Michelle Brody, Tea Art

by Christine Rillo

Tea to many people is thought of as a communal drink; something to be shared with a loved one at the end of the day, friends during weekly get-togethers,in a group over a special meal, or-with a total stranger. In her project entitled, Tea House Productions, artist Michele Brody aims to share the comfort and ceremony of taking people she meets at her installations. In her interactions, she forges relationships with strangers as they discuss their thoughts and ideas on tea. A source of inspiration is the Rory Stewart memoir, The Places in Between, in which the author travels through Afghanistan and experiences the hospitality of the countrymen through the offerings of room, food, and the tradition of presenting strangers with a cup of tea. Michele hopes to bring this connection to strangers she meets on the street or in gallery spaces.

Michele Brody first premiered her unique installtion during last year's Annual DUMBO Art Under the Bridge Festival in form of a portable 'tearoom'; a food vendor's push-cart familiar to the streets of New York City. The tea cart is borrowed from a food vendor she befriended outside her work and is large enough to hold an assortment of teas and teaware, as well as the artist and a companion. For the festival, she stationed her tea cart in the Brooklyn neighborhood and invited many a passerby to come into her tea cart and have a cup of tea with her. Using a recording device, Michele records their conversation, as she asks them She then saves the paper filter used to steep their tea in, dries and irons them, and transcribes their conversation- along with the date and type of tea they enjoyed- onto the filter with ink. In a variation of this project the artist has constructed a 'teahouse' out of gleaming copper pipes, using the dried paper filters to construct walls; a colorful tapestry due to the various stains of the different teas she serves. The tearoom represents a structure similar to those used in Japanese tea ceremonies, where a specific str... more

Monthly Musings May 2008

by Christine Rillo

Hiya Tea Lovers! Hope the arrival of Spring is treating you well. A steady stream of samples of the latest Spring teas have been coming into the office, so it's quite an exciting time of year! I'm sipping on some excellent first flush Darjeeling- you can too! It's a nice, refreshing taste to start the day off with.

Last April was a fun tea-month, as I went to the annual Coffee and Tea Festival. There I got to meet TeaMuse c... more

Between the Leaves May 2008

by Mary R.

I've been drafted as a maid of honor and my bride's going crazy over every last detail. The latest meltdown was the favors. She's got it in her head that tea would make for a great favor, only she cannot decide between loose or bagged, flavored or straight... What do you think would be best, and when did tea become such a popular favor anyway?

There are three things a person can do in this life to ensure immediate dismemberment: petting a bear cub in the presence of his mother, t... more

Traveling Tea Cup, Austin, TX

by Lindsey 'Vee' Goodwin

Last month, Lindsey 'Vee' Goodwin explored several Austin tea haunts in part one of this special Traveling Tea Cup. This month, please read on as she reviews some more Austin tea rooms. Please enjoy!

In the heart of Austin, nestled between a New-Orleans-esque college party street, a cluster of indie rock music venues, and a neighborhood that's becoming gentrified by 20-somethings at an alarming rate (watch out, Williamsburg!), lies Koriente Restaurant and Tea House, a charming spot... more