s first David Letterman appearance
The audience is invited to participate in the “Plant A Garden, Be An Artist” visual art project by sharing their own nature-themed photos on the Jerry Garcia Foundation’s Facebook page, hashtagged with #SaveOurMonarchs, #SaveOurBees and #RippleEffect. Photos will be included in the multimedia “Plant A Garden, Be An Artist” collage.
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Participation Row is a program presented by the nonprofits, REVERB and HeadCount. The program highlights the charitable activities of organizations that address the environment and social responsibility. “Participation Row combines HeadCount’s passion for civic participation with our years of experience working at tours and festivals,” said Andy Bernstein, Executive Director at HeadCount. “We try to create the sort of environment for non-profits that we ourselves thrive in—one where fans are eager to take action and where the organizations feel supported. It’s a magical combination that leads to great things!”
Listen to Jorma Kaukonen’s early collaboration with Janis Joplin
Lauren Sullivan and Adam Gardner, REVERB Cofounders added, “Making tours more environmentally-friendly while engaging fans to take action for the planet is where REVERB’s heart is, and we’re proud to be doing this work with Dead & Company along with our other partners.”
For more information, visit the Jerry Garcia Foundation.
Watch Dead & Company perform “Scarlet Begonias” and “Fire on the Mountain” in 2016
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Important part of music history