spore projects

Annoucing the begining of something beautiful... Home-Stay!!!!

2011-12-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

HOME-STAY
Currently accepting application for January 1st - June 1st 2012.

ABOUT
Home-Stay is an unconventional artist-in-residency program in a St Louis artist’s home that provides visiting artists a unique opportunity to directly engage with surrounding neighborhoods as creative practice using the city as both a studio and canvas. Home-Stay provides visiting artists with resources to enact projects by providing opportunities for collaboration with locals and access to nearby resources such as print shops, darkrooms, woodshops, libraries, archives, classrooms, exhibition and performance spaces.

Home-Stay supports community-based projects, performances and exchanges that are rooted in themes such as local food systems, sustainability, the built environment, social practice, urban planning, community events, sound exploration, education, and innovative use of space. Additionally there opportunities throughout the year to engage with local artists through events such as the Chautauqua Art Lab, People’s Joy Parade, Artica, SLAP Conference, and the SPORE Mobile Gallery.

Home-Stay’s idea of artist is broad so whether you consider yourself a performer, farmer, constructor, writer, painter or scientific researcher, we encouraged to apply.

LOCATION

The apartment is inside a historic redbrick four-family flat in South City in a diverse, mixed-income neighborhood close to coffee shops, restaurants, artist-run spaces, galleries, parks and public transportation networks. Downtown and the Mississippi river are within biking distance.

Like many brick buildings in St Louis it has wooden floors, tall ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding pocket doors, central air/heat and a natural cooling system that includes the use of transom windows. Shared space includes a kitchen and multi-use living room which is often used for reading, community classes, & mediation/yoga. The backyard has a shared garden, fire pit and chickens: Tofishstick and Baconleg. Laundry is available in the basement and a shared music practice space.

Residents are expected to keep common areas clean, participate in a chore wheel and attend a weekly meeting that includes a shared meal. Various diets and food allergies can be accommodated. Home-Stay hosts a weekly community class and a monthly potluck of which residents are welcome to attend.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
Collaborative Internship: 3-6 month stay.
Unfurnished or furnished room depending on needs. Room is large, with storage space available in the basement, and WiFi access. The internship involves direct collaboration with Home-Stay and SPORE Projects. Intern is expected to spend 10-15 hours per week on the project. This could involve anything from biking with a resident around town to sending emails, perhaps leading a living-room class or developing your own project Hours are negotiable and flexible. Securing a part-time job is recommended.
Cost is $300 per month covers room, board and program costs.. A near-by studio is available from $75- 150 per month depending on need and length of stay. If interested include in application.

Project Based Residency: 1-3 month stay.
You’ll be provided a small furnished room, storage space, and WiFi access. Over the course of the stay residents will develop a project in collaboration with Home-Stay that involves community participation and/or the built environment. Residents are encouraged develop relationships with neighbors, local artists, historians, urban farmers, architects, etc, and to explore the city at large to inform their project. Residents will be expected to spend 20-25 hours per week working on their project and blog weekly as it develops. Stay will culminate with a sharing of the project with the community at large in a creative context.

Cost is $250 per month covers room, board and program costs. A nearby shared studio is available for $50-100 depending on need and length of stay. If interested include in application. We’re happy to help locate free/cheep supplies and resources but be prepared to cover the cost of materials and studio usage.

November Events

2011-11-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

November 5th- Excited to be a guest artist for Big Brothers/Big Sisters day through the Contemporary Art Museum's Art Bus, co-sponsored by the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. The afternoon includes tours of both museums, my sound collage workshop and a pizza party!

November 11th- All-female Pig Slop show on Cherokee Street. SPORE will be parked outside along with works inside from Chloe Bethany, Mel von Trad, Melinda Snyder and myself tucked indoors.

November 25th-27th- Wounded Bird garments will be for sale at Rock N Roll Craft Show 8. SPORE will be around for some of the weekend (parked nearby).

Fall Mini Touring Updates

2011-11-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

After a glittery long-haul of a night with St Louis artist and fellow Pig Slopper Chloe Bethany we headed out to Chicago with her new installation for SPORE, The Measurements of My Mmmmm. Spent a good portion of the weekend at Hand in Glove, an national independent curator conference. On Saturday Ghosts I Have Been played at Yellow Book for a female experimental night with Les Fluer De Maul and Continental Hallucinations

Yellow Book is exactly what a used bookstore should be, comfy couches, quirky but sweet owners, kindly aged good books, plants, art filled walls, resident artist Sarah Leitten and a space for eclectic performances. I'm just a little, totally in love with this place.

Halloween weekend SPORE was at the Minnehaha Free Space, an info shop and zine library in Minneapolis. Ghosts I Have Been played a show with AC and Sincerely Ethics. AC invoked Michael Jackson through spoken word, tape sampling and loops. Then Sincerely Ethic's Allen Killian-Moore epically recited the Long Black Veil alongside the guitar experimentations of Ali Jaafar.

CQAL DAY 6- Cherokee Street Crawl

2011-05-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

CQAL Day 5- Dubb Nubb, Firedog & Shorts Film Series at Pig Slop

2011-05-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

CQAL Day 4- Collaborative Fort Project at Pig Slop

2011-05-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

CQAL Day 3- Kara Clark Holland's Public Reclamation Picnic

2011-05-18T20:10:00.001-07:00

CQAL Day 3- Michael Allen's Pruitt- Igoe Tour

2011-05-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

CQAL DAY 2- Con(tribute) Project in Hyde Park

2011-05-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

CQAL Day 2- Civil Ape Open House & SLAP Fundraiser

2011-05-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Chautauqua Art Lab 2011

2011-05-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

++++CHAUTAUQUA ART LAB 2011+++++

WHAT?
In its third year, the Chautauqua Art Lab (CQAL)

is a week-long grassroots citywide arts festival, free
university and art parade. Connecting innovative,
makers, thinkers and doers throughout St Louis
and the US.

WHERE?
Artist-run spaces throughout St Louis City

WHEN?
9-Day Festival from May 7th through May 15th

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
Participation is a big part of the fest. Many of the
events offer workshops, community projects, and
share spaces as well as community dinners
throughout. Simply show up and join in.
All are welcome.

WEB: sporeprojects.blogspot.com

CONTACT: ghostsihavebeen@gmail.com

_______________________________________

1. SATURDAY MAY 7th- CINCO DE MAYO

a) Cherokee Street PEOPLE"S JOY PARADE
Location 1: Black Forest Parking Lot
Time: Meet at noon, parade starts at 1:11pm
Contact: Jenny Shriner- jmshriner@gmail.com

b) SPORE MOBILE GALLERY- Sarah Leitten
Location 2: Cinco de Mayo on Cherokee Street
Time: Ongoing
Final showing of "Three Sister's Shrine."
**http://sarahleitten.blogspot.com

c) AFTER PARTY
Location 3: Floating Labs at 4528 Ohio
Time: 9pm
Featuring: All Tiny Creatures (WS), Depth and
Current (OK), Half Gay, Eric Hall & a secret
art show in the Owl's Den

_______________________________________

2. SUNDAY MAY 8th- NORTH CITY EVENT
Info posted soon. Surprise event.
________________________________________

3. MONDAY MAY 9th- NORTHSIDE TOURS

a) BIKE BRIGADE to Northside w/ Willy Zep
Location 1: CAMP 3022A Cherokee St. (backyard)
Time: Leaving 5:30pm, Returning 9pm
Contact: Willy at 314-479-2900

b) PUBLIC RECLAMATION PICNIC
w/ Kara Clark Holland
Location 2: Intersection of Cass and 14tth
Time: 6pm
Participate in photographer Kara Clark Holland's
public reclamation picnic. Bring food to share.
Project Info: http://karaclarkholland.com

c)PRUITT-IGOE TOUR w/ Michael Allen
Location 3: Pruitt-Igoe entrance on Cass Ave.
Time: 7pm
St Louis history guru Michael Allen will lead a
lively tour of the Pruitt-Igoe site.
Michael Allen: http://preservationresearch.com

d)KAREN HOUSE BIKE-BY w/ Willy Zep
Location 4: Karen House & Urban Roots Farm
Time: 8pm
Karen House: http://karenhousecw.org
_______________________________________

4. TUESDAY MAY 10th-
TEMPORARY FORT PROJECT (PART 1)

Location: Pig Slop- 2700 Cherokee Street
Time: 6:00-10:00pm
Contact: Zak at zmarmalefsky@gmail.com

As part of a two day series the arts community

is invited to build a fort structure inside Pig Slop studios.

Many Thanks to Herding Cats Collective, Pig Slop
Members & Cole Root for donations.
________________________________________

5. WEDNESDAY May 11th-
TEMPORARY FORT PROJECT (PART 2)

Location: Pig Slop- 2700 Cherokee Street
Time: 6:00- 11:00pm
Contact: Zak at zmarmalefsky@gmail.com

a)MUSIC: Dubb Nubb & FIREDOG: 6pm

b)SPORE GALLERY ARTIST TALK: 8pm
Juliet Hinely (Florida)
Contact: http://juliet-hinely.com

c)SHORT FILM SERIES: 8:30pm
Films by Phil Forsyth (Chicago), Sarah Leitten
(Chicago), Dan Schniedkraut (Minneapolis),
Brett Marren (StL), Philip Shorey (Minneapolis),
Bill Russell (StL), Willy Zep (StL), Jamie
Jessop (StL) and Sarah Paulsen's Forest Park
Community College film students.
Contact: Allen Killian-Moore-
tendrilinthemesh@riseup.net
_______________________________________

6. THURSDAY MAY 12th-
CHEROKEE STREET CRAWL

a)WEST CHEROKEE: 6-7:30pm
Archive, Fort Gondo (M.S.I.F), STL Style,
Cranky Yellow, Firecracker Press, & Peridot.
Evenn's Apartment Gallery (above Peridot).

b)EAST CHEROKEE: 7:30- 9pm
Pig Slop (CQAL Fort Project) , Aisle 1 (Joey
Potts), All Along Press (Jenny Murphy, Travis
Russell, & Angela Malchionno), SPORE Gallery
(Juliet Hinely) & David Langley's Studio.

c)OUTDOOR FILM w/ LIVE SOUND: 9:15pm
Location 1: Cherokee ReAl Garden, 2647 Cherokee
Rain Location 2: Pig Slop, 2700 Cherokee
Allen Killian-Moore's "Shut the Mouth" with live
soundtrack by Ali Jafar (Minneapolis)

_______________________________________

7. FRIDAY MAY 13th- OLD TYME
HOEDOWN & BBQ
Hosted by Charles & Chalot Douglas-Book
Location: Mrs MacCormick's Yard. 2917 Texas
Time: 7-12pm

a)BBQ POTLUCK: 7pm
Bring some yummy foods to share. Vegan food is
appreciated but we won't discriminate.

b)SOUND PERFORMANCES: Herding Cats
Collective- Anna Lum, Rich O'Donnell and friends
(StL), Bill Tucker (Chicago), Sincerely Ethics
(Minneapolis), Ghosts I Have Been (StL), Alan
Schilling (StL) & Daydream Lullaby (StL)

c)DANCE PERFORMANCES: Isaac Hester,
Kelsey Keil, & Audrey Simes
________________________________________

8. SATURDAY MAY 14th- EXPERIMENTAL
PERFORMANCES, WORKSHOPS & PICNIC

Location 1: Building Arts Foundation Museum.
2300 Falling Springs RD. Sauget, IL (East St Louis)
Time: 3- 8pm
More Info: www.buildingmuseum.org

a) YOGA with Amy Broadway. 3pm
Bring a mat or a beach towel.

b)PICNIC: 4pm
Bring food to share. Vegan options appreciated.

c)PERFORMANCES: Ongoing 4-8pm
Keith Buchholz (Fluxus StL), Lincoln Johns
(France), Ali Jaafar (Minneapolis), Allen
Killian-Moore (Stl), .E (Stl), Syna So Pro
(Stl), & Chalk (StL).

d)COLLABORATIVE JAM: Sundown
w/ Ghosts I Have Been

e)WORKSHOPS: On-going
- Electronic Alterations: Chalk (StL)
- Contact Mics: Emily Hemeyer (StL)
- Buttons: Amanda Rainey of Special Passenger
Records (Columbia, MO)

f)PANCAKE MASTER'S 30th BIRTHDAY!!
Location 2: Way Out Club at 2525 South Jefferson
Time: 10pm
Featuring: Rob Severson, King Kong Magnets,
Lord of the Yum Yum (Chicago), Bunnygrunt and
a secret celebrity guest. 21 and up. $7.
________________________________________

9. SUNDAY MAY 15th- WORKSHOPS,
COMMUNITY SHARE SPACE, & POTLUCK

Location 1: CAMP at 3022A Cherokee Street
Time: 11-5pm

a) WORKSHOPS
11- 1pm:"Popcorn in the Brain: Tapping into
both hemispheres to break through barriers and
discovering your potential."-by Bill Donius.

1- 2pm: "Sloup Proposal Workshop Presented for Solo
Artists with Half Thoughts." - by Sloup. Join us in

developing a one page proposal for the May 22nd Sloup.
Participants will alter/develop/respond to each others' ideas,

forgetting completely that they will compete for the next

Sloup grant.

c)OPEN FORUM IDEA SHARE: 2-5pm
Everyone is invited to share ideas! Make a slide-
show, prop your project on a table, turn on the
tape deck or just stand up & share. You can
email ahead or just show up. Straws are drawn
at 2pm. Voyeurs welcome.

Confirmed participants- Sarah Paulsen (The
Creative History of Cherokee Street), Cameron
Fuller (The Institute for the Perpetuation of
Imaginable Processes), Rebecca Bodhicky (Alice
Blue Collective), Emily Hemeyer (SPORE Projects
& Mobile Gallery), Eric & Michelle Repice (St Louis
Violence & Literacy Project), Jenny Shriner (CAMP),
Jeffery Miller, Amelia Jones & more.

d)CONVERSATIONS & POTLUCK: 6pm
Hosts: Hap Philips & Nita Turnage
Location: Muse Studio. 4601 S. Broadway

e)S. BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE: 8-11pm
Location: 4528 Ohio
-Open House: Arcadia Studios & Owl's Den. 8pm
-Dance Party: Lauderdale (Bottom of the Hill).
Featuring: DJ Invisible Cola, 18andCounting,
and Jeremy Kannapell.

________________________________________

The St Louis Mythory Tour at the 2011 Southern Graphics Council Convention (SGC)

2011-03-18T13:26:00.001-07:00

St Louis Mythory Tour
a collaborative tour and zine making workshop
by Emily Hemeyer & Michael R. Allen

May 12th, 2011. 6-9pm. Cherokee ReAL Garden. Cherokee Street. St Louis, MO
Southern Graphics Council (SGC) Convention.

“[M]yth is speech stolen and restored.”
-Roland Barthes, Mythologies

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The built environment of St. Louis reveals itself through our observations, often clouded by nostalgia, ideology and comparison. We look around us and see inscriptions of what we imagine St. Louis to be, be that a “red brick mama”, an emergent Rust Belt powerhouse, a faded imperial capital or simply our home. St. Louis offers back its own narrative mythologies, presented through chains of linked sites with collective meanings. We quickly find that the city’s own presentation of itself is as veiled as our own observation. There is no one St.Louis, but there is no one archetypal St. Louisan.

The Mythtory Tour imagines a landscape of accrued building that has been neglected, in physical form and human consciousness. This tour presents one possible mythology of place centered on traditions of construction converging across disparate neighborhoods and many generations in order to show us St.Louis. Whether you can find this city out there is irrelevant, because using this map you will find some city worth your love and respect.

1. THEY BUILT WITH EARTH
Sugarloaf Mound, 4420 Ohio Street

2. THEY BUILT WITH STONE
Stone House, 124 E. Steins Street

3. THEY BUILT TO PRODUCE
Lemp Brewery, southeast corner of Cherokee & Lemp streets

4. THEY BUILT IN THE AIR
Pruitt-Igoe Site, Southeast Corner of Cass and Jefferson Avenues

5. THEY BUILT FOR THE FUTURE
Kingshighway Viaduct, Kingshighway Boulevard Between Vandeventer and Shaw Avenues

6. THEY BUILT UNDERGROUND
Cherokee Street Caves

7. THEY BUILT ON THE WATER
Mississippi River near the Graffiti Wall

Mythory Tour In Process

2011-03-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Received in October from Emily in Philly!

2010-12-05T09:26:00.002-08:00

An upcoming SPORE artist for spring, Emily Peters just sent this gorgeous package out of Philadelphia. This our first communication of an ongoing mail art exchange. Hand-dyed and constructed the neck piece is made of objects that are special to me; bones and trinkets from trips, friends and my parent's farm. The package also included a mold for a key to Emily's apartment and several photo-transfer pieces in need of treading. The package was an old Wheaties box. Beautifully done Emily!

Collaborate with SPORE!

2010-09-10T11:31:00.001-07:00

Send proposal to Emily at ghostsihavebeen@gmail.com

Include in your proposal:
1. 3-5 jpegs of past work or website link
2. Concept outline. Including writing, drawings, video, and/or images.
3. List materials. These should be found, constructed or recycled.
4. Q- How the project will engage the community?

LOCATION: SPORE is presently located in St Louis, Missouri.

GALLERY MONTHS: Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Feb, March, April, May (off months- Dec, Jan, June, and July).

ARTIST RESIDENCY: We offer a communal 1-week residency w/ an "opening", community share and/or performance for out-of-town artists and musicians. This includes studio access, housing, general materials, and use of a bike. Sliding scale donation of $50-$100 covers food, studio and housing costs.

MOBILE COLLABORATION: SPORE relishes collaborations in other communities. Exchanges can range from a weekend to short residencies.

NEEDS: Always accepting gifts of gas, maintenance, money, materials, and art for the archive. Currently looking for a projector and amplifier.

Appalachia Bound

2010-08-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Robert Long's "Still Life: Composition #1 Three Chairs" was installed today. Balancing varnished scraps from discarded chairs the installation resembles a delicate skeletal structure metaphoric in origin that will change with the vibrations of the journey. This is piece one in a three-part series Long is creating for SPORE. The SPORE van itself, with 180,000 miles and ABS issues has had a hectic summer. Fortunately after a hefty mechanic bill she's running splendidly and is outfitting to embark on a three week venture through Kentucky, West Virgina, the Carolinas and Tennessee.

Throughout the venture Emily will be documenting historic Utopian communities, cultural colonies, optimistic homesteaders and visionaries. Sharing also the improvisational chantings of Ghosts I Have Been.

Upcoming show = Robert Long

2010-04-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Robert's Website: Home (www)

Fill In The Blank Gallery- Chicago

2010-04-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

SCOSAG- St Louis City Open Studio and Gallery

2010-04-19T07:57:00.001-07:00

Something New Chicago

2010-02-14T14:53:00.001-08:00

Oakland Photos

2010-02-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

Photos from SPORE show at AK Press Warehouse in Oakland CA this past Spring.

Colby

2009-10-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

While making my way through northern Kansas I notice dark circulating clouds in the near distance. In Kansas storms can sometimes look more intense due to the rolling planes and vast landscapes. And of course parts of Kansas are known as "Tornado Alley" for a good reason.

I call my roommate Ben, a notable computer guru, for a weather report. "According to the National Weather Center: Clear Skies," he tells me. "Well, except for this storm but its nowhere near you according to this map." So I keep driving, getting closer to the storm. 10min later I call again.

"Really Emily its nowhere near you but it does look like its growing in intensity," he says sternly. I can tell my call is a little anoying him this time. I keep driving. The winds start and a little hail.

I call again."Listen, there is definatly a storm. There hail the size of golf balls. When was that report made? Storms move fast out here you know," I'm a more that a little concerned a this point. I grew up in an area with tornados and the clouds I was seeing were not friendly.

"Alright, well.. it seems that the map I was looking at was not updated. In fact, there is a dangerous storm right on top of you. You're near Colby you say? The weather service says there is a tornado warning," Ben says this like a computer. He's not known to deliver bad news in an easy to hear way. I notice an exit ramp for downtown Colby and exit immedatly. The wind is blowing harder. I'm scared.

As I pull into town it looks nearly empty. Buisnesses are closing. Everyone appears to be going home. I notice a woman painting what looks like a mural on the side of a salon with a little girl standing next to her. Another artist maybe? Not having any other option I stop.

Still a little scared, I depirately introduce myself. "Hi, I'm Emily. I'm from St Louis and am traveling cross-country with a mobile art gallery. I've never seen a storm quite like this one. Not really sure where to go for shelter... do you have any suggestion? I don't know anyone in this town." She tells me not to be scared and explains that storms like this happen all the time. I'm told to wait as she walks towards the back of the salon with her daughter.

It seems to be taking her awhile or maybe time was just strange in that moment. I start talking to the two women cleaning the shop. They tell me to go to Wal-Mart since the salon is closing and so I leave.

About a 1/2 mile down the main street I noticed a local bar. Just as I pulled over a car pulls up behind me. Its the woman from the Salon. "You don't want to go in there. Beleave me," she seemed to notice my fear. "Don't worry I promise I'm not a serial killer. Besides, everyone around here knows me." She smiles. "Why don't you follow us to our house. I've got soda and food. Can't beleave those women told you to go to Walmart. That's not safe at all." She introduces herself. "I'm Devin."

I follow Devin to her aparment in a complex. Its simple but nice. There are art prints on the wall including Van Gogh and Klimt hainging next to family photos. I notice a family photo of her and her husband with a son and daughter. Everyone in the photo is smiling but her husband. There are art supplies covering the living room table including markers, paints, and pencils.

"It's a mess in here. I'm so sorry," she appologizes. "No need," I say. I notice a drawing on the table of an animated sugar cube holding a phone. It says "Ok Girls. Remember to use your suga voice." Its a good drawing. "Did you do this?" I ask. "Oh yeah," says Devin shyly. "I do a lot of the illustraitions around the shop. I love doing art but I'm not an artist," She says this quickly. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Well, you know... I don't call myself an artist. I did got to school for a few semesters. Always wish I could have gone to the Art Institute in Kansas City but then I had kids. I love my kids," she says this in a way that makes me think she still thinks about art school. "Its never to late," I say.

We end up talking for a while about our lives. She tells me about Colby and what its like growing up there, her kids, and seperating from her husband. Her daughter hangs out for a while and they goes to bed. She's 8 and has school in the morning. I'm quickly forgetting all about the storm blowing on the galss door. Its loud. "I should call my husband," she says after returning from putting her daughter to bed. The storm seems worse than usual and my son is with him. She talks for a while and then sits back on the couch. "Well... he tells me there is a wall of dirt. I'm not really sure what that means but its not good. Lots of cars on the side of the road, people taking cover. Its a good thing you stopped when you did. The storms get crazy out here sometimes." I am glad I stopped and that I met Devin.

The next hour went even faster. I was attempting to make it to Vale Colorado that night to a condo my friend Charle shares with several of his snowboarding buddies. Soon Devin and I got on the topic of tornados. She tells me about photos she took of a town in northern Kansas that was leveled in 2001. Soon she pulls them out of a drawer. The photos were taken with an SLR, some in black and white. "These are good photographs," I tell her. "Yeah?" asks Devin shyly. "Its been a long time since I've taken any. I really like photography." She speads them out on the kitchen table and tells me about them. "This X is for when no bodies are found," she's pointing to a large red X covering the front side of a delapidated house. I feel chills. "This photo is of the old man's car that died. Its crazy how these storms can do this." The car is lodged into a tree. She shows me about 20 or so photographs. All of them intense. The last one she shows me is of a nearly demolished unrecognizable building. "This was the Dairy Queen. 30 people survived hiding in the cooler." I had seen photos of tornado devistation and watched Hollywood movies but nothing compared to seeing these photos in person and hearing Devin explain them.

"I want you to have these," she tells me. "You like them and maybe you can do something with them. They've just been sitting here in this drawer." She hands me the photos, taking a few for herself. We talk for a while longer and I notice that the wind isn't blowing quite as hard. After a while I thank Devin and say goodbye.

2009-09-05T17:08:00.001-07:00

Behind on the blog again and so much has happened. Made it to Portland and spent a few days with old and new friends. Loving Vegan Food Carts, cuddling with Sandra and my former kitty Cleo, biking everywhere, Craft Night, Voodoo Doughnuts, cocktails made with real fruit, the Potato Captain, $1 vegan corndog night, and gardens as front yards. Oh yeah and I keep seeing art by Nikki McClure and absolutely love it. Had a show of sorts at Tender Loving Empire run by one of the cutest couples I think I've met in a while. They were super rad and let me set-up in their alleyway for the First Thursday event. Some really superb bands played that night too. The White Lighters had about 7 kids playing everything from guitars to xylophones and do this collective harmonic singing thing. The set was followed by an eloquant girl and her guitar. Her voice in some ways reminded me of Joanna Newsome but also containted a sofistication using multiple languages.

Trip Blog

2009-08-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

Running WAY behind on blogging. Somehow made it all the way to Washington State to Port Angeles. 2,000 miles. Giving most of the credit to my friend Iain who worked on van's brakes before I left St Louis. There is a piano in the coffee shop I'm sitting in, a girl just walked in and started playing Chopsticks and the Figgy Pudding Christmas song. Though I admittedly dislike both songs something about hearing them in this moment is making me laugh. So I guess this is a "sorry folks" traveling is too amusing to spend another afternoon on the computer. Here's why...

Elinore

2009-08-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

An hour before I left for the trip Elinore called me up bringing some Soft Serve, hot pink prints of elk and a tent to borrow for the trip. Holy Shit! Here's a hilarious interview with Elinore
check out if you have a minute. As for me, running out of writing energy. In Port Angeles Washington at a coffee shop full of non-ironic Mulled and bearded men. I think I love it here. She also performs with Skakrau Radio as seen here.

Arcadia and the Complex

2009-08-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Arcadia (my studio) and Floating Laboratories Studios are part of former pharmaceutical company built in the 1800s, portions of the complex are built in to the cliff.

SPORE Project was largely constructed at Arcadia, many of the other inhabitants contributed to this project. Thanks to Kevin Harris and Jacqueline Wallace of Floating Laboratories. Iain Disney of West Bank Auto, who specializes in classic cars, custom paint jobs and specialty vehicles. His latest acquisition is a ginormous monster truck. Thanks to Reis, an ambulance dispatcher and loft renter who has helped throughout the project with painting, general labor and support. Also thanks to Nina of Skif International and Robert Van Dillen who donated fabric for tent construction. Here's some photos of the complex.

SPORE send-off

2009-08-26T16:48:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday, we held a SPORE send-off event at Arcadia Studios and Floating Laboratories studios.

St Louis Urban Landscape & Space Adaptation Postcard Project

2009-08-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Jordan Hicks is a founding member and current inhabitant of Open Lot. A home, studio, and exhibition space in St. Louis, Missouri that occasionally hosts concerts and gallery exhibitions. The space is focused on art, design, and music, but we are open to other poss- ibilities. It is a converted yeast factory, located in the Lafayette square neighborhood. Open Lot was moved in and inaugurated in October 2007.

For SPORE, he's contributed a rough run of a series of postcards high- lighting unique uses of space throughout the city. Photographer Dave Johnson, a collaborator on the project is resp- onsible for many of photos.

Included in the series is a photo of the Ackno- wledge Mural on Cherokee St created by comm- unity artist, activist and visionary Lyndsey Scott. The mural, created by comm- unity members working along with Lyndsey was destroyed by a lone member of the neighborhood association who considered the piece to be an "eye-sore". Since the mural Lyndsey has continued to be a critical member of the Cherokee St community working on a slew of projects. Recently she has become the programing coordinator for CAMP (Community Arts and Media Project).

Another postcard highlights Artica is an outdoor multi- media art festival, parade and workshop series developed to provide the people of the St. Louis metropolitan area with the opportunity to come together as a community through creative self-expression.

The event takes place along the Mississippi riverfront in order to revitalize an area that has been polluted, neglected and abandoned for far too long. Although our audience is primarily all of the citizens of the St. Louis metropolitan area, the whole world is invited to attend and expected to participate as co-creators during the festival.

Artica 2002 from mmmelt on Vimeo.

Keith Buchholz and Fluxus St Louis

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Keith Buchholz and I met for the first time at event called Wall Ball, a fundraiser for a non-profit I work with, the South City Open Studios and Gallery (SCOSAG). That night I was wearing a red gingham apron while painting, Keith remarked that I would fit-in well with his kitchen. I laughed. Keith and his partner Paul have become good friends of mine. In many ways Keith is like an older brother, we often have weekly coffee dates in his apartment talking about art and sharing ideas. We became better friends this past year while in a fellowship program through the Regional Arts Commission this past year called CAT (Community Artist Training). Saint Louisians love their acronyms. He has contributed a set of poetry cards for SPORE.

Keith is a Fluxus artist and runs a publication known as Fluxus St Louis and Art Farm. Keith's blog is occasionally updated with shows and events. You can see a collection of his work online at the Flux Museum site. Keith will be in New York on September 11th for Flux Fest (see flier).

Fluxus is similar in spirit to the earlier art movement of Dada, emphasizing the concept of anti-art and taking jabs at the seriousness of modern art. Fluxus artists used their minimal performances to highlight their perceived connections between everyday objects and art. Fluxus art is often presented in "events" consisted of a minimal instruction, opening the events to accidents and other unintended effects.

The Fluxus artistic philosophy can be expressed as a synthesis of four key factors that define the majority of Fluxus work:

Fluxus is an attitude. It is not a movement or a style.
Fluxus is intermedia. Fluxus creators like to see what happens when different media intersect. They use found and everyday objects, sounds, images, and texts to create new combinations of objects, sounds, images, and texts.
Fluxus works are simple. The art is small, the texts are short, and the performances are brief.
Fluxus is fun. Humour has always been an important element in Fluxus.

Michael Allen and the Ecology of Absense

2009-08-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Met Micheal earlier this year after stalking his blog, the Ecology of Absence. Our first meeting was at Arcadia where we spent an afternoon exploring parts of the city near the studio. Michael's blog is well- known to many St Louisans and is often researched by historic preser- vationists. Michael might be best-known for discovering the plan of developer Paul Mckee in 2007 who is currently proposing a development plan for North St Louis that would result in the demolition of much of that portion of the city and displacement of current residents. Michael contributed several photographs to SPORE from the blog.

The Ecology of Absence is a voice for historic preservation and a chronicle of architectural change in the St. Louis region that started as a companion to the website of the same name. The blog focuses on changes in the built environment that come about as a city attempts to stem the deindustrialization, depopulation, shrinking public services and loss of architectural fabric that define the modern American urban condition. There is occasional coverage of other cities and rural areas. The site contains a great array of photographs as well as information available to anyone interested in these issues.

In 2007, Allen discovered that a developer Paul Mckee, was buying up hundreds of properties on St Louis's North Side using various companies one of which, Blairmont is currently proposing a development plan for North Side. The development would result in the demolition of much of the existing building in that part of the city as well as displacement of current residents many of whom have roots in the area dating generations. See the article here that was run in 2007 in the River Front Times (RFT) exposing the developer's plan to St Louis residents. Presently there are many residents throughout the city concerned with this development and actively working to stop it.

Sarah and Cam contriubute to SPORE

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The day before taking off for the trip, Cameron Fuller delicately stenciled an owl he designed for SPORE's hood using plastic with spray adhesive. A technique he learned as an adolescent skateboarder in the Northwest. Both Cam and his girlfriend Sarah Paulsen, who contributed an animation to the tour are friends of mine. Really loving how so many people in our community are coming together to work on projects over the past year or so. Cam is known for transforming spaces into multi dimensional dream-like worlds often containing clouds and tree houses using masking tape as a drawing medium. He also builds constructions including giant 3-D clouds and submarines out of cardboard. Recently he installed a gypsy wagon at Laumier Sculpture park in St Louis as part of an invite installation exhibition. His other project for the show included a gypsy tent with co-collaborator animator Sarah Paulsen who contributed her film Que Sera Sera for the tour.
See Cam's work on the Bespoke website, a gallery in Chelsea New York where he installed this past spring.

Que Sera Sera is an animation about two Mexican born St Louis youth, deported in 2007 after living in the US since toddler hood after a series of unfort- unate circum- stances. Sarah worked with the brothers on a community mural she organized in an area known as Cherokee Street several years before making the animation. Recently Sarah had a painting exhibition at Fort Gondo, a gallery in the same neigh- borhood with artist Eric Repice.

Sarah organized an art/community parade, the People's Joy Parade on Cinco de Mayo that culminated at the opening. A slew of photos are online though another great website connecting many of the artists and projects on this blog Cherokee Street News. Sarah, Eric and I co-organized the Chautauqua Art Lab which took place the week following. The event brought community artists, alternative space proprietors and musicians together for a week-long interactive lecture series at the gallery. Check out Sarahs's website at sarahpaulsen.com and her heartfelt blog at wanderlust.blogspot.com.

Massive Money Bags

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During SPORE's upcoming tour we invite anyone to create money bags for St Louis native, Stan Chisholm's current Massive Money Bag project which raises questions regarding wealth and value in a largely consumer driven society. In conjunction with Hyde Park art center the money bags will be assembled on a CTA train in Chicago this winter as part of a community/public art project. We will have bags available to stuff. You can follow this project and Stan's other projects though www.18andcounting.com.

Cranky Yellow

2009-08-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

Cranky Yellow, a huge contrib- utor to this project, brought in a box of goodies for the road. Cranky is located on nearby Cherokee St and is the only DIY craft artist-run shop of its kind in St Louis. What is Cranky Yellow? not an easy answer. I like to think of them as a quirky connector of local characters, their creations and other related oddities. Cranky also frequently hosts bands and gallery exhibitions in addition to their gargantuan store. Recently the shop was in Fiber Arts magazine after hosting the World's Largest Plush show in St Louis two Springs ago. Though yeah, this sound prestigious and all but the folks at Cranky are actually really low-key and humble about everything they've accomplished. Their website is one of my favorites online and is almost better than the actual store, almost. Here's a wee-little sampling of what the shop looks like as well as what was brought in for SPORE.

And the spires of clay rise

2009-08-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

Delicate clay spires converse with glass terrariums on an astro turf floor creating a futuristic juxta- position of natural and constructed environments inside the SPORE gallery. Simiya Sudduth and Leslie Macklin Rice arrived at dusk last night to construct the first installation inside SPORE. Though the work is appealing during the day nothing compares to the experience of viewing it at night with enough distance to take in the environments in context to the surrounding world. You can find more of Simiya's work at systematist.workpress.com and Leslie' at www.americassplenda.com .

Doorware and potatoes salesman strikes

2009-08-21T18:13:00.001-07:00

Eric showed up at the studio last night with these mysterious suitcases. He described his contribution to the project on the phone but I was a little skeptical until he opened them up. Truly delighted by these lightweight, durable objects made from paper. Potato fight anyone? Thanks Eric for pulling these out for the road. If you're interested in seeing more of what Eric does check out his website. Eric is currently working on PhD at Wash U on sociocultural anthropology, he has an art background and has a slew of projects posted on the site.

Robert Long completes the modular interior the SPORE gallery

2009-08-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

Last night was the end of a long haul resulting in this beaut of a box. This modular SPORE insert was created and designed by Robert Long. Not only is this a fantastic construction which fits flawlessly inside the minivan, there is a removable windows section so that the driver can still see the road. Genius! To see more of Robert's work check out his website here. Robert and I both have studios at Arcadia in St Louis; often resulting in long nights of random conversations, grain beverages and collaborations like this one. Still thinking our very best idea was a sled that involved duct tape and cardboard. It wasn't functional but it was lots of fun. Thanks Robert.

the evolving process

2009-08-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

Its coming together. Reis, an intense EMT and somewhat of a guru who lives in a loft below Arcadia, and I spent some and hour or so painting out the gallery box for the van. Generally our conversations form around some aspect of spirituality, which he has studied most of his life and openly discusses. Like many of the characters in the factory complex where Arcadia resides, he's been a solid friend and supporter.

The box has become a gorgeous origamic shape. Robert is installing the exterior walls later today so Simiya and Mac can begin installation. I'm not entirely sure what to expect but I'm sure it will be amazing. They were describing fragile towering ceramic shapes attached to the box through a strip of metal. Excited to see what it becomes and if it will withstand the drive.

Kara showed up around 10pm or so with a box of her picnic prints. As a reclamation of built environments she initiates picnics in public spaces and photographs them. A few months ago I attended one of her picnics under an overpass near the St Louis arch. Attended by friends, passerbyers and a slew of locals dwelling in nearby encampments. It was a nice mix of personalities and a lovely sharing of food. www.karaclarkholland

Kara Clark Holland

"My work is largely about my explor- ations of the various built environ- ments in which I have found myself, seeking to understand these places and my own responses to them. I seek to discover the hidden relationships between our visible surroundings and the social and cultural values that have created them, as well as to explore the resulting effects on our lived experience of a place. It is my intention to explore space as a psychogeographer, investigating the various and subtle ways in which the characteristics of the physical environment affect the human psyche.

Why do we feel more at home in some places and more alienated in others? What makes some places feel comfortable and delightful, and what makes other places decidedly not so? In exploring such questions, I seek to illuminate our relationship to the environments that we have made for ourselves, both how our shifting cultural values have shaped them and how we in turn are shaped by our built surroundings." - Kara Clark Holland

St Louis Dates

2009-08-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

SPORE @ Turkish Pavilion
Tower Grove Park, St Louis MO
Friday September 21st from 4pm- 7pm
SCOSAG's end of summer Bar-B-Q for camp families and friends

SPORE @ Arcadia/Floating World Studios
4528 W. Broadway, St Louis MO
Saturday September 22nd from 6-9pm
*Music and films start at 7pm w/ special guests

Much Gratitude

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Thanks to the following for their kind contributions:

Kevin at Floating Worlds Studio- equipment loan, recoding
Iain at West Bank Auto- minivan check-up
Cranky Yellow- tent loan, support

SPORE WISHLIST- We don't need this stuff forever, just the duration of the trip: non-leaking pop up tent, mini-van size bike rack, and a DVD projector. At $2.50 a gallon, we can always use gas money. Your support is greatly appreciated.

SPORE fall tour 2009

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S.P.O.R.E MOBILE GALLERY
Spontaneous Projects Orchestrating Relevant Exchange

SPORE Mobile Gallery is an aging 1998 Ford Windstar minivan converted into a mobile exhibition space with an interior installation gallery and performance/exhibition tent pioneered by Emily Hemeyer.

Event Information
Starting in late August-September, SPORE is traveling throughout the West Coast visiting a slew of public spaces, backyards, small venues, galleries and institutions. As part of the Cultural Ambassadry Interchange we'll be collecting photographs, stories and art from anyone and everyone who is circumstantially present at our (mostly) spontaneous events. Yes folks, we are stopping in quaint little college towns as well as large bustling cities. If you’d like us to host a visit shoot Emily an email at ghostsihavebeen@gmail.com.

Current Exhibition
Breaking Through the Ebbs of Collapse: Innovative small works by St Louis community artists, activists and collectives pertaining to the utilization of space and human interaction in regards to a futile urban landscape. Featuring works by Keith Buchholz (Fluxus St Louis), Cindy Tower, Sarah Paulsen, Eric Repeice, Simiya Sudduth, All Along Press, David Wolk (Cranky Yellow), Michael Allen (Ecology of Absence blog), Love O Rama Records, Cranky Yellow Artsits, Jeremy Kannaple and Jordan Hicks of Open Lot.

Media and Installations
Improvisational Soundscape Installation by Ghosts I Have Been. 40 min set. Ambient layers using hammered dulcimer, bells, glass bowls, saws and bowed objects combined with extended voice and throat singing techniques.

Que Sera, Sera? Film by Sarah Paulsen. A beautiful stop-motion animated documentary relaying the struggle of two undocumented Mexican youth dealing with immigration issues in St. Louis City.

Taxonomy: An Installation by Simiya Sudduth. Sudduth's work exploits the perceived notions of fragility and delicacy in regards to a permanent, industrial materials such as porcelain, threads and paper and comparing and contrasting these ideas with the reality of our fragile ecosystems and our connections {or a lack of} to living beings other than ourselves.

The Cultural Ambassadry Interchange Blog
Plug into the SPORE blog at http://sporeprojects.blogspot.com. In the next few weeks the blog will serve as an ongoing archive and share space throughout the project’s duration. We will also be updating our whereabouts at www.crankyyellow.com

SPORE invites you to participate in the Chicago Money Bag Project !!!
We invite you to donate "valuables" or create your own for inclusion in the MassiveMoneyBagsDrop in Chicago taking place in October for the Art On Track show where artists Stan Chisholm and Lisa See Kim will fill a Chicago CTA train car as aided by the Hyde Park Art Center.
www.dropmoneybags.blogspot.com

Minivan and Tent Cred
Interior Gallery Design- Robert Long
Hood Stencil- Cameron Fuller
Mechanisms- West Bank Auto
Tent Construction- Emily Hemeyer and Sam Kertz

Feed the Artists
Yes SPORE does accept donations such as food, housing, equipment, gas and we're currently in need of a projector. We suggest a $5-10 donation at events to help us out with these things and we'll never turn anyone away.

DATES
St Louis, MO- Saturday, Aug 22nd @ Arcadia Studios/Floating Laboratories 7- 10pm with music by Ghosts I Have Been and Kevin Harris
Lawrence, KS- Sunday Aug 23rd @ Solidarity
Vail, CO- Tuesday Aug 25th @ Chazmataz Attacks!! 9pm on 107.9 KLNX-LP
San Juan Islands, WA- Saturday, Aug 29 @ Islands Village Faire at Missing Mountains Farm
Portland, OR- Tuesday, Sept 1st- 3rd @ Sandra's House/TBA
Eugene, OR- Friday, Sept 4th @ Museum of UnFine Art
Oakland, CA- Monday, Sept 7th @ AK Press Warehouse
Albuquerque, NM- Thursday, Sept 10th @ TBA
Denver, CO- Friday, Sept 11th @ TBA
Kansas City, MO- Saturday, Sept 12th @ TBA
Columbia, MO- Sunday, Sept 13th @ TBA