Jai Jai Raam! This was a special weekend for those who joined Krishna Das for his first Kirtan and Workshop, held at the Central Presbyterian Church, here in Austin. For those of you not familiar with Kirtan, by definition, is Indian devotional music, chanting the names of God.

At Friday night’s Kirtan, Krishna Das, (KD), was accompanied by Arjun Bruggeman, tabla player, and Mark Gorman, on electric bass guitar. KD who is known as the “Rock Star” of Kirtan, brought us a lively and spiritually intoxicating experience. In the style of music known as “call and response”, (used in many cultures), they rocked the house! Many of us in the audience got up to dance.

Photo courtesy of Greg Jordan

At Saturday’s Workshop, there was more chanting and KD answered questions from the audience, told stories of his life experience, traveling to meet his Guru in India and his path back to the States. In KD’s usual style of humor he had us laughing. His love and devotion for his teacher Neem Karoli Baba, lead him to realize he needed to sing, specifically with other people. This evolved into what would become a life’s work of devotional singing.

It was 15 years ago in 1997, when I first heard of Krishna Das. At that time I was living in northern California, in a valley below Mount Tamalpais, in a very small, Japanese tea house. It felt like one of the most hidden places on the planet, far away from my native NYC. Strangely, it was there that I felt most connected. It was during a life-changing experience and an adventurous period in my life, a perfect place to reflect. I am sure I was led there for this reason. It was then I made my first connection to KD and a world of experience that would prove to be meaningful in my life.

Just when I thought I was living alone on the edge of the universe, I met my neighbor, (also recently from NY) who was handling Public Relations for KD. She took me to my first Kirtan, gave me his first CD’s and that was it! Since then, after moving back to New York City, it became one of the treasures in my life, a ritual I would look forward to. Now living in Austin, I really missed it.

Photo courtesy of Greg Jordan

Finally, KD has put Austin on his tour schedule, thanks to his dear friend Amparo Garcia-Crow of “Inspirit Studios” who together with Becky Jordan of “Heart of Texas Yoga” brought us this event. I was honored to be asked to contribute the design of the poster and flyer.

Krishna Das inspires us to remember who we truly are and what we are really looking for is within us. We look forward to having KD back again so that we can continue this uplifting tradition of chanting that brings us all home, here in Austin.

For more about Krishna Das, go to www.krishnadas.com

Jan 22, 2012
C. Lucas

Upcoming January Events

FREE Personal Income Tax Workshop

 

Monday January 23,  2012 6pm
Austin Creative Alliance Studio
701 Tillery Street, Suite A-8

Shani Hebert from H&R Block will be sharing some hints and tips on how to complete your personal income taxes, plus learn about: Quarterly Taxes, 1099s, E-Filing, Health Insurance, Retirement and IRAs.

Limited Space. Please RSVP, Anne-Marie McKaskle at: membership@austincreativealliance.org or call 512.247.2531

January Creative Mix Up: Featuring Austin’s Emerging Arts Leaders

 

Monday January 30, 2012 6-8pm
Gourmand’s
2316 Webberville Road, Austin, TX 78702

Join the Austin Creative Alliance for a free talk. The Austin Emerging Arts Leaders is part of the American’s for the Arts Emerging Leaders Network. Their site is a resource for artists and arts administrators.

Please RSVP,  Anne-Marie McKaskle at: membership@austincreativealliance.org or call 512.247.2531

“Free Range Thinking” by Robert Dubac at The Rollins Theatre, the Long Center

Robert Dubac appearing in Free Range Thinking

Sitting in the dark, surrounded by strangers, I found myself laughing out loud…

Written and acted by Robert Dubac, “Free Range Thinking” is an engaging and thought provoking performance, a message about ourselves in the modern world, delivered with biting wit. The good, the bad, the ridiculous. We are invited to re-think who we are as a culture.

In monologue, Mr. Dubac unravels our thinking process to uncover the truth about hypocrisy in our modern society. As he takes us through the topics of politics, religion, media, reality shows and bottled water, he cleverly illustrates his points by portraying multiple characters, using simple props and comic stage tricks, all to help us question what we see and hear. Is it our gullibility or our complacency that needs another look?

The play opens with a large question mark scrawled across a black chalk board, a reoccurring theme. What we see and hear in life, might not be as we think. Truth becomes illusion. Mr. Dubac offers up some interesting twists on how to cure our societal schisms and make it all work. In one comical segment, he suggests that both political parties combine as one, so that they can achieve some funny compromises. For instance, continuing to ban prayers in our public schools except during exams, just when they might really help.

In the age of 3-D movies and computer generated imagery, this one man performance is refreshing, hilarious, poignant and sure to delight. Thank you Robert Dubac for an invitation for us to think outside the proverbial box.

The Rollins Theatre, at the Long Center, was the perfect venue, a comfortable and intimate setting.

We could all use a good laugh. Not to be missed! On now through January 15, 2012.

By Lucas

14th and Chestnut Series Pt.2: Interview with Chris Holloway of Fuzzy Popsycle

Austin Creative Alliance tirelessly serves the area’s creatives, organizations, and cultural consumers by building infrastructure, offering audience and career cultivation services, and offering myriad ways for people to connect with all that’s happening in the community. This three-part series provides a look into the scenes that comprise our creative community.

This is the second post on the businesses located at 14th and Chestnut, a vacant building turned vibrant artistic incubator. The first post was featuring Hearts and Robots, a hair design studio, and this week’s post is featuring Fuzzy Popsycle, a commercial arts services studio specializing in street art-inspired design. Chris Holloway, owner and artist, tells us about the concept behind his business and why the words fuzzy and ‘popsycle’ are used together.

How did the idea for Fuzzy Popsycle originate and what are the services you offer?

Fuzzy Popsycle is a full-service commercial art services studio and office with a focus on the hand painted and hand drawn aspects of commercial art and with a specialization in street art-inspired advertising design, hand painted billboards, hand painted murals, wheat pasting, screen printing on garments and posters, commissioned paintings and graphic design for company branding.

Although the company is newly formed, I have been painting, designing and building artwork, signs, furniture, props and murals for almost 15 years. Scarlett Vivienne (my girlfriend and business partner) and I were brainstorming on ways in which we could assist businesses and brands to capture a certain demographic that is very arts influenced and friendly. Traditional marketing has become so sterile; customers are attracted to uniqueness and handmade items. With that in mind, the idea to form a studio offering these services was born.

We’re very curious, what’s the story behind the name “Fuzzy Popsycle”?

My personal artwork (I’m a studio painter graduating from Texas State University) is greatly influenced by whimsical and surreal ideas and images. We were swimming one sunny afternoon brainstorming about the prospective business and prospective names and the thought of a cool, sweet popsicle became so tempting. The contradiction to the sweetness and creaminess became a word challenge and “fuzzy” was mentioned somewhere. We both laughed so hard it was decided that our anti-marketing marketing studio would have to have such a ridiculous name.

We hear your specialty is graffiti-style advertising. How did you get involved with that art form and how did you get the inspiration to use it for advertising?

Well, growing up in the 80′s and seeing graffiti grow from its beginning years had inspired me to express myself in that way. Advertising is kind of like graffiti. It is large and in your face, and you are forced to look at it. I am just utilizing different techniques I learned over the years by doing graffiti, making designs and oil paintings to capture our clients’ products and services and translate those to distinct demographics of customers.

What is one of your favorite campaigns you’ve worked on so far?

My favorite campaign so far is the Hearts and Robots Hair Studio campaign. It was started by painting a mural on the exterior of their first location at East 6th Street and Pedernales (coincidently, this is when we first began dating) and went on to painting the mural on their new location. The increase in visibility and prominence of these murals continues to bring them many new clients and serves to communicate with their targeted clientele base. They were looking to attract younger, hipper, creatively-oriented people, and branding themselves with colorful and personalized artwork has done exactly this.

What characteristics and aspects of being located on the East Side have helped your business or made it stand out?

Being located on the East Side has helped us because there is a strong and supportive artist community and the people over here are extremely laid-back and continue to inspire us creatively. We draw so much influence on street culture and street nightlife. These elements are flourishing east of I-35 and we love surrounding ourselves in it.

For more information on Fuzzy Popsycle, visit their website.

14th and Chestnut Series: Interview with Scarlett of Hearts & Robots

Austin Creative Alliance tirelessly serves the area’s creatives, organizations, and cultural consumers by building infrastructure, offering audience and career cultivation services, and offering myriad ways for people to connect with all that’s happening in the community. This three-part series provides a look into the scenes that comprise our creative community.

This is the first post in our 14th and Chestnut series! What was originally a vacant, run-down building on the east side is now a location for three inventive, versatile businesses. The first in our series is Hearts and Robots, a hair studio influenced by a creative, artistic atmosphere. The other two tenants are Fuzzy Popsycle, a commercial arts services studio, and Doe Studio, an all-female art space. Hearts and Robots is the brainchild of Scarlett Vivienne, an Austinite by way of Los Angeles. Here she talks with us about how hair design, art and community work very well together.

The ladies of Hearts & Robots

What’s the story behind Hearts and Robots? How long have you been in business and where did the name come from?

Hearts & Robots Hair Studio is a fashionable hair studio for guys and gals. We provide innovative, creative, personalized and fashionable styles at an affordable cost. It was founded by myself (Scarlett Vivienne) in December 2010 as the result of a desire to find an alternative to the traditional beauty shop. We were previously located on East 6th Street.

H&R opened its doors 8 months ago at the now closed Art Projekts, which was an artist community on east 6th Street and Pedernales. I was attracted to the element of being located among artisans like painters, screenprinters, metal sculpture artists and a recording studio because I believe hairdressing is an art form, and I wanted to promote this aspect of our industry which is often unrecognized. Also because we double as an art gallery showcasing artwork of local artists, we wanted to create a space where we could be influenced by the varied arts and feed off the synergy of creative environment. Most of the H&R stylists also practice another art form and some of us study studio art and art history (such as myself) in college prior to entering into the hair industry.

H&R had to relocate on short notice when the city of Austin decided to close the Art Projekts for ongoing fire and building code violations against our landlord.

I scrambled to find us a relocation spot and discovered our awesome current location while driving to grab a coffee at Thunderbird. The entire building had been vacant for almost 8 years before we moved in. I leased two of the three spaces and referred friends who leased the third space which is now called Doe Studios and is home to four artists who utilize the space as their art studio. A portion of the space
I leased is currently under construction as I begin another business venture, this time with my boyfriend Chris Holloway. The shop will be the home office and studio for our commercial art services business called
Fuzzy Popsycle which will offer outdoor advertising and marketing related artwork for businesses and brands.

We wanted to recreate the arts community we had to give up and feel we have done so in our current location by bringing the artists to us.

Mural on the side of Hearts & Robots

What aspects of being located on the East Side have helped your business?

When I first moved to Austin 2 years ago from Los Angeles, I noticed the abundance of hair salons but the lack of any unique spots. They exist in larger cities like LA and New York but everything in Austin seemed so ordinary and predictable. I wanted to do hair in a funky, hip, and edgy environment while staying true to my DIY principles and lifestyle.

Thus, H&R was born out of sheer determination to create a unique space for stylists to work and clients to come, get their hair done and hang out.

When I moved to Austin from Los Angeles just 2 years ago I knew nothing about East Austin though I realized my first week of being in town that I wanted to both live and work east of I35. The East Side had an energy that I had experienced in similar neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Silverlake. I knew that the arts community was strong and that the area was populated with many young creative types whom I wanted to surround myself with. I’ve lived in my adorable East Side home since that second week in Austin.

When making the decision to open a salon it was clear to me that I wanted to locate in the neighborhood that I saw as being the greatest fit for the vision I had for the shop, which was creative, urban, unique, alternative
culture, cyclist-friendly, community driven and convenient to mine and my
client’s favorite hang out spots.

What’s your history as a hair stylist and how did you end up in Austin?

I’ve been cutting and coloring hair since I was a young girl with plastic scissors and rainbow colored markers and Barbie dolls were my regular clients. I went the traditional graduate high school, go to college
route where I studied Art History at UCLA. While in college and afterwards I was cutting and coloring my friends and families hair. I knew that this was my calling and it took me until my late twenties to finally get my
focus as my career. I studied at the Paul Mitchell School in Los Angeles but finished my education at Avenue Five Institute, a Vidal Sassoon Partner School here in Austin.

I moved to Austin on a whim. I never visited, didn’t know a soul and had no idea even where I would live once I arrived to town. I drove from Los Angeles in my Prius with my entire life packed up in my car. What didn’t
fit in my car I sold or donated before I left. I guess you could say I took the Buddhist approach to my journey, less is more and that you must let go of everything to find what is truly meaningful and joyous. I am
 proud to say I have accomplished this goal and live with this gratitude-filled mentality daily.

A customer walks in to your studio without much idea of what style he or she would like. How do the stylists help them decide what look would work for them?

Ask the right questions and really listen to what the client is saying. All of the H&R stylists are great question askers and great at translating the clients’ ideas and thoughts into great looking hair. What we would ask
a first time guest unsure of the desired hairstyle/color are questions such as, how do you usually wear/style your hair? What’s your styling routine like? What products do you use and how do you use them? What would you like to see your hair do? What do you like about your hair? Are you growing your hair? Are you good at maintaining a style/color at home? How often do you wash your hair?

One of the most powerful things in life is change.

One of the easiest things (and less costly) to change is our hair. A new hair color, haircut, style is a great way to break out of the old and introduce newness to our lives.

Hair should be loved, nourished and understood. Most often we don’t realize how simple a great haircut and style can be and how we can maintain that style at home with a little product, a little time and a good relationship with a great hairdresser.

We at Hearts & Robots believe that great hair can be achieved in a hip and eco friendly environment (90% of our shop was built with repurposed and upcycled materials and furnishings) at a reasonable cost. Style should reflect our individual clients and be easy and simple. We love to accentuate natural curls and waves and definitely promote natural hairstyling to guests with this type of hair texture.

Our commitment to the earth and environment is just as important as our love of beauty and looking great. We use and retail organic products, recycle more than 70% of our waste and are working on a hair recycling
program.

Last question, Hearts and Robots manifests itself into a woman, and said lady is attending a show somewhere on the East Side this weekend. What would she be wearing and what hairstyle would she be sporting?

She would be distinctively unique and one to grab the attention in the room. I’m feeling especially fond of reds this season so I’m going to have her sporting a coppery red, texturized, and shoulder-grazing bob with pieced out eyebrow-skimming blunt cut bangs and lowlights of deep brunette and golden brown pieces throughout her crown.

She’d be wearing some wild patterned leggings beneath a large oversized vintage sweater with a few large plastic bracelets and cocktail rings, and hovering in platform ankle booties with a fringe covered saddle bag. Wow, sounds great and totally unlike what I’m wearing as I conveniently answer this in my skinny jeans and T-shirt printed by my boyfriend.

Thanks, Scarlett! You can visit Hearts and Robots’ site here. To make an appointment or for more questions, call the studio at 828-7434.

 

Interview with Nnedi Agbaroji – PR director of KVRX 91. 7 FM Austin

KVRX 91. 7 FM is Austin’s student-run radio station located on the University of Texas campus. Its motto is “None of the Hits, All of the Time,” and they aren’t joking, either. Tune in to 91.7 FM anytime (they’re on air from 7 PM to 9 AM) and it’s pretty much a guarantee you’ll hear a slew of music you haven’t heard before. The station’s programming has most every musical genre covered, from folk to punk and hip-hop to electronic. They also have a diverse community talk show selection with subjects ranging from science to sports to a call-in advice show. Most recently, the station won the College Music Journal’s award for Biggest Community Resource. Nnedi Agbaroji, KVRX’s fabulous PR director, tells us more about what the station brings to the community through its programming and the shows they host around town.

First off, it is beyond awesome that KVRX won CMJ’s Biggest Community Resource. How do you think the station has served as a “community resource” for Austin and what does this award mean for the station?

I couldn’t be happier. KVRX has been offering not only the city of Austin, but also the entire nation the opportunity to listen to some of the most eclectic programming out there for over 15 years. We don’t only provide new and interesting music for the public; we have so many different types of specialty shows it’s mind blowing.  From our culturally-based shows, such as our German, Icelandic, and “Austin Hellenic Radio” shows to our education shows like “They Blinded Me With Science.” This nomination/award means a lot to all of us at the station. With funding being drastically cut at our university, it has become imperative to be a fruitful and relevant entity. Winning this award helps to prove to the decision makers upstairs that KVRX is very relevant- so much so that we were nationally recognized by one of the biggest authorities of college radio.

In your time with KVRX, what has been among your most memorable moments so far?

All of it has been a fulfilling and beneficial experience. I have learned so much during my time as PR Director, gaining skills that have and will aid me in furthering my career in public relations. I have to say the most memorable experience I have had was our Spring Music Showcase that took place last March (2011). We held a 3-day music extravaganza that showcased acts from literally all over the world- from Herman Dune (Paris) to The Jezabels (New Zealand). It took place at Cheer Up Charlie’s on East 6th and was by far our most successful Spring Music Showcase to date.

What would you like to see happen for KVRX within the next year?

Within the next year, I hope to see KVRX become more of a central stop for all people in Austin. Whether it is news, music, shows or other events, I would like to see KVRX be the “go-to” place for entertainment news. I have a feeling that we are headed in the right direction. Additionally, I would like to see KVRX get more involved with other non-profits around Austin. I think that is a great way to raise awareness of important issues that affect the community as a whole.

Tune in to KVRX on 91.7 FM or listen at kvrx.org!

 

Interview with Martha Dudgeon, Artistic Director of Austin Chamber Ensemble

Novelist and Poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe described chamber music as “four rational people conversing.” Wikipedia informed me that playing chamber music requires special skills, both musical and social, which are different from the skills required for playing solo or symphonic works. Pieces are written for a small group of instruments and traditionally performed in a private salon or-back when men donned powdered wigs- palace chambers.

And now we introduce Martha (Marti) Dudgeon, Artistic Director for the Austin Chamber Ensemble. She talks to us about ACE’s October performances and what audiences can expect this season. Her friendliness and graciousness came through even in the brief interview we had—good social skills indeed!

Next Spring, the Chamber Ensemble will start its season with “French Fried Brass” on March 23 and 24. In May, they will perform “Best of Moonstruck,” featuring a set of Dick Hyman’s work from “Moonstruck.” Keep an eye out for those performances in Spring 2012.

What can the Austin Chamber Ensemble concertgoer expect this season?

They can expect to hear a variety of musical styles, instrumentation, and composers. In addition, the concerts will take place is various venues around Austin:  private homes in Northwest Austin and Hyde Park, Cobra Studios on the East Side, and Westlake United Methodist Church. Venues other than the church will have limited seating, so early on-line purchase of tickets at www.nowplayingaustin.com are highly suggested.

What inspired the selections for your October performances?

Those selections were chosen by the string quartet (Artisan Quartet) members, but the string quartet was chosen by ACE to represent that genre of instrumentation.  The Artisan Quartet is preparing for their Weill Recital Hall – Carnegie Hall debut in March 2012. They will most likely be performing at least one of the selections you’ll hear in Austin in New York City. We are delighted to have them open the 31^st season for us and we’re pleased to provide an opportunity to hear them perform in a small, intimate setting.

The other concerts in October were inspired to continue on with our ‘Best of’ celebration of ACE’s 30^th and 31^st season. This time the ‘Best of’ is of a birthday of composer P.D.Q. Bach (a.k.a. Peter Schickele) who turned 80 this year.

What is your history with the Austin Chamber Ensemble as artistic director?

Martha MacDonald had acted as artistic director in addition to being executive director for many years.  She felt it was time to turn the job over to someone else. My first season to perform with ACE was 2004-2005. I was appointed Artistic Director March 2008. Martha commented about the recent appointment, “I felt Marti had musical connections with many Austin artists as well as creative programming ideas.  In addition, she is very organized and works well with the media.” ACE has been favored to appear in Best Bets and reviewed in The Statesman, concert listings in The Chronicle and other neighborhood newspapers, radio appearances on KMFA 89.5 FM, and now a feature with Austin Creative Alliance. We thank the press for their continued support.

ACE definitely has a rich history in Austin. What has made Austin and its residents a great audience and engaged community throughout the years?

Although beginning as a wind quintet in 1980, ACE quickly branched out into including all genres of instrumentation, including voices.  It was the first Austin chamber organization to organize and present a formal concert series in 1985.  This immediately caused other chamber groups to do the same, branching out into the rich musical scene we now have.

We have also participated in an exchange program with artists from Germany, Belgium and France. In addition, ACE has commissions from composers such as Donald Grantham, Kathryn Mishell, Noel Alford, P. Kellach Waddle, and others. We’ve also received community support from businesses such as the collaboration with Belgian Restaurant for 10 years and Amy’s Ice Cream (for our Preludes and Cream concerts). We’re looking for business sponsors for this season too!

ACE has also participated in offering ‘free’ concerts to the community. We have performed at Zilker Garden Party and, most recently, for the Thursday Noonday Concert Series at Central Presbyterian Church featuring June Julian, soprano, and Marti Mortensen Dudgeon, piano.  We are performing ‘I Want Magic’ from A Streetcar Named Desire by Andre Previn. Below is the link:

http://youtu.be/lvM37mDVEpA

Thank you for time, Marti!

Visit nowplayingaustin.com or austinchamberensemble.com for more information about the ACE’s upcoming performances in March and May 2012. Reservations can be made by calling 345-3399.

Interview with Connor Hopkins of Trouble Puppet Theater Company

Trouble Puppet Theater Company’s production of Riddley Walker was the first professional puppet show I have seen. I was blown away by the technical skills and emotion these puppeteers imbued in their puppets.

Riddley Walker showed at the Salvage Vanguard Theater from September 29 – October 16. Didn’t get a chance to see it? The Trouble Puppet gang will be at the Austin Puppet Incident December 9th and 10th. Get more information here: http://www.austinpuppetincident.com/

Riddley Walker is an adaptation of Russell Hoban’s post-apocalyptic novel. Set two thousand years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization, the novel takes a darkly humorous look at the rudimentary lives of a cast of characters set in the English county of Kent. Church and state have combined into one institution and the misinterpreted mythology of old war stories and Saint Eustace, an old Catholic saint, are enacted in puppet shows within the play.

Connor Hopkins, Artistic Director, founded the company in 2004. Hopkins and his plays have been the recipient of numerous awards, including a B. Iden Payne award and a project grant from the Jim Henson Foundation. Here, Connor talks about how they chose Riddley Walker and what to expect if you haven’t attended a puppet show before.

Please give us a brief history of how the Trouble Puppet Theater Company came about.

I’ve been making puppets and shows for about 13 years here in Austin, but decided to get “serious” –if I can use that word in regard to puppets— around 2004. So I changed the name from the long, unmemorizable one we had, and Jeanine Lisa came on board, and Trouble Puppet got on its feet. We added Kathryn Rogers as a Producing Partner after a few years and now we have a fairly large crew, with many who put in a lot of time making sure we keep all engines firing. They help keep up with the website and the open workshops and the occasional work/cleanup days.

How does using puppetry differ from other forms of theatre? What are the benefits and challenges of using puppets to tell a story?

The simplest way to put it is that, given time and practice enough, you can make a puppet do pretty much anything an actor can do. But you can’t make an actor levitate, or disappear, or die onstage the way a puppet can. No matter how great the performance, you know that actor’s going to get up once the light goes down and walk away.  When a puppet dies and the puppeteers release it and walk away, you know that puppet’s not going anywhere. Its breath has truly left it. It’s dead.

Also, there is the fact that the puppet isn’t, for example, a 26-year-old white American pretending to be a 57-year-old Polish immigrant. The puppet was made a 57-year-old Polish immigrant.  Yes, there are the constraints involved with being an inanimate object, but those are less binding than the constraints of having an identity distinct from the character’s. The puppet’s only identity is the character.

What was the inspiration behind choosing Riddley Walker for this fall’s performances?

First of all it’s a brilliant, challenging, deeply strange book and that always makes you want to climb inside it by making a show out of it. The language- a broken dialect reflecting thousands of years of linguistic mutation- provides a key to the mystery of Riddley’s culture and their version of history.

Also, we were lucky enough to get in contact with Mr. Hoban [author of Riddley Walker] through our Partner Kathryn Rogers, and he was supportive, so it seemed like a perfect time to do it. I’ve wanted to for ten years, since I first read it and saw it had puppets in the story.

If someone were attending a performance for the first time, what would you like him or her to know about a Trouble Puppet show? In a similar vein, what do you hope a new audience member will come away from a performance with?

This show is our most ambitious yet, but it is still a typical Trouble Puppet show. It asks a lot of the audience in terms of paying attention, openness to the process of puzzling out its many elements, and willingness to have fun with the situation. I think what people like about puppet shows like ours is the fact that, while you may be surprised and hopefully amazed at how lifelike and compelling puppets are as characters, you also get to see in plain sight how we make that happen. It’s an illusion that’s not an illusion because its mechanisms are on display. We are all here in a room together and you can see me manipulate the control rod, see me stuff that object into the puppet’s hand, see my mouth move when the puppet speaks. But it doesn’t undo the magic of watching the puppet live onstage. And that makes it comfortable and engaging for the audience when the puppeteer looks out at you and says “Well, that’s a long story, innnit? Whyn’t we just skip to the end? After all, this here’s a show, we can do what we like.”

Crisis & Opportunity 2.1 – In case you missed it!

Last week on September 13 members of Austin’s creative communities came together for ACA’s third Crisis & Opportunity forum. Cultural Data Project (CDP) Director Neville Vakharia and Senior Associate Flo Gardner traveled from Philadelphia to give us a very informative presentation on the CDP and the benefits the online management tool could have for arts and culture in Austin and around the state.

But first, what is the CDP? The Cultural Data Project is a powerful online management tool designed to strengthen the arts
and culture sectors. Now operating in 11 states, the CDP is a unique system that enables organizations to enter financial, programmatic and operational data into a standardized online form.

Organizations can subsequently quickly and easily generate reports to use as part of the application process for
participating funders. They can also use the CDP as a tool to track their own trends over time or to benchmark
key components of their operations against others in aggregate by discipline, budget size, geographic location
and many other criteria.

This knowledge is power: organizations have leveraged increased board support or
lowered their rental costs thanks to their findings. The CDP is staffed with ten full-time employees with previous creative backgrounds whose sole mission is to help the 11,000 organizations it services.

For more info on the CDP, visit http://www.culturaldata.org/

What could this mean for Texas?

Their presentation illustrated the plans for expansion in the upcoming month—Texas included. Neville and Flo gave examples of the success CDP has had throughout the country.

During the last mayoral election in Philadelphia, data from a CDP report on the state of the arts in Pennsylvania helped revive an arts and culture scene in the city that was about to be cut significantly. Upon reviewing the report, government officials saw that arts and culture generated more than $1 billion each year. They also saw that more people visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art annually than a season of Philadelphia Eagles’ home games.

When the candidates saw these figures, reviving the creative sectors immediately became apart of their campaign platforms. Michael Nutter, the candidate with the strongest arts platform, won the election and delivered on those campaign promises once in office. In 2009, he created a Mayor’s Cultural Advisory Council of around 48 arts and cultural leaders to brief him on arts-related issues. Nutter also reopened the Office of Arts and Culture eliminated years earlier by the previous mayor.

Philadelphia is one of the many examples. Success stories fueled by CDP reports have been seen around the country in organizations, local and state governments, university researchers, etc.

Can this happen in Texas?

They’re hoping that Texas will also see these success stories in the near future by bringing CDP to the state ideally by next September. Flo explained to the audience that Texas needs to form a cohort of leadership around the state in order to build more collaboration.

In response to questions asked by audience members, our presenters explained that money has been put on the table but they need to “make sure interest is state-wide.” They’ve already visited and met with leaders in Dallas and Houston, with their Austin stop completing the first tier of Texas cities. The second tier the pair has plans to visit in the coming months includes San Antonio and El Paso.

For more information on the Cultural Data Project visit

http://www.culturaldata.org/ 

Crisis & Opportunity 2.1 press release: CrisisAndOpp2-1.1Release

 

 

 

You’re Never Too Cool for School

Thats right.  I said it. The S Word… School.

School starts next week for AISD.  Summer is over.  If Alice Cooper made some anti “School’s out for Summer” rock anthem, I would link to it here.  But he does not…

And while I realize the transition back to school time doesn’t affect us all (except for increased traffic), I want everyone to reach deep inside and try to get ourselves an education.

In that spirit, here are a couple goings on that we can all learn from.

Like sewing.  Wouldn’t it be nice to know how to sew?  Well here’s your chance.  Take one of the Sewing Classes at Stitch Lab.  Topics range from how to make stuffed animals, to how to use a serger, to how to knit and everything in between.  If you want to sew, stitch, knit, dye, hem, screen print, or more, Stitch Lab has something for you.  Class times/dates/prices are available at their website.

But maybe that’s just not your thing.  You don’t need to know how to sew, you need to know how to handle curveballs in a hilarious way.  Perfect!  The Hideout Theatre’s Improv Classes it is.  Classes are going on all the time and are offered on a variety of levels. Have fun, meet new people and learn to improvise in these low-pressure classes. The beginner workshop is designed for anyone who wants to loosen up, be more spontaneous and learn to take risks on stage and in life. Each week you’ll play games and explore a challenging variety of improv exercises that unleash your natural creativity and humor. Classes meet for six weeks, three hours each week.  Follow the link above to sign up.

Or perhaps you’d just like to learn exactly what Mighty Five’s Infinite Funk Odyssey is? According to the press release, Austinites will take a trip to Dimension F at Mighty Five’s Infinite Funk Odyssey, an original, electro-funk theatrical production and simultaneous dance party. This is an interactive take on musical theater conceived by Austin’s Xaq Webb in collaboration with the band Mighty Five. The audience is encouraged to dance during the show, and all performances will be followed immediately by a dance party of indeterminate length.  Learn all about funk, outer dimensions, and pick up a dance move or two Thursday-Saturday at 8 pm at the Blue Theatre.  Tickets are $12 ($10 for students) and are available here.

Go forth my friends.  Learn.  For as Ghandi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”