The Mobule on Tour – First Stop, Paris

| Filed under Uncategorized

One of our 2011 grant recipients, Mobule is going to be touring beginning in Paris, opening the FUTUR EN SEINE FESTIVAL, on June 19th. Then on to Barcelona, London, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Mobule is a travelling video sculpture that passes on recorded ‘messages of love’ from one city’s citizens to those of the next. This eight-foot balloon appears at night in public streets. Illuminated from within, it displays a video projection of a large eye. The eye searches and focuses on passers by, selects individuals and pursues them. Once in proximity of the individual, a recorded message from another individual, from the previous city of the tour, appears in the eye. Once the individual receives the message, he/she is invited to wear the ‘space helmet’ that controls the eye. The mystery of how the Mobule operates is revealed, and the individual may control its next interaction. Participants are also then invited to leave a video message for the next city’s residents. The Mobule is scheduled to tour Paris, Barcelona, London, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Tour Schedule: Save the dates! More details TBA!

– Paris: Esplanade du Trocadero, July 7 – 8, 2011, from 9pm to
midnight
– Barcelona: Location TBD, July 21 – 22, 2011, from 9pm to midnight
– London: Tate Modern, August 4 – 5, 2011, from 9pm to midnight
– NYC: Location TBD, August 18 – 19, 2011, from 9pm to midnight
– Los Angeles: Location TBD, August 25 – 26, 2011, from 9pm to
midnight
– San Francisco: Location TBD, September 8 – 9, 2011, from 9pm to
midnight
– Miami: Location TBD, September 15 – 16, 2011, from 9pm to midnight

The Mobule is seeking more venues and events to visit. Please contact
the artist if you know of any opportunities or venues in the times
and locations listed above.

The Mobule will need volunteers for the following locations!

– London: Tate Modern, August 4 – 5, 2011
– NYC: Location TBD, August 18 – 19, 2011
– Los Angeles: Location TBD, August 25 – 26, 2011
– San Francisco: Location TBD, September 8 – 9, 2011
– Miami: Location TBD, September 15 – 16, 2011

For each location, the project needs:

– A local manager to:
* Suggest the best area of the city to present the show
* Ask for authorizations for such street performance
* PR staff to promote the Mobule to local and national media
– 2 volunteers to manage the audience during the art performance
– Accommodation to put up 2 operators during 6 nights

Read about the Mobule on artist Ludale’s website at www.ludale.fr

Or read about Mobule in the Design Milk blog:
design-milk.com/get-out-mobule/

See prototypes of Mobule here: bit.ly/kc9uje

Contact the artist at ludo @ludale.fr

I am so excited I am going to get to see this in San Francisco and I will be looking forward to seeing what New York City has to say to San Francisco. We hope you will follow its tour and check it out if it is coming to your town.

Spire of Fire Comes to Reno, NV

| Filed under Reno, Spire of Fire

Spire of Fire, by local Reno artists Steve Atkins and Eric Smith, is BRAF’s fourth installation at our public art venue in Reno, Nevada, and will be on display June 20 – Nov. 15, 2011, on the corner of Sierra Street and Island Avenue, on the bank of the Truckee River in downtown Reno.

Join us to celebrate this ongoing collaboration with the Reno community!

Friday, June 24, 2011

The River Walk
Sierra St. at Island Ave
Reno, NV
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

– Dj’s spinning from 5:00 – 10:00 pm

– Hula Hoop Jam from 5:00 – 8:00 pm

– Controlled Burn and Friends spin fire 8:30 – 10:00

– Artwork’s fire effects alight! 8:30 – 10:00

– Wine and Beer will be sold as a BRAF fundraiser, courtesy of Wild River Grill

– and be sure to catch all the activities on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings during Artown. Free fun for the family!

To Read More about the Spire of Fire CLICK HERE

photo: Leo Sauerman

ScrapEden Collaborates with Levi Strauss & Co. Community Day

| Filed under Scrap Eden
The Black Rock Arts Foundation, as part of our ScrapEden Program helped Levi Strauss & Co. with their May 5th Community Day, during which Levi’s employees in San Francisco leave their regular office responsibilities behind and volunteer at Bay Area non-profits. BRAF was given a special role this year, supporting the company’s efforts to be better caretakers of the planet and reduce both water consumption and material waste in their manufacturing and ordering processes.Over a dozen BRAF volunteers sculpted a literal “mountain” out of samples and scraps of Levi’s and Dockers that are produced each year to help demonstrate the scale of waste, the importance of reducing and re-using such items and

to encourage recycling usable samples vs. throwing them away. The mountain, which was installed at Levi’s Plaza was impressive, but represented just 10% of the some 71,000 articles of clothing samples generated each year that are otherwise unusable for Levi’s but perfectly good for other uses. BRAF was thrilled to be part of a project that is helping a major manufacturer in America to use creativity and art to inspire its employees to reduce, reuse and recycle. Everyone was so inspired and an absolute pleasure to work with!
Some highlights of note:

Artist Miranda Caroligne created a stage backdrop entirely out of Dockers samples and the president of Levi’s stood in front of it and stressed the importance of minimizing waste and considering the impact the company is having on the planet. She also created recycled table runners and decor that underscored this point.

Miranda also led the planning of a team of artists and Levi’s employees that converted waste denim into moving bags for a Homeless Prenatal program to provide young women with re-usable shoulder bags that could be initially used to move them into permanent housing. It is the hope that they will keep these bags and also use them for laundry and shopping. Levi’s employees helped sew and decorate the bags with messages such as “Love” and “Home Sweet Home”, using bits of trim and fabric that were machine and hand sewn onto the bags.
Other artists involved with this important effort were Tammy Hulva of Tamo Designs (who also DJed for the volunteers for inspiration), Silver of Silver Lucy Designs, Boy Blondie of the Burning Man Cafe and Special Events Team and BRAF’s very own Josie Schimke. In all 86 shoulder bags were created that day and four were auctioned off to raise funds for the program.

Scatha Allison of Miss Velvet Cream led a team of Levi’s employees in creating 25 bean bag chairs out of salvaged materials for the Edgewood Center youth program and a banner that says “GO EAGLES!”

People loved working with Scatha and the program director sent a letter commending her and thanking her for making the day so productive and so much fun. Apparently everyone wants to sit in those beanbag chairs at the Center now! They’re very popular with the kids there.

BRAF volunteers also helped to sort items working with Goodwill and scraps and damage items were sorted to become other kinds of social benefit items and avoid becoming landfill. Truckloads of materials were brought out of storage and repurposed that day!

And to add to the festivities, Shovelman played his shovel to welcome back the nearly 900 Levi’s employees that volunteered that day at some 23 Bay Area charities and non-profits around the city.

It was a grand day all around!
To see many more great photos
CLICK HERE

author: $teven Ra$pa

photos: Kasey Neuenschwander

Shout Out to DIY Bike Lovers

| Filed under 2011, Grants to Artists Program


We got this note from note from one of our Black Rock Arts Foundation 2011 Grant Recipients, BOOM Parade and thought you might be interested in helping out…

Greetings Fellow DIY Bike Lovers

i built a bike at the LA bicycle kitchen. i believe bikes mixed with a little magic can transform lives. i’m writing to ask y’all to donate some magic.

Burning Man’s non-profit Black Rock Arts Foundation is providing seed funding for a ghetto art-bike, art-car parade. The at-risk, struggling residents of Bayview Hunters Point are the designers and riders of the parade vehicles– they are the stars. It’s called the Bayview BOOM, and it will wind it’s LOUD, musical way through the projects and hoods of these neighborhoods in October 2011. This First Annual parade is a seed for bigger and better BOOMs in years to come. Bayview Hunters Point Radio Network

We’re asking you experienced bike mechanics to spend a little time this summer helping youths in the hood create their art-bikes. We seek project leaders and mentors.

Leaders: We seek six part-time volunteer wizards to oversee the creation of a Bicycle Pantry, a summer-long art-bike clinic in Bayview Hunters Point. Areas include designing the clinic, procuring lent/donated bike tools, procuring donated bikes and parts, managing donated bikes and parts, and recruiting volunteer mentors, and scheduling volunteer mentors. Each leader has a 1 to 2 month commitment.

Mentors: We seek lots and lots of bike folks to donate one or more half-days this summer to mentor young people. You will help them build their art-bikes. As a guy who taught recording studio to kids in Bayview last year, I can tell you it was an amazing experience. A lot of talent lives in the Southeast Sector.

Ideas: We welcome all suggestions and advice!

Funds: If “YOU” are able to donate any funds to the BOOM, that would be deeply appreciated, and much valued. We have an eentsy-weentsy budget at the moment. Your funds could be targeted to whatever purpose you choose: Award for Best Art Bike in our awards ceremony, quality bike parts or tools for participants, pimp-art supplies (freaky shizzle that gives bikes ultra-snazzle), bike sound-systems, Art Bike Design Grants (we are giving a limited number of mini-grants to fund individual bike-artists), the general parade fund (for everything from printing to sound systems), etc….. We’d be honored to call the Bike Kitchen a partner.

Many sincere thanks to the Bike Kitchen for being such an awesome role-model, and a great resource for SF!

-johny radio
john @bvhpradio.org
415-68-WHEEL
(415-689-4335)

The Composting Contraption Gets Out and About

| Filed under Scrap Eden

Our latest ScrapEden project, The Composting Contraption, rolls on, delighting kids and adults alike and educating about the importance of composting. This pedal powered, fun and funky kinetic sculpture is touring events throughout the summer. If you’re at an outdoor event in San Francisco this summer, keep your eyes peeled for the contraption!

The ScrapEden program is supported by the San Francisco Department of the Environment.

photos: Victoria Ramirez

Flying Solo – Laura Kimpton

| Filed under Events

Flying Solo Exhibit
Featuring Laura Kimpton
Opening Reception
McLaughlin Gallery 49 Geary (corner Grant). Suite 200
San Francisco
Thursday, June 2, 2011
5:30pm to 8:30pm

View new works of collage, assemblage, and sculpture by Laura Kimpton.

Works on exhibition from June 2nd to July 30th, 2011. This solo exhibition of 2D and 3D recycled mixed media creations draws upon Laura’s spiritual connection to birds and her own need to tear down societal constraints that keep us from discovering and celebrating our inner core.

Register For This Event http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1636854877

AFTER PARTY at the Hotel Monaco 9 pm – 2 am. Come celebrate the completion of this Solo Show.

Marin based Laura Kimpton is known for her daring and thought-provoking work; including “Celtic Forest,” a sculpture and fire site that was part of our Civic Arts Program in Reno Nevada.

ArtPadSF – A Benefit for the Black Rock Arts Foundation

| Filed under Events

Dr. Deb, BRAF Advisory Board
Alix Rosenthal, BRAF Board Secretary

Eli Peterson, BRAF Office Manager and Administrative Assistant
Tomas McCabe, BRAF Executive Director
Laura Kimpton, BRAF Artist and friend
Laura’s work for her new show, Flying Solo
Rae Richman, BRAF Board, Executive Vice President
Josie Schimke, BRAF Program and Development Assistant
Affinity your BRAF blogger, Pete Hudson, BRAF Zoetrope Artist and MonkeyBoy
Hotel Phoenix
Thanks to all the volunteers and performers and models and designers and photographers and DJs and the ArtPadSF team and the staff it took to put this party on. Thank you. And special thanks to the Chip Conley for inviting us to create the Opening Celebration to ArtPadSF.

photos: affinity and Robin Russell

ArtPadSF Opening Night Preview Photos – by Michael Cuffe for Warholian

| Filed under ArtPadSF, Events
ArtPadSF Opening Night Preview Photos - by Michael Cuffe for Warholian by WarholianPics
ArtPadSF Opening Night Preview Photos – by Michael Cuffe for Warholian, a photo by WarholianPics on Flickr.

OMG…This is a photo from our event last night, “A Private Preview of ArtPad SF: A Benefit for the Black Rock Arts Foundation”. This photographer, Michael Cuffe for the Warholian, one of my favorite blogs, captured the venue, the Phoenix Hotel with our BRAF slide show on the building next door, and the photo is of Bliss Dance, who was just installed on Treasure Island last week. Lots of photos to come. Watch this space.