In preparation for their return to the Mississippi River this Summer,  tomorrow night the Miss Rockaway Armada will be having an art exhibition/benefit at Ad Hoc Art on 49 Bogart St. in Bushwick, Brooklyn.  The Armada itself is currently docked for the winter at a biker bar in Illinois, but the group of artists and performers from all over the country hope to get it back on the water in June. The funds are being raised for much needed motors, fuel, nautical equipment and transportation. The auction will feature performances by members of the Armada and art from the river itself including a life-sized story booth decorated by David Ellis & Swoon.

The Armada project was conceived by Swoon, and has been built and organized by a collective of 25 artists, performers and activists from New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Wisconsin. The collective floats down the Mississippi River on a 110 foot raft made of scrap materials. Last year they spent months gathering resources to build this floating home/art project, then floated from Minneapolis to Andalusia, Illinois; all the while stopping to meet people, share skills, perform, swap stories, and otherwise engage in cultural exchange. However, they have many miles to go before they reach New Orleans.