InterArts Media student Chris Bednash has a few things up his tie-dyed sleeves, and those venturing past the Divvy bike rack and into the Papermaker’s Garden this Wednesday afternoon should seek out the hidden opportunities and inspiration.

Bednash has been working since 2007 on the Dreamseeding Project in Ann Arbor, MI. Supported by partnerships with a local bookstore and housing co-op, he started the Dream Seeding project as a way to inspire the citizens of Ann Arbor to visualize their communities as more peaceful, just, and ecologically healthy. He has curated a series of Dreamseeding exhibitions over the years to present these transformational ideas to the public, in the hopes of sparking even more ideas, community engagement, and actual positive change.

This week he will be planting seeds again, this time in the Papermaker’s Garden on Wabash Avenue. The seeds will be figurative, not literal, and are calls for artists to generate ideas, artwork, and installations for the next Ann Arbor show, scheduled for next spring at the historic Michigan Union in Ann Arbor. The exhibition is open to artists of all ages, and Chris is interested in connecting the InterArts community with the educators and activists up north. “With this project, little by little, I’ve been working towards providing a space for visualization and suggestions on how to create a better future,” says Bednash. “The more we connect our communities, the more positive energy we can take back from the commercial interests, and channel into our positive visions.” The next Ann Arbor Dream Seeding exhibition will run from January 26–February 27, 2014. Deadline for registration and entry is January 9, 2014.

Wander into the Papermaker’s Garden this Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. on, and find some dream seeds. For more information on the upcoming exhibition, contact Christopher at chrisopherbednash@loop.colum.edu.