Sister Organizations

I've been trying to contact and meet with other organizations that are similar to our goals to get some advice about their start up and development. I've been getting great advice which should come in handy with balancing the manic big plans with necessary details.

I had an installation at Heaven Gallery February 2005. It is both a non profit exhibition space and a residence. They show emerging artists and provide opportunities for young curators as well as hosting film screenings, performances, and space for other fundraising events.

Commerce Street Artist's Warehouse (CSAW) is Houston based, artist run cooperative. I did a short residency there in Spring 2006, invited by Theresa O'Connor (super Art Babe!). It is a complex of studios and live/work spaces whose programming includes an artist residency program, gallery space for visiting curators, and large performance space.


Theresa O'Connor, Installation View, i need your carcass..., 2005

Spaces Gallery is a well established Cleveland institution that promotes both local artists and guest curators. They have a reputation for exhibiting high quality contemporary art, often with a emphasis on installation and new media work. The are able to provide a stipend to artists in their exhibitons in lieu of being a comercial space.

I met Eric from Forward Motion Theatre at a fashion show in the West Village. He gave me some great advice on initial legal and finance stuff, including a referral to the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and the New York Foundation Center.

Hope Hilton is a classmate that is a part of a collective called Dos Pestaneos, orginally of Atlanta, now in New York. Great advice on collective management, etc.

Hope Hilton, Lament, 2004

We love Shigeru Ban

Shigeru Ban is a fantastic Japanese architect that the New york times called an Accidental Environmentalist for his use of recycled materials. He recieved a lot of attention for his emergency shelters built from paper tubes in Japan, Turkey, India and Rwanda.

Justin's Mom ("Hi mom!") sent him some info on Shigeru's Naked House with moveable pods. He also found a great book with detailed contruction docs which will hopefully help us with some of the physics, etc.

Material resources

We've been talking a lot about our green strategies. It seems like there are three strategies that we have available to us.
-Classic warehouse living practice of building it with what we find/inherit
-Purchase used or surplus materials from a retailer
-Purchase new green products to support companies that are creating new solutions.

I think we're all familiar with the 1st, being broke, DIYers. We all agree, too, that aside from being creative with what is immediately available (i.e. using the cardboard tubes from fabric bolts and soundproofing), we'd love to be a testing ground for new products.

I had a great visit to Green Depot in Bushwick. The have zero off gas materials for just about any chemical (paint, stripper, floor coating, cleaners). Can't wait to fill up a truck. They also act as the middle man/consultant working with their partner for materials they don't supply themselves, i.e. windows.

NY Stuff Exchange is a great "rolodex" of wher to buy, sell, and donate recycled stuff.

Build It Green NYC is a non for profit retail outlet, with salvage and surplus building stuff. Through their site we also found Green Home Buildingt that has a great "Ask the experts" feature.