Calling All Artists

WHAT: Hunger and Homelessness: Problems and Solutions
A Multimedia Exhibition

WHO: Presented by the USM Sociology Student Assoc.

WHEN: May 7, 2010 First Friday Artwalk, Portland, ME

WHERE: CTN 516 Congress St., Portland, ME

DETAILS: Confirmation of submissions due March 26th; completed project due April 30th.

FMI: Contact Asa Korsen @ 207.653.9391 / asa.korsen (at) maine.edu

No. 5

OK so here is an update on the project:

Last week Jamie and I attended the SSA meeting and discussed our problems and goals so far with the project. We need more people actively involved. our goal as most of you know was to have this event at the end of the current semester. Due to our organizational delays the plan is now the end of the academic year (May). I really hope that give some of you some time to compile work and maybe attend some meetings (SSA and otherwise). A little birdie informed me of Professor Dave Wagner's idea- having art done by the homeless. I love it...any further ideas?

BEEHIVECOLLECTIVE.ORG

The beehive collective is a collective of artists working for social change. Their hive is in Machias ME. Here is their mission statement:

"We are an all volunteer, non profit art-activist collective, dedicated to making anti-copyright images for use as educational tools. Our mission is to "cross-pollinate the grassroots." We value collaborative work, creative problem solving, and dismantling colonial mentality. As the bee metaphor dictates, we are endlessly busy in the effort to illuminate the connections between single issues and the "big picture." Our organism requires long hours, patience and a solid sense of humor, but is consistently surprising, rewarding and personally transformative."

No.4

The Winter Cache Project:

"The mission of the Winter Cache Project (WCP) is to free ourselves from a dependence on industrial agriculture and to increase our community food security by developing sustainable local food systems. By growing and storing our own food to last throughout the winter and educating ourselves about agricultural issues, we aim to create a working example of how we can come together as a community to provide for our basic needs by employing the principles of mutual aid, equal access, and self-determination."

WINTERCACHE.ORG

No. 3

The French Sociological art Collective was founded by Fred Forest, Jean-Paul Thénot and Hervé Fischer and had their manifesto published in the newspaper Le Monde. Its main purpose was using sociology to underpin artistic actions, or using artistic actions to elucidate sociological phenomena. One such action was the auctioning of a "artistic square meter" in 1976 to spoof the inflation of prices in the housing and art markets. The collective made heavy use of mass media and live performance using video, telephones, etc. (wikipedia)

No. 2

Anna Korsen has offered to help us out with putting the show up in monument square. She is on the board of MENSK ( mensk.org ). MENSK is an awesome organization that essentially helps cool, little, socially progressive groups or shows get where they need to be. I don't know too much about it but it seems to be like the business mind for the creative.

THANKS ANNA!

Even if we don't end up holding this in monument square having her help is going to be really wonderful.

we have two more recently recruited commrades, Zach and Abbey both are going to be heading the sound/ interview aspect of the project which is great. Baugher has offered to contribute a few photos, also great, and Carrie has offered to front the video.

Hell yes. It's coming together.

Of course the more the better so please keep emailing me with thoughts.

I would like to hold one more meeting over Pizza and Beer before we get into action.

would this Thursday Evening at Flatbread of Commercial st. work for most of you? I will also send an email out.

this is getting fun.

ALSO ON A SIDE NOTE.

don't forget the common ground fair next weekend!

www.mofga.org

No. 1

Welcome to the SOCART PROJECT blog. The socart project is a collective of sociology students who are interested in creating a public space outside of the classroom where we can engage ourselves and the community in a dialogue about social issues through means of art or visual sociology. This project is brand spankin new. We are slowly acquiring warm bodies....hopefully with more to come!

I created this blog as a means to keep everyone who is interested informed of the progress we have made, as I hope to update often.

So here is the most recent update!

- If you don't know already our theme is HUNGER. The route we have chosen to go with this theme is that of hunger and homelessness. within the next few weeks we hope to network and just hang out and chat with people involved in Preble Street Resource center, The adjacent Teen Center, Shelters, and Food Pantries. I also would like to talk to some folks around town who run community gardens and plan to donate food such as the Winter Cache Project. I think the urban agriculture movement is really something to focus on as far as addressing hunger and homelessness. If the urban poor were able to grow their own food... well, wow.

- We do not have a time or place where this event will be held but that is certainly in the process of happening. Ideally, it would be the first friday of December. Originally I was thinking about having it at SPACE gallery but that is proving more and more difficult. I haven't discussed this with Jamie yet but if its possible I am thinking about having a TRULY 'free to the public' event and creating an installation in Monument Square on first friday? Since this is art with a purpose that might be effective.

WE NEED YOU.

We need people to........

* hold interviews

* record conversations

* write short stories

* write poems

* write essays

* transcribe

* take pictures

* make videos

* ANY AND ALL FINE ART IS STRONGLY STRONGLY ENCOURAGED.

if you are interested in joining our project please contact us!!

Asa.Korsen@maine.edu

I will be updating the blog with meeting times, progress, stories, etc often so check back!

links to check out.....

preblestreet.org

wintercacheproject.blogspot.org

megperrycenter.com