Production Studio - Class #8

Today in class class we decided that the fundaraising was not financially beneficial for the amount of time we were putting in. The fundraising event we held on Saturday at 18th Street Gallery was a success in terms of networking, but we didn't make much money. This lead to the outcome we voting on today: fundraising within our projects in more specific ways, and including this in the gallery exhibit.

During Bob's lecture in class, he discussed how unique his LACMAlab project was, specifically because it was at a non-contemporary museum. He also curated the show to include all ages, which came out of the idea that kids learn best when engaged with their parents. He discussed several shows he curated like this, showing examples.

One main point out of his lecture, was the following question:
Can our projects motivate people, which is different from just informing?

Community Art Entanglement

Today I had my first run in with maintaining autonomy as artist. While I am aware of what that means, I found myself in a conversation with the director of my CBO saying "...and as a volunteer.... I'll have check with my lawyer about our political position on that." And that's when I knew I must have miss communicated something. I now need to figure out how to better explain the partnership I am creating between organization and artist. I am grateful to be working for a cause I truly care about, and with a person I can easily talk to, as this should make the delicate process of collaboration more fluid, I hope.

While I feel pressured to begin the projects and get things rolling (only 9 weeks left), I think it will take at least another week or two of conversations to get to a common goal secured. I am hoping to arrange a meeting with the whole staff, as they will be my community, and as to have feed back from more people. I look forward to hearing the needs of the doctors and staff, and sharing my ideas with them.

Independent Merge

During my independent hour with Dana my work started to merge between what I thought I was making as personal practice and public practice. I've had this idea in my head about making a cart that I've been trying to stick everywhere, but I didn't understand why. I now can see it as an extension of some of the other work I have done. The previous project I was working on - the cut-out - is tabled until I can get this cart built and on the road. I know it's a big project, but once I get it together, I'm going to be all over this town, and using it more multiple projects. And if I get out of school and can't get a job, well I'll be all ready to vend. I'm also seeing a "carney" theme emerge from this work, which can also be interpreted as a wonder's entrepreneurial business element. This is exciting to see, but I feel like it is taking me forever to actually produce anything.

Thursday I have a demo in the tool crib, which will allow me access to work with the machinery, and then I can get going on producing these objects. In the mean time I'm busy at trying to coordinate with my CBO about other proposed projects.

So little time for everything to come together, but I am certain it will.

Production Studio - Class #7

This class was the night we presented our final decision about our CBO's to the class, Bob, and the 18th Street staff (Clayton and Ronald). I worked on it the entire weekend, and ended up presenting 2 ideas, the Health Clinic and a satellite project idea, with the latter being less developed.

The meeting I had with the director on Monday, the day before the presentation, really sealed the deal for me. It was a great meeting, and not only was there a really strong and clear need, but I found the director easy to talk to and hopefully to collaborate with.

I presented my CBO and ideas using power point. I handed out Emergen-C to everyone, per the theme, and because of a possible looming cold I had. I was nervous as heck, but the whole presentation went over well, and was well received.

Production Studio - Class #6

Production Studio was really helpful today, as we got to talk about a lot of issues concerning us, and me with our community project development. The deadline is real though, and I need to finalize an organization / project topic by this Friday. Yikes. I realized that this process of choosing an organization has been particularly hard for me, because I have really been trying to not chose a random, needy population to do a project with, but instead work with issues and larger groups of people. In some ways I feel inarticulate to try to push for what I am really wanting (or maybe just not really knowing) to get out of this project, but I am slowly finding my words. I have to remember that this is only the first of many projects I will work on and not be overly careful about my choice.

I do indeed have a lot of brainstorming and logistical work to do on this project this week. And where ever I'm at with it on Friday is how I will progress with it. I'm struggling with the role of authorship and creative integrity right now. In collaborating I've discovered that I must comprise, perhaps not working with the organizations I wanted to, but could still work with the issues of interest. Decisions, decisions.

Personal Practices

In my independent study class I'm working on developing a body of work independent of my public practice. Through this work I am working on my visual vocabulary.