The Laundromat Project http://laundromatproject.org Believing that tools of self-determination lie within creative practices, The Laundromat Project uses the space of local coin-ops to provide communities of color living on modest incomes with broad access to visual art as a tool of personal and social transformation. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:32:00 +0000 http://snappages.com en 4 Ways You Can Support The LP This Season http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/4-ways-you-can-support-the-lp-this-season http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/4-ways-you-can-support-the-lp-this-season Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:32:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/4-ways-you-can-support-the-lp-this-season Throw cash. Yes, we are shameless. It’s that time of year when we have only a few weeks to meet our year end goal. Our target is to raise $10,000 by Dec 31 and we’re confident supporters like you can help us reach this goal.

2. Throw cash. Yes, we are shameless. It’s that time of year when we have only a few weeks to meet our year end goal. Our target is to raise $10,000 by Dec 31 and we’re confident supporters like you can help us reach this goal.

2. Buy a limited edition print for someone special. Looking for an exceptional gift for someone on your list? Did you miss our past Soapbox events when each edition was unveiled? It’s not too late to purchase works by Jayson Keeling, Rudy Shepherd, and Mickalene Thomas.

3. Donate an item from our “wish list.” Powered by Amazon, you can choose from art supplies, office equipment, and more. When you resource our programs and staff with the supplies they need to operate, we have more cash to focus on serving more communities.

4. Sign up to volunteer. We are always looking for everyday people to get involved with The LP. Whether you are someone who has never set foot in an art studio or have a long background in the arts, whether you have professional skills you would like to offer or simply an extra set of hands—your time is money and we appreciate any time you can give to advance this mission.

]]> Creating a New Generation of Arts and Social Justice Professionals... http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/creating-a-new-generation-of-arts-and-social-justice-professionals http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/creating-a-new-generation-of-arts-and-social-justice-professionals Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/creating-a-new-generation-of-arts-and-social-justice-professionals
We are committed to improving the quality of life and fostering creativity for the families and residents of the many neighborhoods of New York, but we also help to launch careers! In addition to connecting socially engaged artists with opportunities to share and develop their work, we have had the chance to encourage many students and young professionals on their way to careers in arts administration and non-profits.

Through programs like NYC Service Civic Corps and our internship program, we were not only able to increase our capacity but also to work closely with talented and motivated young professionals, helping them to develop their skills, and refine their specific interests. Former LP volunteers and interns have since taken off in careers ranging from law to arts administration to working in the non-profit education sector.

LP founder Rise Wilson continues to demonstrate this aspect of our mission through numerous speaking engagements to a wide range of audiences. At recent talks like Everyone Leads: Building Community through the Arts and They’ve Got Next: Arts Professionals Who Are Charting Their Own Path and Advancing the Field Along the Way, she has continued to offer advice and guidance to those interested in combining their passions and finding a way to bridge the fields of art and social justice.

Want to help more people chart a path with purpose? Please consider giving to our year-end campaign.

]]> LP Create Change Public Artists in Residence Across the Country and Beyond http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/lp-create-change-public-artists-in-residence-across-the-country-and-beyond http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/lp-create-change-public-artists-in-residence-across-the-country-and-beyond Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:46:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/13/lp-create-change-public-artists-in-residence-across-the-country-and-beyond Housing is a Human Right to Philadelphia's Chinatown this past summer, after previous runs in New Orleans [...]]]> Housing is a Human Right to Philadelphia's Chinatown this past summer, after previous runs in New Orleans and South Africa. CC ‘10 alum Bayeté Ross Smith piloted Got the Power during his residency, which he has since traveled to Baltimore and Minnesota.

Bayete Ross Smith and Got the Power: From New York to Minnesota

While a 2010 LP Create Change Public Artist in Residence, artist, photographer, and educator Bayeté Ross Smith launched his project Got the Power, in which he uses ambient sound, music, and oral history to create mixtape portraits of American communities. Ross Smith travels to historically-significant neighborhoods and invites community members, young and old, to collaborate in making a mixtape which archives their favorite songs and stories. The tapes can then be played through a tower of boom boxes built at each site, resulting in an accessible and site-specific work that offers its collaborators an opportunity to record their own history.

Ross Smith started Got the Power in his Washington Heights laundromat, but has traveled the project to two other American cities since his LP residency. He collaborated with Baltimore-based curator Raquel DeAnda to mount the project at ROOTS Fest 2011, collecting oral histories and creating a mixtape and tower unique to the people of West Baltimore. This summer he was also a FSP/Jerome Fellow at Franconia Sculpture Park in Franconia Minnesota, where he constructed a Minnesota version of the boom box tower and two Minnesota mixtapes: "A Twin Cities" mixtape and "Rural Minnesota" mixtape. All of these projects continue online, and Ross Smith is eager to mount it in new cities across the country.

Office of Human Rights: An exhibition with Asian Arts Alliance in Philadelphia

From June 2 to July 2, 2011, The Laundromat Project collaborated with the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia to present the exhibition Office of Human Rights. Former LP Create Change Public Artist in Residence Michael Premo kicked off his ongoing multimedia project Housing is a Human Right
in 2009 with an exhibition and listening party at a laundromat in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, before expanding the project to an international stage where such cities and countries as New Orleans, Philadelphia, and South Africa were able to experience Premo's multidimensional project.

In partnership with Asian Arts Initiative and Premo, The Laundromat Project was able to organize an exhibition featuring over 50 photographs, town hall meeting, film screening, storytelling workshops and oral history training, and oral history interviews with local residents of the North Chinatown and Callowhill neighborhoods. Housing is a Human Right brought awareness to the struggle of community members to obtain and maintain a place called "home," and to build a collective definition of what home means to the people of Philadelphia’s Chinatown, and beyond.

Do you want to see more art in communities of color and low income communities? Please consider giving to our year-end campaign.

Images: (above) Bayete Ross Smith builds his boombox sculpture at Franconia Sculpture Park in Franconia, Minnesota; (below) Michael Premo and Rachel Falcone introduce Housing is a Human Right to Philadelphia residents.

]]> 2011 Round Up http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/10/2011-round-up http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/10/2011-round-up Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:31:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/10/2011-round-up
Residents in our Create Change Public Artist Residency
mounted projects in their laundromats that ranged from creating an ESOL classroom for Spanish speakers to installing a postcard carousel that included the artist’s neighbors’ drawings, photographs, and thoughts about their changing neighborhood.

Our team of teaching artists lead drop-in art workshops that ranged from printmaking to kaleidoscope making at our partner laundromat in Harlem. At a Brooklyn laundromat, we invited Brooklyn-based organization Adopt-a-Farmbox to teach a workshop titled “Make Your Own Planter Out of Household Materials,” and partnered with NYFA Immigrant Artist Project to lead a day of workshops and demonstrations focused on environmental awareness, urban farming and beautification in the garden of Weeksville Heritage Center.

We participated in the New Museum’s Festival of Ideas and BedStuy Alive’s Restoration Rocks festival where we brought our silkscreening workshop to folks on the Bowery in Manhattan and BedStuy in Brooklyn.



And, we also partnered with Art for Change, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!), Global Action Project (GAP), Hip-Hop Theater Festival, Lambent Foundation, Maysles Institute, NYFA Immigrant Artist Project, and Union Square Awards, to host the first Social Justice Artists' Convening, which took place at El Museo del Barrio.

The day-long convening brought together New York-based arts organizations, artists, and supporting funders in an unprecedented opportunity to create community among those doing work at the intersection of arts and social justice. Through cutting-edge performances and dynamic workshops designed to mobilize for impact, the goal of this unprecedented gathering by artists working with low-income communities is to ensure that those most affected by injustice have creative supports and networks for generating change.

Inspired? Please consider giving to our year-end campaign.

]]> Who Says Our Workshops Are Just For Kids? http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/05/who-says-our-workshops-are-just-for-kids http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/05/who-says-our-workshops-are-just-for-kids Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:52:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/12/05/who-says-our-workshops-are-just-for-kids More pictures>>>



Do you think more workshops like this should exist? Please consider giving to our year-end campaign.

]]> New Artist Talk Series: Dispatches from the Square http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/11/22/new-artist-talk-series-dispatches-from-the-square http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/11/22/new-artist-talk-series-dispatches-from-the-square Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:06:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/11/22/new-artist-talk-series-dispatches-from-the-square Bayeté Ross Smith in Conversation with Tahir Hemphill (Moderated by Ben Herson)

Wed, December 7, 2011 | 7pm – 9pm
NYFA, 20 Jay Street, 7th Floor, DUMBO, Brooklyn

The socio-political concept of the "town square" has been reinvigorated by the recent protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square and by [...]]]> Bayeté Ross Smith in Conversation with Tahir Hemphill (Moderated by Ben Herson)

Wed, December 7, 2011 | 7pm – 9pm
NYFA, 20 Jay Street, 7th Floor, DUMBO, Brooklyn

The socio-political concept of the "town square" has been reinvigorated by the recent protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square and by our country’s own Occupy Wall Street movement. The Laundromat Project's new artist talk series Dispatches from the Square features artists who use their creative practice to make pop-up and permanent “town squares” that stimulate public dialogue and action on a range of issues. The series also highlights artists who collaboratively make artwork with non-artists as a strategy for creating more livable societies.

Join Create Change Public Artist in Residence alum Bayeté Ross Smith and multi-media artist Tahir Hemphill for a conversation about how they have used hip-hop as a platform to create new work that engages, mobilizes, and documents local and global communities. Moderated by Ben Herson, Founder and Director of Nomadic Wax.

Image: Bayeté Ross Smith, Got the Power: Minnesota, 2011
____________________________________________________________________________

Bayeté Ross Smith is a New York-based artist, photographer, and educator. As a participant in The Laundromat Project’s Create Change Public Artist Residency program in 2010, Ross Smith launched his project Got the Power, which collects samples of ambient sound, music, and oral histories in order to create portraits of American communities. He is represented by beta pictoris gallery/Maus Contemporary.

New York-based artist Tahir Hemphill founded the Hip-Hop Word Count™, a searchable ethnographic database built from the lyrics of over 40,000 Hip-Hop songs from 1979 to present day. Hemphill uses the database to create visualizations and infographics that help analyze and interpret musical trends and cultural data. His work is currently included in the Talk to Me exhibition at MoMA.

Ben Herson is the founder and director of Nomadic Wax – a global hip-hop record label and production company dedicated to recording, documenting and presenting hip-hop and underground music from around the world.

]]> Eat, Drink, Think, and Be Merry at our 2nd Annual Public Art Potluck http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/09/22/eat-drink-think-and-be-merry-at-our-2nd-annual-public-art-potluck http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/09/22/eat-drink-think-and-be-merry-at-our-2nd-annual-public-art-potluck Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:44:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/09/22/eat-drink-think-and-be-merry-at-our-2nd-annual-public-art-potluck Thursday, September 29, 2011 | 6pm-9pm
2nd Annual Public Art Potluck

Taller Boricua Puerto Rican Workshop
Julia De Burgos Latino Cultural Center 

1680 Lexington Avenue (and 106th Street)

New York, NY 10029

Buy Your [...]]]>
Thursday, September 29, 2011 | 6pm-9pm
2nd Annual Public Art Potluck

Taller Boricua Puerto Rican Workshop
Julia De Burgos Latino Cultural Center 

1680 Lexington Avenue (and 106th Street)

New York, NY 10029

Buy Your Ticket | $35 includes dinner and drinks
There is limited seating. Purchase your tickets in advance. Ticket purchase will be available, but not guaranteed at the door. Cash and credit card accepted.

Eat, Drink, Think and Be Merry with us at next week's 2nd Annual Public Art Potluck. We're serving up some delicious locally-sourced food which include a dream taco bar and bacon cotton candy prepared by Chef Berlin Reed, The Ethical Butcher. There will also be drinks and plenty-o-conversation with this year's Create Change Public Artists in Residence and Professional Development Fellows. Last year's guest had a great time, so don't miss out on this year's feast.

MEET THE 2011 CREATE CHANGE PUBLIC ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

Hector Canonge
Neighborhood: Inwood, New York

During his residency Hector transformed his Inwood laundromat into The Inwood Laundromat Language Institute (TILLI) where he taught his Spanish speaking neighbors English.

Image: Students listen while Hector teaches at The Inwood Laundromat Language Institute.

LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs

Neighborhood: Harlem, New York

In her project My Very Own Porch on Ipanema Corner, LaTasha explored the social ecosystem of her bustling block corner, which is marked by the Ipanema Laundromat, through printed ephemera and video.


Image: portrait of LaTasha Diggs

Jabari Owens-Bailey
Neighborhood: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

Jabari continued his ongoing exploration of the African-American migration experience in his project Dispersing Planes II.


Image: Jabari transforms African textiles into paper planes in Dispersing Planes I.


Karina Aguilera Skvirsky
Neighborhood: Jersey City, New Jersey

By using the historical legacy of her local laundromat's building as a point of depature, Karina explored the metamorphosis of her Jersey City neighborhood in her project Ask Me: Tell Me.

Image: Karina records her neighbor's story at Lucky Laundromat in Jersey City.

Micki Wantanabe Spiller
Neighborhood: Woodside, Queens

In response to public linrary budget cuts, Micki's project A Woodside Walk: Bubbles and Books Micki engaged her neighbors in a series of literacy-based activities that took place in and around her local laundromat.

Image: A mother reads to her son in Micki's project A Wodside Walk.

MEET BERLIN REED, THE ETHICAL BUTCHER

Berlin Reed is the butcher, chef and writer behind the The Ethical Butcher and heads up Digital Meat & Media for the Butcher's Guild. His practice has been driven by personal relationships with small local farmers, a deep love of food, respect for the animals we eat and the environment on which we depend. As a ex-vegetarian of 14 years, he has made staying true to these tenets his goal as he travels the country meeting farmers, preparing community dinners and sharing his experiences through his blog and upcoming film & book projects. READ MORE

EVENT SPONSORS

This event is made possible through our generous venue sponsor Taller Boricua Puerto Rican Workshop with beer provided by Peak Organic Brewing Company.

]]> Mud Balls, Double Digging, Mobile Gardens, Oh My! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/07/15/mud-balls-double-digging-mobile-gardens-oh-my http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/07/15/mud-balls-double-digging-mobile-gardens-oh-my Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:27:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/07/15/mud-balls-double-digging-mobile-gardens-oh-my Weeksville Heritage Center. The LP and NYFA Immigrant Artist Project have been planning this day of greening and urban beautification workshops for a little while now and we hope this is just the beginning. Take a closer look at what's [...]]]> Weeksville Heritage Center. The LP and NYFA Immigrant Artist Project have been planning this day of greening and urban beautification workshops for a little while now and we hope this is just the beginning. Take a closer look at what's been planned for this day of weekend fun.

Where: Weeksville Heritage Center, 1698 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11213
When: Saturday, July 30, 2011 | 12pm - 5pm
Cost: Free and open to the public

RSVP here

From 12pm to 4pm drop into any one of these workshops and stick around for a big ole' picnic in Weeksville's Garden from 4pm to 5pm (BYO small dish):

Making an Apartment Planter with Household Materials
Yemi Amu and Aki Hirata-Baker, Adopt-a-Farmbox

Why throw away your perfectly 'good', non-degradable garbage? Use items like plastic water bottles, detergent bottles and old newspaper to create planters to take home! Bring your clean empty bottles and we'll provide the rest.

How to Solarize A Toy
Jocelyn Cohen, PhD, Sustainable Flatbush Energy Solutions Project Manager

In this basic intro to solar-electric projects we will use a small multi-meter to test the current and voltage of mini-solar panels to figure out the power requirements of a small toy or electronic device. Join us as we wire panels together to make a toy run on solar.

DIY: Tips on how to make your Home Sustainable
Jay-E Emmingham and Rasu Jilani, Pratt Center for Community Development

How can communities play their part in becoming more conscious of sustainable living? Join us to learn more about sustainable energy, weatherization techniques for your home or apartment and how to make your own cleaning products. We will also provide information about free home energy audits for homeowners and other ways to stay involved. Special guest David Magid from You Save Green will also provide information about free home energy audits for homeowners and other ways to stay involved.

Double Digging to Grow More in Less Space
Jason Gaspar, Artist and Farmer

Jason Gaspar will share the process of double digging, some information on soil remediation and the benefits of companion planting. Stick around for his guacamole making workshop at the end of the day, which will take place right before the Seeding the City potluck.

Learn the Benefits of Permaculture
Claudia Joseph, Environmental Educator, Consultant, and Artist

Claudia will highlight some permaculture techniques for gardening in difficult spaces. Permaculture is a design practice that emphasizes the relationship between people and elements in a landscape and turns waste into benefit.
Her beautiful photographs will show you how.

Learn how to Purify Water with Microbial Mud Balls
Miki Katagiri, Dee Dee Maucher and Shig Matsukawa, Artists

Join Miki as she makes mudballs made of bokashi and dirt. By fermenting a concoction of molasses, effective microorganisms and water and later mixing with dirt, these mudballs break down lignin, fibers, cellulose, and chitin and suppresses pathogens in water. Simply put - these mudballs can break down the bad stuff in water and make it potable!

Learn How to Build a Mobile Garden
Tattfoo Tan, Artist

This workshop will show you easy strategies for making a mobile garden. No experience needed, just come with a creative mind and bring any
found objects with wheels. These include, office chairs, luggage, strollers, skateboards, etc. Plants and tools will be provided. At the end of the workshop, you’ll also be certified as a Mobile Gardener.

]]> The LP + NYFA Immigrant Artist Project teach you how to live green... http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/30/the-lp-nyfa-immigrant-artist-project-teach-you-how-to-live-green http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/30/the-lp-nyfa-immigrant-artist-project-teach-you-how-to-live-green Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:30:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/30/the-lp-nyfa-immigrant-artist-project-teach-you-how-to-live-green
12 - 4pm - Attend 8 free workshops that teach you how to cultivate and beautify your spaces using a variety of environmentally responsible strategies.

4 - 5pm - Join us for a potluck picnic in Weeksville's Garden

Workshops Include:
  • Learn the Benefits of Permaculture with Environmental Educator Claudia Joseph
  • Solarize a Toy with Sustainable Flatbush’s Energy Solutions Project Manager Jocelyn Cohen, PhD
  • Double Digging To Grow More In Less Space with artist and farmer Jason Gaspar
  • Learn How To Build a Mobile Garden with artist Tattfoo Tan
  • Get Dirty to Get Clean: Purifying Water with Microbial Mud Balls with artist Miki Katagiri
  • DIY: Tips on How to Make Your Home Sustainable with Pratt Center for Community Development’s Jay-E Emmingham & Rasu Jilani
  • Portable Solar Panel Demo on Sustainable Energy with You Save Green’s David Magid
  • Making an Apartment Planter with Household Materials with Adopt-A-Farmbox’s Aki Harata-Baker and Yemi Amu

Weeksville will also have their Farmer's Marker from 9am to 2pm.

This program is made possible in part by NYFA Immigrant Artist Project, Brooklyn Arts Council, and Weeksville Heritage Center.

]]> Boomboxes + Mixtapes: Got The Power at ROOTS Fest 2011 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/29/boomboxes-mixtapes-got-the-power-at-roots-fest-2011 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/29/boomboxes-mixtapes-got-the-power-at-roots-fest-2011 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:53:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/29/boomboxes-mixtapes-got-the-power-at-roots-fest-2011
The sights, stories and sounds of the West Baltimore community came alive with the help of LP ‘10 Create Change alumnus Bayeté Ross Smith's project Got the Power (formerly Community as Boombox) and other artists at ROOTS Fest 2011.

For five days in June, tens of thousands of people made history at ROOTS Fest 2011, a celebration of community, creativity, culture and connection in West Baltimore. Joined by nationally-renowned artists and performers, the West Baltimore community took over the 52 acres of green space that sit atop the “Highway to Nowhere,” which is an incomplete highway that divided a thriving West Baltimore community 40 years ago, splitting it into two halves.

ROOTS Fest kicked off with Arts, Culture & Creativity: A National Learning Exchange, a three-day national dialog on art, culture, community organizing and empowerment. This event, which took place June 22-24, was an opportunity for collaboration between artists, community members, elected leaders and many more. This exchange was followed by a weekend of free events at the outdoor festival.

By documenting oral histories and re-inserting the presence of displaced communities directly affected by the “Highway to Nowhere” within the West Baltimore landscape, Ross Smith and others hosted a variety of workshops and interviews that informed two site-specific projects.

(Above: Portrait of West Baltimore resident Waymon LeFall)

In the first portion of the project, artists recorded 15 individual sound pieces to shed light on the concept of home, the effects of displacement and relocation, changes that have occurred in the West Baltimore neighborhood, and a community’s vision for the future. A site specific portrait taken by Bayeté accompanies each individual's oral history.

At the beginning of June through late July, these images will be installed as a set of three large scale, 4’ x 3’ vinyl banners at five historic parks and buildings in the West Baltimore area. Using an open source, call-in technology, each image will include a telephone number that passersby can call from their cell phones to be automatically connected to the individuals pre-recorded oral history.

The second component to the project, Got the Power, involves the use of the content acquired from the interview process, as well as existing source material such as historic speeches and music. A sound producer from the Baltimore area work to edit a 20-minute soundscape, which will be emitted from a fabricated boom box tower measuring 10’ tall and 4’ wide, creating an artistic exploration through the cultural landscape of a West Baltimore Community.

See pictures of the boombox tower from past Got the Power events and hear the first mixtape that got this project started.


]]> Create Change starts with a workshop by Citizens Committee of New York http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/04/create-change-starts-with-a-workshop-by-citizens-committee-of-new-york http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/04/create-change-starts-with-a-workshop-by-citizens-committee-of-new-york Sat, 04 Jun 2011 13:43:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/04/create-change-starts-with-a-workshop-by-citizens-committee-of-new-york
(Left: Arif [...]]]>
(Left: Arif leads a workshop on the fundamentals of community organizing)

Wed, June 1
Community Organizing
Presented by Citizens Committee of New York (Lead Facilitator: Arif Ullah)

This workshop addressed the fundamentals of community organizing, which include: issue identification, establishing a purpose and vision, strategic planning, organizing outreach and participation, evaluation, and leading community meetings.

Sat, June 25
Entering, Building and Exiting Community
Presented by Urban Bush Women (Lead Facilitator: Paloma McGregor)

Entering, Building and Exiting Community teaches others to enter a community by first asking community members to express what they want to see accomplished instead of entering with predetermined assumptions about participation, project themes or goals. The workshop also invites participants to consider their own agency when working in communities whether it is their own or someone else's.

Sat, July 16
Writing Workshop: Writing for Multiple Audiences
Presented by Patricia Beirne

This workshop invites participants to explore writing about their work for
different audiences, including a local community, an art institution, and a
potential partner.

Wed, July 27
Ethics and Strategies of Oral History Collection
Presented by Weeksville Heritage Center (Lead Facilitator: Kaitlyn Greenidge)

This workshop addresses ethics and best practices of oral history collection.
Using Weeksville Heritage Center collection strategies as a point of departure,
participants will explore techniques in collecting their own stories.

Wed, Aug 24
The America Project
Presented by MAPP International

MAPP International will present Sekou Sundiata's American Project, which was conceived on in 2001 as a shared contemplation of America's national identity, its power in the world, and its guiding mythologies.

Wed, Sept 7
Making Your Public Art Projects More Public Using the Web
Presented by Dread Scott

This workshop addresses strategies in increasing web traffic to an artist's website and offers tools and brief how-tos for building a successful participatory-based website that can further develop an existing participatory project that does not already live on the web.

]]> The LP in Philly and Harlem this week http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/03/the-lp-in-philly-and-harlem-this-week http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/03/the-lp-in-philly-and-harlem-this-week Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:28:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/03/the-lp-in-philly-and-harlem-this-week The Office of Human Rights | June 2 – 9
Asian Arts Initiative
1223 Vine Street, Philadelphia

Opening Reception / Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, June 2, 6 – 9 pm

In a world polarized by race, class, religion, and other tensions, our communities may feel increasingly fragmented. But one thing we all [...]]]> The Office of Human Rights | June 2 – 9
Asian Arts Initiative
1223 Vine Street, Philadelphia

Opening Reception / Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, June 2, 6 – 9 pm

In a world polarized by race, class, religion, and other tensions, our communities may feel increasingly fragmented. But one thing we all have in common is the need for Home—be it a roof to keep out the rain, or a healthy community where we all can pursue our dreams.

Co-presented by the Asian Arts Initiative and the Laundromat Project, artists Michael Premo and Rachel Falcone of Housing is a Human Right bring you The Office of Human Rights. The exhibit features over 50 photographs exploring the struggle for Home, stories-in-sound, and live remixing of your stories by DJ SpazeCraft One.

Oral History Interviews & Storytelling Workshops
This weekend Premo and Falcone will interview local residents and teach participants of all ages how to conduct their own in-depth oral-history interviews. RSVP here>>>

Visit The Office of Human Rights>>>

Barri-o-rama | Friday, June 3, 6-9 pm
Taller Boricua / Puerto Rican Workshop, Inc.
1680 Lexington Avenue, East Harlem

Silkscreen a tote bag with LP Faculty Shani Peters at the opening of Barri-o-rama, an exhibit celebrating East Harlem. Artist Hatuey Ramos Fermin and others will explore challenges in healthy eating in East Harlem, concentrating on the role that bodegas, delis, farmers' markets, green carts, local gardens, and supermarkets play in the community.

Celebrate East Harlem and healthy eating>>>

Works in Progress | Kaleidoscopia: Harlem Refracted
Sunday, June 5, 12-3pm
The Laundry Room
143 West 116th Street, Harlem

Led by Kiran Chandra

Optical illusions come into play as we create our community-inspired kaleidoscopes. Channel your childhood while meditating on Harlem’s landscape by making a kaleidoscope with us this weekend.

Make art with your friends and neighbors>>>

]]> Learn to sew and mend! Promote knowledge and love... http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/03/learn-to-sew-and-mend-promote-knowledge-and-love http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/03/learn-to-sew-and-mend-promote-knowledge-and-love Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:12:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/06/03/learn-to-sew-and-mend-promote-knowledge-and-love
June 26 - September 5, 2011, view work by LP Faculty Shani Peters at the Bronx Museum in Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial, held in conjunction with the museum’s AIM (Artist in the Marketplace) program for emerging artists. 72 artists, including Peters, will show work in this exhibition. On view is her project We Promote Knowledge & Love, which gathers inspiration from the street advertising of pawnbrokers in low-income communities but promotes knowledge, love, and other pillars of a healthy neighborhood through print and performance-based works. Shani will also lead a jewelry-making workshop through Works in Progress (WiP) for The LP on July 31st as an extension of this work. See the WiP schedule here and read more about her work here.



Learn hand sewing and mending on Governor’s Island at FIGMENT NYC 2011 with Mending Circle on June 10th and 11th (find them at the big patchwork quilt under the tree). Mending Circle is a collaboration between Sewing Rebellion NYC (which Maya Valladares organizes) and the Textile Arts Center.

Through June 12th, stop by a pick up a silkscreened patch from LP Faculty Maya Valladares to take home at Good Work, a fiber arts show at the Oak Knit Studio/Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn that celebrates textile works and textile workers. Maya and others react to issues that have affected these workers and their craftsmanship, including gender, politics, immigration, and more. Find out how to visit on the Textile Arts Center website.

Through July 9, LP Faculty members Kathleena Howie-Garcia and Kiran Chandra and LP Create Change Professional Development Fellow Elvira Clayton’s work at the Art for Change Gallery in the exhibition Faces of the Economy, which focuses on how the pressures of the economy affect the lives of individuals locally. Current pressures such as outsourcing of jobs overseas, lack of an adequate living wage against rising housing costs, and low job security are explored visually in various mediums.

]]> Missed Festival of Ideas for the New City? New York Times Take a Look http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/05/20/missed-festival-of-ideas-for-the-new-city-new-york-times-take-a-look http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/05/20/missed-festival-of-ideas-for-the-new-city-new-york-times-take-a-look Fri, 20 May 2011 14:30:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/05/20/missed-festival-of-ideas-for-the-new-city-new-york-times-take-a-look
May 7th brought thousands of New Yorkers and visitors together to enjoy food, music, and - most importantly - the beautiful weather at New Museum’s StreetFest, a one-day outdoor event along the Bowery held as part of the Festival of Ideas for the New City. The streets were lined with slinky, neon tents, called “Worms,” which housed tables for arts organizations, sustainable gardening and food programs, and other entities from across the city. (Read the New York Times article about the event.

We met with community members and festival goers who joined The LP for “Mixtapes + Totebags.” For eight hours, we worked with volunteers and LP Faculty Shani Peters to offer silkscreening workshops where visitors decorated their own tote bags with designs created for the event. ‘10 LP Create Change alumnus Bayeté Ross Smith encouraged attendees to add their favorite songs to the Bowery mixtape playlist, which is part of his project Got The Power, which amplifies ambient sound, music, and oral history mashups of American communities through a boombox tower.

This summer, Bayeté will also bring Got The Power to Franconia Sculpture Park in MN, where he’ll be a Franconcia Sculpture Park/Jerome Fellow.

Listen to Got the Power mixtapes here and here.

]]> The LP on blast http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/05/04/the-lp-on-blast http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/05/04/the-lp-on-blast Wed, 04 May 2011 13:35:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/05/04/the-lp-on-blast New York Times article that plugs The LP in a feature about the [...]]]> New York Times article that plugs The LP in a feature about the festival.

Last March Huffington Post writer Damiano Beltrami brought The LP to folks across the country. If you missed the story, catch up on what he had to say here.

And, see what people are saying about The LP in the blogosphere:

Noted: The Laundromat Project, posted on Etsy's blog, "This Handmade Life," by Michelle Traub

Art & The Laundromat, posted on Chrissy Gemmill Jewelry by Chrissy Gemmill

The Laundromat Project, posted on Ive Been Funked Underground Arts Journal by Julia Perez

Friday's Lovelies, 4.1.11, posted on Kind Over Matter by Amanda Oaks

]]> May 7th Festival of Ideas for the New City - Tote bags for a Heterogeneous City http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/27/may-7th-festival-of-ideas-for-the-new-city-tote-bags-for-a-heterogeneous-city http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/27/may-7th-festival-of-ideas-for-the-new-city-tote-bags-for-a-heterogeneous-city Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:04:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/27/may-7th-festival-of-ideas-for-the-new-city-tote-bags-for-a-heterogeneous-city
Artists (left to right): Ronny Quevedo, Shani Peters, Piero Passacantando, Rudy Shepherd

The Festival of Ideas for the New City
Saturday, May 7, 11am-7pm
Booth #36 at StreetFest
east side of Bowery (between Stanton and Rivington)

Join The LP at The Festival of Ideas for the New City for "Mixtapes and Tote Bags." Come jam ‘90s style! Add your music to LP alum Bayeté Ross Smith's Bowery mixtape. Screenprint a totebag responding to the festival themes: The Heterogeneous City; The Networked City; The Reconfigured City; and The Sustainable City. Check out our blog post from the Festival of Ideas website below.


Visual Notes on the Heterogeneous City

The existence of a heterogeneous city is contingent on living with mixed national, ethnic, and economic populations. Is this the ideal city? What is the influence each community has on each other? Do the effects of living amongst different cultures actually make a complex, yet rich, community?

We invited four artists to respond to this festival theme and ponder these questions.

In Spanish and Spanglish, Ronny Quevedo’s work transcribes a chant to the Lower East Side that says, “1, 2, 3 Lower East Side.” Rudy Shepherd’s contribution, a line drawing of Henry David Thoreau, begs the catalytic question, “Who is that?” which prompts an answer that leads to a discussion about Thoreau’s legacy and how his contribution to American history made the United States into a more heterogeneous country. Piero Passacantando’s pattern illustrates black and halftone fusing circles that emerge from a white backdrop, while Shani Peters’ four chained name plates render the words, “wisdom,” “knowledge,” “power,” and “love” – four concepts that she promotes like a pawnbroker in a performance that started on Harlem’s 125th Street in 2010.

Quevedo’s and Passacantando’s contributions offer ideas on how living with disparate communities can create a cultural osmosis that eventually yields a hybridized identity. Shepherd’s and Peters’ illustrations reference differing, but equally important, ideologies that each community should consider any time there is a demographic change on the horizon.

Varying in their approaches, each contribution lends a poignant perspective, which leads us to the conclusion that difference paired with tolerance equals the ultimate heterogeneous community.

For $15, you can silkscreen one of the four illustrations on to a Laundromat Project tote bag. We’ll be on Bowery between Stanton and Rivington. See you this Saturday!

1, 2, 3 Festival of Ideas for the New City!

]]> LP Faculty News - Check out their work! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/09/lp-faculty-news-check-out-their-work http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/09/lp-faculty-news-check-out-their-work Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:44:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/09/lp-faculty-news-check-out-their-work team of artists who support and deliver our art workshops and other programs. Here's a snapshot of what they have cooking over the next few months. Find out where you can see their work near you! [...]]]> team of artists who support and deliver our art workshops and other programs. Here's a snapshot of what they have cooking over the next few months. Find out where you can see their work near you!

From April 15-July 9, see Kathleena Howie-Garcia’s work at the Art for Change Gallery in Faces of the Economy, which focuses on how the pressures of the economy affect the lives of individuals locally. Current pressures such as outsourcing of jobs overseas, lack of an adequate living wage against rising housing costs, and low job security are explored visually in various mediums.

Kathleena will also participate in the 5th Annual Mott Haven Artist Open Studio Tour on April 30. A free trolley will start at Longwood Art Gallery, and whisk visitors to studios and art spaces from 12 to 5pm. Hop on and off at different stops along the South Bronx Cultural Corridor to enjoy the day’s special events. The Bronx Culture Trolley is free to ride, wheelchair accessible, and all are welcome.

The website Beautiful/Decay recently featured Brendan Scott Carroll’s Jersey Stories, a collection of Polaroids images taken in the Garden State. Each photograph includes a typewritten, real or fictional anecdote in the lower margin. Beautiful/Decay is a printed book series and apparel line with a focus on experimental, grotesque, and groundbreaking art. See Brendan's website.


Through May 4, see Teaching Artist Shani Peters’ artwork at Observed, Imagined and Recreated at Longwood Art Gallery. Curated by Juanita Lanzo, this exhibit features works by the 2009 Urban Artist Initiative Grant (UAI NYC) winners in visual arts and media. The show focuses on how the recreation and reconstruction of the politics of representation, gender, national identity, historical events, migration, post-colonial history and politics impact on the construction of the self.

Shani is also a participant in Artist in the Marketplace (AIM), a professional development program for artists at the Bronx Museum. See Shani's website.

LP Teaching Artist Maya Valladares's work is included in Good Work, a gallery exhibition and May Day celebration at the Textile Arts Center. Running from April 29 to June 12, this exhibit honors the textile workers, artists, designers, and activists who make our world more beautiful and just—all makers tied together by the products of our labor—all makers whose work tries to do good in a multitude of ways. See Maya's website.


]]> Spring/Summer Upcoming Events http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/02/springsummer-upcoming-events http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/02/springsummer-upcoming-events Sat, 02 Apr 2011 10:42:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/02/springsummer-upcoming-events
The Festival of Ideas for the New City | May 7
11am - 7pm
Booth #36
East side of Bowery (between Stanton Street and Rivington Street), Manhattan

Join The LP at The Festival of Ideas for the New City this Saturday for "Mixtapes and Tote Bags." Add your music to LP Create Change alum Bayeté Ross Smith's community playlist, which he will turn into the Bowery Mixtape, and screenprint a tote bag with images that address one of the festival’s themes - The Heterogeneous City.

The Festival of Ideas for the New City, May 4th-8th, 2011, is a major new collaborative initiative in New York involving scores of downtown organizations, from universities to arts institutions and community groups, working together to affect change. A first for New York, the Festival will harness the power of the creative community to imagine the future city and explore the ideas destined to shape it. It will take place in multiple venues Downtown and is organized around three central programs: a three-day slate of symposia; an innovative StreetFest along the Bowery; and over eighty independent projects and public events. The Festival will serve as a platform for artists, writers, architects, engineers, designers, urban farmers, planners, and thought leaders to exchange ideas, propose solutions, and invite the public to participate.

For more information, visit festivalofideasnyc.com.

Works in Progress | Sundays, June 5 – August 21
12pm - 3pm
The Laundry Room
143 West 116th Street, Manhattan

Next month, we’ll be back in Harlem for our summer drop-in art workshops. Color your world by making kaleidoscopes, jewelry, collograph prints, and more while using your neighborhood as inspiration!


Last season, participants made their own books, used their neighborhoods as inspiration for solar and collograph prints, designed their own t-shirts, and beautified the community by drawing on sidewalks with ground cooking spices. See pictures from past Works in Progress workshops.

The Office of Human Rights | June 2-9
Asian Arts Initiative
1223 Vine Street, Philadelphia

Opening Reception / Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, June 2, 6 pm

In a world polarized by race, class, religion, and other tensions, our communities may feel increasingly fragmented. But one thing many of us have in common is the desire for Home—be it a roof to keep out the rain, or a healthy community where everyone is allowed to pursue their dreams. Through photography and stories-in-sound, Housing is a Human Right co-founders Michael Premo and Rachel Falcone invite you to hear and be heard in Philly.

Gallery hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday – Friday
215.557.0455 or www.asianartsinitiative.org



Seeding the City | July 30
12pm - 5pm
Weeksville Heritage Center
1698 Bergen Street, Brooklyn

The LP and NYFA's Immigrant Artist Project partner to present a day of workshops and demonstrations focused on environmental awareness, food cultivation, and urban beautification. The skillshare is an opportunity for artists, urban dwellers, farmers, and food activists to teach and learn from each other. Join us for a potluck of strategies to improve the quality of life for communities of color living on low incomes.

]]> The LP Team is growing http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/01/the-lp-team-is-growing http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/01/the-lp-team-is-growing Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:43:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/01/the-lp-team-is-growing
We're proud to welcome the members of our 2011 Artist and Community Council. These socially engaged art professionals live and/or work in the communities where our programming [...]]]>
We're proud to welcome the members of our 2011 Artist and Community Council. These socially engaged art professionals live and/or work in the communities where our programming is located and will serve as both programmatic advisors and ambassadors to The LP over a year long period. This year’s Council members will help select our 2011 Create Change Public Artists in Residence and Fellows; lead and/or participate in professional development sessions for Create Change artists; and continue to serve as outreach partners to increase the impact of our programs.

We're also thrilled to introduce our new interns! Welcome to the team!

Sara Raggini, program intern, is an artist visiting from Italy and a graduate of Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan.

Stephanie Madrid, design intern, is a Bachelor of Business Administration candidate in Design and Management at Parsons the New School for Design.

Joanna Reynolds, program intern, is a candidate in the Masters of Urban Planning program at NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

In other news - This April, LP Program Manager Petrushka Bazin celebrates her second year with the organization. Petrushka is an independent curator and arts administrator committed to finding new ways of making art more accessible. As Program Manager of The Laundromat Project, she works closely with the organization's teaching artists and public artists in residence to present engaging art programs in unconventional spaces throughout the Greater New York Area. Meet Petrushka and The LP team here.

]]> LP Create Change Alumni News http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/01/lp-create-change-alumni-news http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/01/lp-create-change-alumni-news Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:32:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/04/01/lp-create-change-alumni-news
2006 Create Change Resident Shinique Smith's first large-scale museum exhibition, Shinique Smith: Menagerie, runs through May 8 at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, WI. The exhibit includes almost fifty installations, paintings, photographs, sculptures, and works on paper, as well as two videos.
Also see Shinique's work in Stargazers, featuring artwork by Elizabeth Catlett in conversation with twenty one contemporary artists, through May 29 at the Bronx Museum. Through June 30, catch her work in The February Show, highlighting the diverse perspectives behind the concept of Black History Month, at the Ogilvy Chocolate Factory. She also participates in 30 Americans, featuring thirty one contemporary African American artists in an exhibition organized by and drawn from the Rubell Family Collection, through September 4 at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Shinique recently launched her new website: www.shiniquesmith.com.

2007 Create Change Resident Sarah Kolker’s solo show, “Investigation of the Smaller Things,” opened on March 26 at Guerilla Cafe in Berkeley, CA and will run through April 24. The cafe features rotating art exhibitions by local and international artists, live music, and more. Read about Sarah's show here. This year, Sarah also completes her yoga training certification at the Niroga Institute.

2007 Create Change Resident Stephanie Dinkins recently participated in the New York Academy of Art’s exhibition Put Up or Shut Up, featuring work by faculty at MFA graduate programs in the greater NYC area. In addition, she recently completed a residency through Residency Unlimited in Pecs, Hungary. Her work, Iconology I, was included in Tükén innen, Dunán túl A Közelítésdosszié: KME 1995-2010, an anniversary exhibition of Approach Art Association at the Institute of Contemporary Art Dunaujvaros. Visit Stephanie's website.

This year, 2009 Create Change Resident Carlos Martinez participates in the NYFA Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists, where he studies photography with mentor Terry Berkowitz. The NYFA Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists pairs twenty mentees with mentors from the NYFA Fellowship Program in order to connect the Mentees with valuable resources to foster their creative careers, gain support and exposure for their work, and integrate into the art world of New York and beyond while upholding their distinct identities. Visit Carlos's website.


2009 Create Change Resident Tracee Worley's work was included in Sex Crimes Against Black Girls--an exhibition that investigated the various levels of sexual exploitation and oppression that is suffered by young Black girls across the African Diaspora. The exhibit ran from February 5 through April 2 at CAC Skylight Gallery. Through May 6, her piece, “Boom for Real,” is included in Le Project Nouveau, which is an exhibition at MoCADA that features the work of artists presenting ideas about the reconstruction of Haiti following last year’s catastrophic earthquake.

On March 26, Tracee’s project Fresh Prep was featured with Urban Arts Partnership on Cause Celeb, an new NBC 4 docu-series. Fresh Prep builds the confidence, critical-thinking, and writing skills that students need to succeed on the Regents and graduate from high school. Visit Tracee's website.

2010 Create Change Resident Tattfoo Tan launches S.O.S. (Sustainable Organic Stewardship) Guilds, a program designed to create social change by applying the power of artistic imagination to inform, inspire, engage, animate and motivate in various communities around the world. By giving grants to artist to execute art project that high light the sustainable issue.

From April 13-June 25, Tattfoo’s work will be displayed in With Food in Mind at The Center for Book Arts. The exhibit looks at artists' use of food as subject matter or medium in book arts, print, and digital media. Through April 30, see his work at BRIC in an exhibit called Chat Room, which features seven contemporary artists informed by various forms of conversation, dialogue and exchange with the public at large who respond to the online forums we participate in as citizens of a digital age.

Project Row Houses in Houston hosts Round 34: Matter of Food through June 19. Featuring Tattfoo and others, this free program invites artists, chefs, historians, nutritionists, and gardeners to explore an array of food-related topics that include the labor conditions that bring us readily accessible food, the process of urban farming and sustainable practice, and more. Visit Tattfoo's website.

This summer, 2010 Create Change Resident Bayeté Ross Smith will hold a FSP/Jerome Fellowship at Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota, where he’ll build a large-scale version of "Boombox as Community," which he has renamed "Got the Power." Bayeté developed a prototype for "Got the Power” while he was a resident in our Create Change Public Artist Residency program. Through workshops offered at his local laundromat in Washington Heights, Bayeté worked with his neighbors to collect and record music and sound recordings that had personal significance to them. His larger project will broadcast a series of musical mashups from these contributions.

Bayeté is also working with students at Benjamin Banneker Academy to create an installation and book for MoCADA's upcoming youth exhibition From Africa To Brooklyn, which opens May 23. In addition, he’s collaborating with Alternate Roots, Culture Works and Baltimore Heritage on a piece for Roots Fest 2011, which will run in West Baltimore from June 22-26. The piece will include images of West Baltimore Community members and historical locations, and archives oral histories in West Baltimore. Visit Bayeté's website.

Click here to find out more about the Create Change Public Artist Program.

]]> Last day to submit proposals for the 2011 Create Change season! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/03/24/last-day-to-submit-proposals-for-the-2011-create-change-season http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/03/24/last-day-to-submit-proposals-for-the-2011-create-change-season Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:02:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/03/24/last-day-to-submit-proposals-for-the-2011-create-change-season Application due Thursday, March 24, 2011 (midnight)

There are two ways in which an artist can participate in Create Change: the first is as a Professional Development Fellow, and the second is as a Public Artist in Residence.


Create Change [...]]]> Application due Thursday, March 24, 2011 (midnight)

There are two ways in which an artist can participate in Create Change: the first is as a Professional Development Fellow, and the second is as a Public Artist in Residence.


Create Change Professional Development Fellows are able to participate in monthly discussions and workshops designed to help artists deepen their approach to having a socially-engaged creative practice. The benefits of participation include:

•access to information and resources from both the arts and social justice sectors;
•opportunity to form a peer network with artists;
•a peer learning process for work-shopping ideas

TO LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE!


Create Change Public Artists in Residence not only participate in the program’s professional development component, but also are resourced to apply this learning through a site-specific project in their local laundromat. Each public artist in residence is charged with placing art-making in the context of everyday living.

TO LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE!


A neighbor walking by 2007 Create Change Public Artist in Residence Stephanie Dinkins' Book Bench, which invited neighbors to a free "bring one/take one" community book exchange. Dinkins mounted this project in response to the indefinite closure of her local library and scarcity of book stores in her neighborhood.

]]> If you're interested in applying to Create Change... http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/03/03/if-youre-interested-in-applying-to-create-change http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/03/03/if-youre-interested-in-applying-to-create-change Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:08:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/03/03/if-youre-interested-in-applying-to-create-change SIGN UP TODAY! Create Change Information Sessions start on Sunday!

Sign up for one of The Laundromat Project's Create Change info sessions if you are an artist interested in applying to be a Create Change Fellow or Public Artist in Residence. Have your questions answered about the application process and learn more about what the [...]]]> SIGN UP TODAY! Create Change Information Sessions start on Sunday!

Sign up for one of The Laundromat Project's Create Change info sessions if you are an artist interested in applying to be a Create Change Fellow or Public Artist in Residence. Have your questions answered about the application process and learn more about what the program offers.

Click here to learn about becoming a Create Change Public Artist Fellow or Resident.

Applications are due on Thursday, March 24, 2011 (midnight).


Information Sessions:

Sunday, March 6: 3:00-4:00 PM
Queens Museum of Art Theater, Corona, NY

Monday, March 7: 6:00-7:00 PM
MoCADA, Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, March 8: 6:00-7:00 PM
Museum of African Art, Long Island City, NY

Monday, March 21: 7:00-8:00 PM
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, New York, NY

RSVP here!


]]> THE LP RECEIVES $125,000 TO SUPPORT ARTISTS INVESTED IN SOCIAL PRACTICE http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/02/22/the-lp-receives-125000-to-support-artists-invested-in-social-practice http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/02/22/the-lp-receives-125000-to-support-artists-invested-in-social-practice Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:23:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/02/22/the-lp-receives-125000-to-support-artists-invested-in-social-practice Create Change program. Every year The LP invites artists of color to mount [...]]]> Create Change program. Every year The LP invites artists of color to mount site-specific projects at their local laundromats as a Create Change Public Artist in Residence. In 2011 The LP will accept more artists into the program, increase their production budget and stipend, and add a commissioning opportunity for program alumni. Additionally Create Change will expand to include professional development opportunities for artists from all backgrounds and stages of their career interested in developing or deepening a public art practice. And last but not least, we are coming to a city near you…The LP is in the planning stages of bringing Create Change to two pilot communities outside of NYC. Want us to come to your local Laundromat? We are open to new partnerships, so please be in touch by emailing info@laundromatproject.

]]> Apply Now to Create Change http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/02/11/apply-now-to-create-change http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/02/11/apply-now-to-create-change Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:14:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/02/11/apply-now-to-create-change Deadline: Thursday, March 24, 2011 (midnight)

The Laundromat Project is currently accepting proposals to become a 2011 Create Change Public Artist in Residence or a 2011 Create Change Professional Development Fellow.

RSVP to an info session to learn [...]]]> Deadline: Thursday, March 24, 2011 (midnight)

The Laundromat Project is currently accepting proposals to become a 2011 Create Change Public Artist in Residence or a 2011 Create Change Professional Development Fellow.

RSVP to an info session to learn more about the program.


Create Change Professional Development Fellows are able to participate in monthly discussions and workshops designed to help artists deepen their approach to having a socially-engaged creative practice. The benefits of participation include:
  • access to information and resources from both the arts and social justice sectors;
  • opportunity to form a peer network with artists;
  • a peer learning process for work-shopping ideas

TO LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE

DOWNLOAD FELLOW APPLICATION HERE!


Create Change Public Artists in Residence not only participate in the program’s professional development component, but also are resourced to apply this learning through a site-specific project in their local laundromat. Each public artist in residence is charged with placing art-making in the context of everyday living.

TO LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE

DOWNLOAD RESIDENT APPLICATION HERE!


Questions? Email info@laundromatproject.org.

]]> Apply Now! Job Opportunities with The LP. http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/01/01/apply-now-job-opportunities-with-the-lp http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/01/01/apply-now-job-opportunities-with-the-lp Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:34:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2011/01/01/apply-now-job-opportunities-with-the-lp
We are currently accepting proposals for our 2011 Create Change Public Artist Residency season and will offer 12 artists access to our Create Change professional development [...]]]>
We are currently accepting proposals for our 2011 Create Change Public Artist Residency season and will offer 12 artists access to our Create Change professional development series through our new Create Change Professional Development Fellow opportunity. We are also growing our Teaching Artist team for Works in Progress, and we are specifically hiring Harlem and Brooklyn-based teaching artists.

Spread the word and raise a glass to what we know is going to be an amazing 2011.

Happy New Year!


WORKS IN PROGRESS TEACHING ARTIST POSITIONS
The Laundromat Project is expanding its Works in Progress program - we are looking for Brooklyn and Harlem-based Teaching Artists! If this is you, see below for application details.

Application deadline: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 (received by midnight)

The Laundromat Project seeks Teaching Artists skilled in book making, carpentry, photography, painting & drawing, sculpture & 3D projects, textiles or other creative practices that can be adapted to outdoor drop-in workshops, to participate in our art education program, Works in Progress. The focus of Works in Progress is to make art education more readily available in our community—regardless of income, age, or background.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR 2011 CREATE CHANGE PROGRAM
Residency Application Deadline: Thursday, March 24, 2011 (received by midnight)

We understand that creativity is a central component of healthy human beings, vibrant neighborhoods and thriving economies. Every year we mount public art projects throughout New York City. By bringing art to where our neighbors already are (everyone has to do their laundry), we aim to raise the quality of life in our community.

There are two (2) ways in which you can participate in Create Change: the first is as a Public Artist in Residence and the second is as a Professional Development Fellow.

Create Change Professional Development Fellows participate in monthly discussions and workshops designed to help artists deepen their approach to having a socially-engaged creative practice. These monthly sessions, while led by a facilitator or guest speaker, encourage peer learning. They also provide access to information and resources from both the arts and social justice sectors, and offer an opportunity to expand fellows’ personal and professional networks.

Create Change Public Artists in Residence not only participate in the program’s professional development component, but also are resourced to apply this learning through a site-specific project in their local laundromat. Each CC public artist is charged with placing art-making in the context of everyday living by creating a project that:

* is socially relevant and specific to the unique space of your local coin-op
* engages neighbors and fellow laundry patrons as participants in the creative process, rather than as passive recipients of the work;
* taps into what it means to be a neighbor in the area you call home.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT THE LP
Application deadline: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 (receievd by midnight)

Learn more about program management, special events, or communications at a community-based public art non-profit with an internship at The LP. The commitment for interns is two days per week from February 7 through May 19, 2011.

Communications Interns will be tech-proficient and support The LP's online press and marketing strategies for its core programs. Program Interns will support day-to-day operations for The LP's core programs. Special Event Interns will support activities associated with organizing program-specific events and The LP's annual benefit auction.

FIND OUT HOW TO APPLY HERE

]]> Teachers College students explore community-based arts education while featuring The LP! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/12/10/teachers-college-students-explore-community-based-arts-education-while-featuring-the-lp http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/12/10/teachers-college-students-explore-community-based-arts-education-while-featuring-the-lp Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:46:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/12/10/teachers-college-students-explore-community-based-arts-education-while-featuring-the-lp Art and Art Education Department at Teachers College Columbia University hosted an exhibit titled “Visual Histories Past Forward: An Exhibition of Student Projects from Historical [...]]]> Art and Art Education Department at Teachers College Columbia University hosted an exhibit titled “Visual Histories Past Forward: An Exhibition of Student Projects from Historical Foundations of Art Education.” The Laundromat Project was honored to be featured in a project by students Allidah Miller, Monica Navas, Jamie Steinthal, who displayed their work in Macy Art Gallery at Teachers College.

Miller, Navas, and Steinthal explored the history of The Laundromat Project by creating a brochure about The LP’s founding and programs. The focal point of their gallery display was a washing machine filled with tee shirts, which were embellished with photos from The LP’s workshops. Viewers were encouraged to create their own artworks by using the craft materials supplied.

For more info on the Art and Art Education Department at Teachers College and on Macy Gallery, click here.

Muller, Navas, and Steinthal designed tee shirts with images from The LP's 2010 Works in Progress and Create Change workshops. Photo by Petrushka Bazin.

An onlooker stands in front of Muller, Navas, and Steinthal's display while reading about The LP. Photo by Petrushka Bazin.

]]> 2009 Create Change Artist Carlos Martinez in the news! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/11/02/2009-create-change-artist-carlos-martinez-in-the-news http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/11/02/2009-create-change-artist-carlos-martinez-in-the-news Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:35:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/11/02/2009-create-change-artist-carlos-martinez-in-the-news Carlos Martinez, who spoke on a panel for NYFA's Immigrant Artist Panel workshop series last month and was also featured by writer John Galayda in The Local, East Village.


NYFA [...]]]> Carlos Martinez, who spoke on a panel for NYFA's Immigrant Artist Panel workshop series last month and was also featured by writer John Galayda in The Local, East Village.


NYFA Immigrant Artist Cultural Community Workshop
Held on October 14, the Art, Social Change & Engaging Immigrant Communities workshop was produced by NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Project (IAP) and co-presented with the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center and The Opportunity Agenda. This panel sought common ground among voices that weave together art and social change strategies in their engagement with immigrant communities. At that intersection, it brought together dynamic figures from the fields of art and culture, social justice, human rights, and grantmaking to discuss how they connect, support, and collaborate.

The panel began with a performance by Judith Sloan, Co-creator with Warren Lehrer of Crossing the BLVD: strangers, neighbors, aliens in a new America and Co-founder of EarSay. The panel was then moderated by Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, Director of the Culture, Creativity and Communities Program, Urban Institute.

The panelists were Heidi Boisvert, Multi-Media Manager, Breakthrough; Christine Gaspar, Executive Director, Center for Urban Pedagogy with collaborator Sean Basinski, Director, Street Vendor Project; Carlos A. Martinez, Colombian-born Artist and Activist; and Iris Morales, Executive Director, Union Square Awards. This program was the second in the 2010 IAP fall series of Cultural Community Events for Immigrant Artists. The panel also featured speakers Heidi Boisvert, Christine Gaspar, Sean Basinski, Maria Rosario Jackson, Carlos Martinez, and Iris Morales.

To watch the panel discussion, click here.

NYFA Immigrant Artist Cultural Community Workshop Panel. Photo by Petrushka Bazin.

The Local, East Village "Portraits" by John Galayda
On November 2, John Galayda featured Martinez and writer Beatriz Gil in his article "Portraits: Dia De Los Muertos" in The Local, East Village. Martinez and Gil collaborated to host the Calaveritas Poetry Workshop through the Mano a Mano Day of the Dead Festival at St. Mark's Church In-The-Bowery. Workshop particpants wrote poems about family members they had lost, then recorded their poems in Martinez's "Photo Booth Without Borders," a project he started during his 2009 Create Change Residency at The Laundromat Project.

To read the article, click here.

]]> The LP's Annual Public Art Potluck a success! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/21/the-lps-annual-public-art-potluck-a-success http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/21/the-lps-annual-public-art-potluck-a-success Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:34:07 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/21/the-lps-annual-public-art-potluck-a-success Annual Public Art Potluck last evening at the EFA Project Space! We had a great night with wonderful conversation, drinks, and incredible food prepared by chef Rachael Mamane. The event celebrated the end of our 2010 Annual Public Art Potluck last evening at the EFA Project Space! We had a great night with wonderful conversation, drinks, and incredible food prepared by chef Rachael Mamane. The event celebrated the end of our 2010 Create Change Public Artist Residency program.

Over the course of their six month residency term, each public artist in residence developed a project in his or her local laundromat, turning the quotidian space into an artist studio, classroom, or recording booth. Through projects that ranged from documenting oral histories to building mobile gardens, the artists adopted their own approaches to fulfilling the residency requirements. Yet the purpose of the program remained the same – to support the growth and visibility of multicultural artists while creating platforms for making art more accessible and strengthening urban communities through engagement and artistic exploration.

The LP’s Annual Public Art Potluck is a community-building initiative that allows artists to share their experiences with the general public. It also acts as a forum for guests to learn more about The LP’s Create Change program. The event encourages substantive conversation around the themes and topical concerns surrounding each resident’s projects. In place of food, each guest is asked to bring questions and ideas for how the Create Change residents can sustain their public art projects, take them into new communities, or move in entirely different directions.


About the 2010 Create Change Public Artists in Residence

For their project, Cycles, Everyday Armada (Hanalei Ramos and Jiny Ung) created a documentary-style animated short based on the oral histories of residents living in Jersey City, New Jersey and Woodside, Queens. Over the course of ten weeks, Jiny Ung and Hanalei Ramos interviewed and shadowed residents from these neighborhoods at their laundromats. Due to the highly diverse populations of all neighborhoods, the narrative unfolded as a larger conversation around personal migration, survival, and belonging in the New York area amidst a recession.

Ramos is a writer, performer, and community educator. She has authored Letter to Martha, a personal testimony to her firsthand experience with domestic violence, and published her first collection of poetry and prosetry, Foiled Stars. She also developed her first one-woman show, Guns and Tampons: A History of Violence Against Women I Know, through the generosity of the Asian Arts Initiative's Artists in Residence program. The show was presented at the first ever National Asian American Theater Festival. Hanalei is a proud founding member of Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) under the GABRIELA-USA alliance, and lives in her native Jersey City, New Jersey.

Ung is a sculptor and animator. Her installations and animated shorts focus on subjects ranging from education and the public school system to queer communities and dismantling landmines. She taught in DC public schools and was recipient of numerous grants and awards including the Young Artist Program Grant from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities and the 24th Annual Larry Neal Writers’ Awards. She is currently a freelance grants writer for public schools and nonprofits in Houston, TX; Washington, DC; and New York City, NY.

As a duo, Hanalei and Jiny participated in Project Row Houses’ Artist Rounds program where they installed “Intertwined” – a collaborative project that adapted stories, images, and historical artifacts contributed by residents of Houston’s Third Ward into a house-sized installation. Ramos and Ung are recent recipients of a completion grant from the Asian Women’s Giving Circle to film, edit, and distribute their LP residency project Cycles.


During his residency, Bayeté Ross Smith created a prototype for a larger public art project titled Boombox as Community Music. Through workshops offered at his local laundromat in Washington Heights, he worked with his neighbors to collect and record music and sound recordings that had personal significance to them. Bayeté's larger project will broadcast a series of musical mash-ups from these contributions through a tower of boomboxes installed in an urban center.

Bayeté is an artist, photographer and arts educator. His work has been shown nationally and internationally with exhibitions at the Goethe Institute (Accra, Ghana); Zacheta National Gallery of Art, (Warsaw, Poland); Leica Gallery (New York, NY); Rush Arts Gallery (New York, NY); The Richmond Art Center (Richmond, CA); Patricia Sweetow Gallery (San Francisco, CA); Oakland Museum of California (San Francisco, CA); Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco, CA); DePaul University Museum (Chicago, IL); and the 2008 Sundance Film Festival (Park City, UT).

He has held artist fellowships and residencies at the Kala Institute Berkeley CA; Can Serrat International Art Center, Barcelona, Spain; McColl Center for Visual Art, in Charlotte, NC; and Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA. As an arts educator, Bayeté has taught at the International Center for Photography, the California College of the Arts and has worked as a teacher and mentor for youth on community based art projects in major cities throughout the U.S. He received a B.S. in Photojournalism from Florida A&M University and an M.F.A. from the California College of the Arts.



Using the laundromat as a hub, Tattfoo Tan ran a series of workshops around creating a sustainable future through the cultivation of fresh produce. Held in Staten Island, his workshops included lessons on composting, seed bombing, creating planters out of re-purposed materials, and designing mobile gardens. Tattfoo hosted seed exchanges, a weekly free worm giveaway, and a competition for best mobile garden design from his local laundromat.

Tattfoo’s art practice seeks to find an immediate, direct, and effective way of exploring issues related to the individual in society through which to collapse the categories of ‘art’ and ‘life’ into one. Through the employment of multiple forms of media and various platforms of presentation, Tattfoo promotes group participation between himself and an ‘audience’. Within this collaborative practice, minds and bodies are engaged in actions that transform the making of art into a ritualized and shared experience. In keeping with the spirit of this transformative act, Tattfoo prefers to develop projects that are ephemeral and conceptual in nature.

Tattfoo’s work has been shown in various venues and institutions including the Queens Museum of Art, Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Time Square Alliances, The Fashion Center, The City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for the Arts, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Eugene Lang College New School for Liberal Arts, Fashion Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute, The Center for Book Arts, Bronx River Art Center, Jamaica Center of Arts and Learning, Aljira, DUMBO Improvement District and Redux Contemporary Art Center. He has been recognized for his effort, service and artistic contribution to the community and is proud recipient of a Proclamation from The City of New York.


]]> Dinner, Drinks, and Dessert at our Potluck! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/16/dinner-drinks-and-dessert-at-our-potluck http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/16/dinner-drinks-and-dessert-at-our-potluck Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:36:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/16/dinner-drinks-and-dessert-at-our-potluck
To celebrate the culmination of this year's Create Change Public Artist Residency program, The LP is hosting a public art potluck -- a unique gathering that asks its guests to bring ideas instead of food. The evening will focus on the Create Change residents' activities over the last six months, which have ranged from collecting oral histories to teaching sustainable organic stewardship, and will include dinner by Chef Rachael Mamane of Brooklyn Bouillon.

Dinner + Desserts by Chef Rachael Mamane of Brooklyn Bouillon
EFA Project Space
323 West 39th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10018

There is limited seating and a suggested donation of $10 for the dinner portion of this event, which will be held from 6 to 7:30pm. Reserve your dinner ticket here. If you can't make dinner, please join us for drinks, desserts, and more conversation from 7:30 to 9pm.


MEET OUR 2010 CREATE CHANGE ARTISTS

Hanalei Ramos and Jiny Ung
Neighborhood: Jersey City and Woodside, Queens

For their project Cycles, Hanalei Ramos and Jiny Ung created a documentary-style animated short based on the oral histories of residents living in Jersey City, New Jersey and Woodside, Queens. Over the course of ten weeks, Jiny and Hanalei interviewed and shadowed residents from these neighborhoods at their laundromats. Due to the highly diverse populations of all neighborhoods, the narrative unfolded as a larger conversation around personal migration, survival, and belonging in the New York area amidst a recession.

Bayeté Ross Smith
Neighborhood: Washington Heights

During his residency, Bayeté Ross Smith created a prototype for a larger public art project titled Boombox as Community Music. Through workshops offered at his local laundromat in Washington Heights, he worked with his neighbors to collect and record music and sound with personal significance to them. Bayeté's larger project will broadcast the culmination of these musical mash-ups through a tower of boomboxes.

Tattfoo Tan
Neighborhood: Staten Island

In his project S.O.S (Sustainable Organic Stewardship), Tattfoo Tan ran a series of workshops around creating a sustainable future through the cultivation of fresh produce at his laundromat. Held in Staten Island, his workshops offered lessons on composting, creating laundry detergent bottle planters and designing mobile gardens. Tattfoo also hosted seed exchanges, a weekly free worm giveway, and competition for best mobile garden design.


ABOUT BROOKLYN BOUILLON & CHEF RACHAEL MAMANE

Led by techie turned private chef and Seattle transplant Rachael Mamane, Brooklyn Bouillon is a small local business that delivers traditional stocks and demi-glace to the home cook who cares about source and sustainability. She is building a loose alliance of local farms to source naturally produced ingredients that ensure the highest quality stock on the market. There are no added hormones or antibiotics in the source ingredients, as well as no salt or MSG in the final product. Mamane owes her passion for cooking to a French-Moroccan heritage. She is also a consultant for the Hudson Valley Duck Farm and hosts the Bonhomie Supper Club as a monthly farm-to-table affair.

]]> Tickets for SOAPBOX II available now! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/08/tickets-for-soapbox-ii-available-now http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/08/tickets-for-soapbox-ii-available-now Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:31:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/10/08/tickets-for-soapbox-ii-available-now October 27 from 6:00-9:00pm for SOAPBOX II, our second annual silent art auction and celebration to support social change through art in New York City's most vibrant communities! Collette Blanchard Gallery at 26 Clinton Street in the [...]]]>
Join The Laundromat Project on October 27 from 6:00-9:00pm for SOAPBOX II, our second annual silent art auction and celebration to support social change through art in New York City's most vibrant communities! Collette Blanchard Gallery at 26 Clinton Street in the Lower East Side is our host. We're thrilled to plan an evening that will include music with DJ Khary, drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and, most of all, art!

We look forward to meeting you with your family and friends for the festivities! All proceeds will benefit The LP's general operations, and allow us to continue to impact the greater New York City community.

Tickets start at $25 ($30 at the door). This year, artist and LP Create Change alumni Shinique Smith and artist Jayson Keeling are donating special edition prints to $1000 and $250 ticket buyers.

BUY TICKETS HERE!

To view the auction catalog, click here.

DONATING ARTISTS:
Derrick Adams • Golnar Adili • Joell Baxter • Petrushka Bazin • Aisha Bell • Karlos Carcamo • Brendan Carroll • Sandra Chi • Samantha Contis • Pradeep Dalal • Hope Dector • Matthew Deleget • Stephanie Diamond • Erin Diebboll • Sarah Eichner • Rico Gatson • Deborah Grant • Christopher K. Ho • Wayne Hodge • Joseph Laurro • Shaun El C. Leonardo • Dean Monogenis • Glexis Novoa • Kambui Olujimi • Dawit Petros • Rob Pruitt • Ronny Quevedo • Kenya (Robinson) • Bayeté Ross Smith • Dread Scott • Paul Mpagi Sepuya • Rudy Shepherd • Shinique Smith • Yasmin Spiro • Anna Stein • Hank Willis Thomas • Mickalene Thomas • Zefrey Throwell • Cody Trepte • Jiny Ung • Mary Valverde • Kim Venable • Karin Waisman • and more!

STEERING COMMITTEE:
Naomi Beckwith • Collette Blanchard • Carlton Brown • Kemi Ilesanmi • Curtiss Jacobs • Kavita Rajanna • Peter Russo • Emma Taati • Jacquette Timmons • Risë Wilson

EVENT SPONSORS:
Nine Cakes • Original Sin • Tasty Morsels Bakery • Whole Foods Market

]]> Public Art Potluck, Second Annual Benefit Auction http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/public-art-potluck-second-annual-benefit-auction http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/public-art-potluck-second-annual-benefit-auction Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:25:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/public-art-potluck-second-annual-benefit-auction October - the 20th and the 27th. We're hosting our first public art potluck dinner to celebrate the culmination of this year's Create Change Public Artist Residency program and our Second Annual [...]]]> October - the 20th and the 27th. We're hosting our first public art potluck dinner to celebrate the culmination of this year's Create Change Public Artist Residency program and our Second Annual Art Auction. See below for more information.


October 20, 2010, 6-9 PM
Annual Public Art Potluck
Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Gallery
323 West 39th Street, 2nd Floor

To celebrate the culmination of this year's Create Change residency program, The LP is hosting a public art potluck. What to bring? Your questions and ideas for how they can sustain their public art projects, take them into new communities, or move in entirely different directions. The evening will focus on the artists' activities over the last six months, which have ranged from collecting oral histories to teaching sustainable organic stewardship, and will include dinner and dessert.

Please note that there is limited seating and a suggested donation of $10 for the dinner portion of this event, which will be held from 6 to 7:30pm. Tickets will be made available on October 13th. If you can't join us for dinner, we'll have drinks and more conversation from 7:30 to 9pm.


October 27, 2010, 6-9 PM
SOAPBOX II: Second Annual Art Auction
Collette Blanchard Gallery
26 Clinton Street
New York, NY, 10002

Join us for an exciting evening that includes music with DJ Khary, drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and, most of all, art! Collette Blanchard Gallery at 26 Clinton Street in the Lower East Side is our host. Donating artists include Derrick Adams, Stephanie Diamond, Shaun El C. Leonardo, Rico Gatson, Glexis Novoa, Kambui Olujimi, Rob Pruitt, Ronny Quevedo, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Yasmin Spiro, Anna Stein, Hank Willis Thomas, Mickalene Thomas,
Kim Venable, and more!

Special Edition prints by Jayson Keeling and Shinique Smith.

Tickets start at $25.

BUY TICKETS HERE!

See you soon!

]]> The LP on film, Program Reminder, 2010 Auction http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/the-lp-on-film-program-reminder-2010-auction http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/the-lp-on-film-program-reminder-2010-auction Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:08:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/the-lp-on-film-program-reminder-2010-auction www.thequotidian.org to check it out.

We'll see you at MLAB this Saturday and back uptown at The Laundry Room this Sunday. Scroll down for more info on upcoming programs. Also, mark your calendars for SOAPBOX II, our Second Annual Art Auction, on Wednesday, October 27th at Collette Blanchard Gallery. Tickets go on sale next week.


FLIP VIDEO SPONSORS NEW LP TRAILER

The Quotidian wrote, "in finding innovative ways to create change, sometimes it’s not about what you’re doing but rather how you do it that makes a difference. Many of us know about programs or organizations that sponsor public art, and there are perhaps even more groups out there trying to bring arts education to the masses [...] The Laundromat Project is one of many organizations who try to fill the gap in arts education, while thinking outside of the box in a simple way to achieve their goals. The nonprofit brings arts programming to where people already gather on a regular basis and which serves as a real community hub in many low-income city neighborhoods – the laundromat." Read more



Click to watch the video.
About The Quotidian
The Quotidian is an ongoing video documentary series that highlights how everyday people are finding new ways to create change in their communities. They produce nonfiction video content to further the discussion about how change in our society is happening, one individual at a time.

About Flip Video
Supporting over 3,000 nonprofit organizations and over 16,000 public school teachers throughout the US so far, Flip Video's Flip for Good philanthropy program helps charitable organizations use video in their efforts to create social change. ¨This video was shot exclusively on Flip Video.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS + EVENTS

Saturday, Sept 18, 2:00 - 6:00pm
The Laundromat Project + MLAB with Tattfoo and Rosemary Taylor

Join us for a day of workshops ranging from printmaking to "seed-bombing." Learn how to "green-up" your neighborhood with Tattfoo who will teach a variety of easy strategies for being an environmental steward using his SOS Mobile Classroom. And, if you missed the workshop at SMH last Sunday, here's another chance to learn how to make collograph prints with Rosemary Taylor.
Where: Stephan Stoyanov Gallery, 29 Orchard Street, New York, NY
Directions: Take F Train to East Broadway or B/D Train to Grand Street
Price: Free

About MLAB
The Mobile Literacy Arts Bus (MLAB) is an artist-run, renovated recreational vehicle that exists as a flexible space open to community members’ proposals for alternative educational and cultural programming. MLAB is a gutted, re-designed and rebuilt 1984 American Eagle RV created and founded by artist Marion Wilson and nine Syracuse University students in 2008.


Sunday, Sept 19, 12:00 - 3:00pm
Bling - Spices, Gold, an Precious Stones: Sidewalk Drawing with Cooking Spices
with Brendan Carroll

Calling back to the days when spices were used as currency, participants abandon chalk to adorn the 116th Street corridor with fragrant and colorful sidewalk drawings.
Where: The Laundry Room, 143 West 116th Street (btwn 6th and 7th Ave), New York, NY
Directions: Take B/C/2/3 Train to 116th Street
Price: $4 suggested donation


Thursday, Sept 23, 5:30 - 8:30pm
Musical Currents in African-American and Latino Communities
with Bayeté Ross Smith

As a 2010 Create Change Public Artist in Residence, Bayeté has been exploring how a community might create its own soundtrack. What are the playlists, speeches, and even ambient noise that reflect how a particular neighborhood sounds? In true Radio Raheem fashion, Bayeté has assembled a tower of boomboxes at his local laundromat that not only serves as a kind of ever-growing community jukebox (choose from a selection of donated cassettes...that's right we said cassettes), but also as a site of discussion and exchange. Bring a load of wash and your vote for the definition of Washington Heights on wax.
Where: Gold Star Laundromat, 431 Edgecombe Ave (and 155th Street), New York, NY
Directions: Take C Train to 155th Street or 1 Train to 157th Street
Price: Free


Sunday, Sept 26, 12:00 - 3:00pm
Solar Reconstruction: Solar Printing a New Neighborhood
with Lady-K Fever

Using the sun, new and old neighborhood photographs, and found objects, participants create solar prints that re-imagine their communities.
Where: The Laundry Room, 143 West 116th Street (btwn 6th and 7th Ave), New York, NY
Directions: Take B/C/2/3 Train to 116th Street
Price: $4 suggested donation


ALSO...SAVE THE DATE
SOAPBOX II: SECOND ANNUAL ART AUCTION
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 6:00-9:00pm

Join us for an evening of affordable art, abundant mirth, and music by DJ Khary. Collette Blanchard Gallery at 26 Clinton Street in the Lower East Side is our host. Donating artists include Jayson Keeling, Shinique Smith, Mickalene Thomas, and more! Stay tuned for more details. Tickets go on sale next week.

]]> Upcoming Programs, Staff Additions, and Artist Interview http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/upcoming-programs-staff-additions-and-artist-interview http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/upcoming-programs-staff-additions-and-artist-interview Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:35:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/09/29/upcoming-programs-staff-additions-and-artist-interview
The LP is committed to bringing art to wherever people are. For this reason, our programs are based in and around laundromats, but did you know we're on the move? You can still find us at The Laundry Room in Harlem or Gold Star Laundromat in Washington Heights. But you can also join us at the Studio Museum in Harlem this [...]]]>
The LP is committed to bringing art to wherever people are. For this reason, our programs are based in and around laundromats, but did you know we're on the move? You can still find us at The Laundry Room in Harlem or Gold Star Laundromat in Washington Heights. But you can also join us at the Studio Museum in Harlem this Sunday. Or catch a ride on the Mobile Literacy Arts Bus next weekend. Scroll down for more information, and while you're reading meet the newest additions to our team.


UPCOMING PROGRAMS + EVENTS

Sunday, Sept 12, 12 - 3pm
Many Hands Make Light Work: Community Collograph with Rosemary Taylor

The Laundromat Project at Studio Museum in Harlem for a special
Target Free Sunday workshop

Bring the whole family to the museum to enjoy a collograph printing workshop led by Rosemary Taylor. What's a collograph? Come find out. Make your own print to keep, plus contribute to a giant, collaborative banner made from the many hands of each participant.

Where: Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 West 125th Street, New York, NY
Directions: Take A/B/C/D/2/3 Train to 125th Street
Price: Free

Saturday, Sept 18, 2 - 6pm
The Laundromat Project + MLAB with Tattfoo and Rosemary Taylor

Join us for a day of workshops ranging from printmaking to "seed-bombing." Learn how to "green-up" your neighborhood with Tattfoo who will teach a variety of easy strategies for being an environmental steward using his SOS Mobile Classroom. And, if you missed the workshop at SMH, here's another chance to learn how to make collograph prints with Rosemary Taylor.

Where: Stephan Stoyanov Gallery, 29 Orchard Street, New York, NY
Directions: Take F Train to East Broadway or B/D Train to Grand Street
Price: $4 suggested donation

About MLAB
The Mobile Literacy Arts Bus (MLAB) is an artist-run, renovated recreational vehicle that exists as a flexible space open to community members’ proposals for alternative educational and cultural programming. MLAB is a gutted, re-designed and rebuilt 1984 American Eagle RV created and founded by artist Marion Wilson and nine Syracuse University students in 2008.

Bling - Spices, Gold, an Precious Stones: Sidewalk Drawing with Cooking Spices
with Brendan Carroll

Calling back to the days when spices were used as currency, participants abandon chalk to adorn the 116th Street corridor with fragrant and colorful sidewalk drawings.

Where: The Laundry Room, 143 West 116th Street
(btwn 6th + 7th Ave), New York, NY
Directions: Take B/C/2/3 Train to 116th Street
Price: $4 suggested donation

Thursday, Sept 23, 5:30 - 8:30pm
Musical Currents in African-American and Latino Communities
with Bayeté Ross Smith

As a 2010 Create Change Public Artist in Residence, Bayeté has been exploring how
a community might create its own soundtrack. What are the playlists, speeches, and even ambient noise that reflect how a particular neighborhood sounds? In true Radio Raheem fashion, Bayeté has assembled a tower of boomboxes at his local laundromat that not only serves as a kind of ever-growing community jukebox (choose from a selection of donated cassettes...that's right we said cassettes), but also as a site of discussion and exchange. Bring a load of wash and your vote for the definition of Washington Heights on wax.

Where: Gold Star Laundromat, 431 Edgecombe Ave (and 155th Street), New York, NY
Directions: Take C Train to 155th Street or 1 Train to 157th Street
Price: Free

Sunday, Sept 26, 12 - 3pm
Solar Reconstruction: Solar Printing a New Neighborhood
with Lady-K Fever

Using the sun, new and old neighborhood photographs, and found objects, participants create solar prints that re-imagine their communities.

Where: The Laundry Room, 143 West 116th Street (btwn 6th and 7th Ave), New York, NY
Directions: Take B/C/2/3 Train to 116th Street
Price: $4 suggested donation

NEW CIVIC CORPS TEAM

The Laundromat Project is pleased to host three volunteers from the NYC Civic Corps for the next ten months. Tawakalitu Amusa, Tyler Burton, and Alessandra Rodda joined the organization in September via the Civic Corps to build a volunteer program that encourages further community collaboration between New Yorkers and The Laundromat Project

Tawakalitu Amusa recently graduated from the University at Buffalo with a major in political science and minors in philosophy and English. Hailing from Long Island (otherwise known as Strong Island), she is excited to be a new member of The LP team. Upon graduating from college, she began looking for opportunities to get involved with non-profit organizations committed to strengthening communities in the New York City Area. During her time with us, she is thrilled to explore the many ways art can make social impact.

Tyler Burton is a graduate of James Madison University's philosophy department where he logged many hours reading Kant, Heidegger and Hindu thought. After graduating, he moved to Seoul where he taught English to well-behaved and overworked students. Soon after returning to the States, he moved to Brooklyn and became a history and writing tutor to high school students in Harlem. Having grown up in the Appalachian foothills near Harrisburg, PA, he's beginning to learn the ways of environmental stewardship in New York City.

Alessandra Rodda is an artist, musician, and arts administrator. While in high school, this New Jersey native jumped across the Hudson River to study French Horn at the Juilliard School. She graduated with a French Horn performance degree from Manhattan School of Music in 2009. After completing business studies, Alessandra joined the board of the Patriot Brass Ensemble, worked in marketing and development for Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and held a position at 21C Media Group.

About Civic Corps
Sponsored by AmeriCorps and the New York City Department of Service, the Civic Corps places members into ten-month residencies with non-profit organizations in New York City to help them implement volunteer programs.

TATTFOO IN NYFA'S IMMIGRANT ARTIST PROJECT NEWSLETTER

2010 Create Change Public Artist Resident Tattfoo Tan was a featured artist in the August newsletter of NYFA's Immigrant Artist Project. Tattfoo spoke with the IAP at one of his seed-ball making workshops on Staten Island a few weeks ago. As part of his Create Change residency with The LP, he has hosted a variety of workshops geared towards environmental stewardship in urban spaces.

Read Tattfoo's full interview here. If haven't made it to Staten Island yet, catch Tattfoo on Saturday, Sept. 18 wherehe will teach a series of workshops at MLAB. If you haven't made it to Staten Island yet, catch Tattfoo on Saturday, Sept. 18 wherehe will teach a series of workshops at MLAB.

]]> Upcoming Programs in August... http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/08/01/upcoming-programs-in-august http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/08/01/upcoming-programs-in-august Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:31:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/08/01/upcoming-programs-in-august The Laundromat Project will be in your neighborhood this weekend or next. Come make t-shirts at the Studio Museum in Harlem, mix music at the Gold Star Laundromat in Washington Heights, or learn fun ways of going green at the Victory [...]]]> The Laundromat Project will be in your neighborhood this weekend or next. Come make t-shirts at the Studio Museum in Harlem, mix music at the Gold Star Laundromat in Washington Heights, or learn fun ways of going green at the Victory Laundromat in Staten Island. Bring your laundry and imagination! See details below.

Join The Laundromat Project at the Studio Museum in Harlem this Sunday, August 8th, 12-3pm for a special Target Free Sunday workshop



Image from The Laundromat Project's Works in Progress workshops at The Laundry Room.

Take Back the T-Shirt: Creating and printing your own t-shirt design
Bring the whole family to the museum to enjoy a t-shirt design and printing workshop led by The Laundromat Project's Teaching Artist Maya Valladares. Using stencils and stencil spray, this workshop teaches participants how to create a t-shirt design that reflects themselves and their neighborhoods. Participants choose images and colors that broadcast a unique individual message, which effectively allows them to "take back the t-shirt!" This is an eco-friendly activity -- please bring a gently used t-shirt to design.

Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 West 125th Street, New York, NY, 10027
Directions by subway: Take the A/B/C/D/2/3 train to 125th Street


Also...


Join Create Change Public Artist in Residence Bayeté Ross Smith at Gold Star Laundromat in Washington Heights on Saturday and Sunday, August 7th and 8th, 12-4pm for audio recording workshops



Audio Recording from Digital to Analog
Ross Smith will teach participants how to transfer audio from digital mediums to cassette tape. He will also go through the technical and creative aspects of combining a series of recordings into a cohesive sound piece. Participants will learn how to create a musical mix and simple mash-ups with and without a computer. Read more about his project here.

Gold Star Laundromat, 431 Edgecombe Avenue (and 155th Street)
Directions by subway: Take C train to 155th Street or 1 train to 157th Street


Join Create Change Public Artist in Residence Tattfoo at Econo Wash Laundromat in Staten Island on Saturday, August 14th, 2-4pm for seedball and solar print-making workshops



Seedball and Solar Print-Making
Tattfoo will teach his neighbors how to beautify their neighborhoods through two workshops. Participants will learn how to make "seedballs," a mixture of soil and clay, which is ultimately planted in their neighborhoods. Participants will also learn how to make solar prints using wild flowers that were planted by the artist and the GREENade team earlier this year. Read more about Tattfoo's project here.

Victory Laundromat, 66 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY
Directions by subway and ferry: Take R or 1 train to South Ferry. Take Staten Island Ferry to St. George Ferry Terminal and S48/62 to Montgomery Avenue

]]> LP Artist wins Award http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/07/03/lp-artist-wins-award http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/07/03/lp-artist-wins-award Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:25:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/07/03/lp-artist-wins-award Tattfoo Tan for receiving the 28th Annual Award for Excellence in Design from the Public Design Commission of the City of New York for his graphic design work towards the rebranding and rehabilitation of the Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) building located in the West Farms [...]]]> Tattfoo Tan for receiving the 28th Annual Award for Excellence in Design from the Public Design Commission of the City of New York for his graphic design work towards the rebranding and rehabilitation of the Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) building located in the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx! Tattfoo received this award with Sage and Coombe Architects.

Applying his practice in permaculture design as seen in his Sustainable Organic Stewardship (S.O.S.) project, which is currently being developed during his residency at The Laundromat Project, Tattfoo created a pattern for the exterior of BRAC's building that simulates the growth of artistic and cultural roots.



Over the next two years, BRAC will undergo a $7 million renovation of its building including corporate identity and website redesign. In the interim, BRAC plans to fully maintain their programming and presence in the West Farms community. Click here to learn more about their programming.

To learn about Tattfoo's project first hand, join him this Saturday, July 24th at 10am for a bike tour of community gardens located on the North Shore of Staten Island. Meet at Victory Laundromat, 66 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY.



]]> Works in Progress Schedule + Alumni Updates http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/05/01/works-in-progress-schedule-alumni-updates http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/05/01/works-in-progress-schedule-alumni-updates Sat, 01 May 2010 16:00:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/05/01/works-in-progress-schedule-alumni-updates
Also, The Laundromat Project is pleased to offer two limited-edition works by Mickalene Thomas and Rudy Shepherd, created especially to benefit our programs and projects. See below for more information.


Drop-in Art Workshop Schedule

Making Space for New Ideas
Bookmaking with Shani Peters
May 23, June 20, Aug 29, Sept 26

Solar Reconstruction
Solar printing a new neighborhood with Lady K-Fever
June 6, July 25, Aug 22

Take Back the T-Shirt
Creating and printing your own t-shirt design with Maya Valladares
June 13, July 18, Aug 8

Bling: Spices, Gold, and Precious Stones
Sidewalk drawing with ground spices with Brendan Carroll
June 27, Aug 1, Sept 19, Oct 3

Many Hands Make Light Work
Community Collograph with Rosemary Taylor
July 11, Aug 15, Sept 12, Oct 10


Collect Art and Support The Laundromat Project!



(L-R: Mickalene Thomas, Kalena 2010; Rudy Shepherd, Blacula 2009)
Each print in an edition of 20 is signed and numbered by the artists. The Thomas print also features hand-embellishments.

Mickalene Thomas
Kalena, 2010, 8 x 10 inches
Archival inkjet print and screenprint with hand-embellishments in glitter and acrylic medium
Signed and numbered, recto
Printed by Supreme Digital, New York
$1,000 (+ shipping & handling)

Rudy Shepherd
Blacula, 2009, 14 x 11 inches
Screenprint on paper
Signed and numbered, verso
Printed by Kayrock Screenprinting, New York$
250 (+ shipping & handling)

The proceeds from your purchase will ensure the continued success of The Laundromat Project’s mission to broaden access to art in our community and across New York. To purchase a print or for more information email: specialevent@laundromatproject.org


Create Change Alumni Are Busy!

Rudy Shepherd ('06): Rudy has a solo exhibition at Mixed Greens Gallery, (New York, NY) opening June 3rd, 2010. He was also recently hired as an Assistant Professor of Fine Art at the Pennsylvania State University’s School of Visual Arts.

Sarah Kolker ('07): Sarah has relocated to Philadelphia with her 14 month old daughter Purple Ray and fiance Rolando Brown. She is currently working on a booklet for an elementary school science program and making jewelry to sell at art fairs. She will move to the Bay Area in California this August.

Shinique Smith ('07): Shinique had a recent solo exhibition titled Shinique Smith: No Words at Yvon Lambert (Paris, France). She has upcoming solo exhibitions at Miami Museum of Contemporary Art (opening September 2010), Southeastern Contemporary Center for the Arts in Winston-Salem (opening November 2010), and Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (opening January 2011).

Tracy Worley ('09): Tracy just launched the new website for her 2009 Create Change project The Dirty Laundry Line. Visit, listen, leave a message - http://www.thedirtylaundryline.com/

Michael Premo ('09): Michael has a solo exhibition of his project Housing is a Human Right (HHR) up at Jamaica Flux: Workspaces & Windows, a project of Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL), and chashama Studios through June 5, 2010. Foreclosure clinics will be held on site at the 90-30 161st Street, 1st Fl, Jamaica, Queens. And…Help support Housing is a Human Right by bidding on some great gifts here. Auction closes May 21, 2010. Also, join Michael on Monday, May 24th at the Museum of the City of New York for the panel, "Artists' Housing - Past, Present, and Future." For reservations and information, call 212.534.1672, ext. 3395

Carlos Martinez ('09): Carlos is participating in the Queens Council on the Arts' Individual Artist Initiative.


Calling All Volunteers!
If you have a few hours a month to spare, please visit the ‘Employment Opportunities’ page on our website for more information on how you can help out with art workshops throughout the summer. We are especially looking to work with Spanish-English speakers. Stay tuned for Create Change public program announcements!

]]> 2010 Create Change Residents Announced http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/04/22/2010-create-change-residents-announced http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/04/22/2010-create-change-residents-announced Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:44:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/04/22/2010-create-change-residents-announced Hanalei Ramos + Jiny Ung, Bayeté Ross Smith, and Tattfoo Tan were selected to be apart of this year's cohort. [...]]]> Hanalei Ramos + Jiny Ung, Bayeté Ross Smith, and Tattfoo Tan were selected to be apart of this year's cohort.



(L-R: Jiny Ung + Hanalei Ramos, Bayeté Ross Smith, Tattfoo Tan)

Hanalei Ramos is a writer, performer, and community educator. Jiny Ung is a
mixed media artist with a background in political science, teaching, and fine arts.
As a duo, Hanalei and Jiny participated in Project Row Houses’ Artist Rounds
program where they installed “Intertwined” – a collaborative project that adapted
stories, images, and historical artifacts contributed by residents of Houston’s
Third Ward into a house-sized installation. For their Create Change project,
Ramos and Ung will create a documentary-style animated short based on the
oral histories of residents living in Jersey City, New Jersey and Woodside, Queens. [More]

Bayeté Ross Smith is an artist, photographer and arts educator whose work
explores identity, American youth and popular culture. For his Create Change
project, Bayeté will create a prototype for a larger public art project titled
Boombox as Community Music. Through workshops offered at his local
laundromat in Washington Heights, Ross Smith will work with his neighbors to
collect and record music and sound recordings that have personal significance
to them. For his larger project, musical contributions will be compiled into a
series of mashups that will broadcast from a tower of boomboxes installed in
an urban center. [More]

Tattfoo Tan is an artist and educator whose work seeks to find an immediate,
direct, and effective way of exploring issues related to the individual in society
through which to collapse the categories of ‘art’ and ‘life’ into one. Using his
Staten Island laundromat as a hub, Tattfoo will host a series of workshops
around creating a sustainable future through the cultivation of fresh produce. [More]

]]> Call for Proposals - deadline March 1, 2010 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/02/20/call-for-proposals-deadline-march-1-2010 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/02/20/call-for-proposals-deadline-march-1-2010 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:29:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/02/20/call-for-proposals-deadline-march-1-2010 The Laundromat Project is accepting applications for the 2010 season.

We provide:
  • A modest stipend
  • A materials budget to complete your Create Change project.
  • Professional development specific to creating public works
  • Opportunity to meet with other area artists to brainstorm ideas about [...]]]> The Laundromat Project is accepting applications for the 2010 season.

    We provide:
    • A modest stipend
    • A materials budget to complete your Create Change project.
    • Professional development specific to creating public works
    • Opportunity to meet with other area artists to brainstorm ideas about your project once every other week
    • Projects will be featured on The Laundromat Project’s website
    • Community celebration featuring your work at the end of the residency cycle

    Eligibility:
    Create Change is open to artists:
    • who make socially engaged work
    • live in the New York Metropolitan Area
    • who are available to fully participate in residency activities between May and October 2010
    • who work in any medium as long as they can adapt their creative practice to a site-specific project for their local laundromat
    • who are not enrolled as a full-time student

    Strong Create Change Candidates Have:
    • Problem-solving skills, resourcefulness, and flexibility
    • Demonstrated ability to carry out a project of this scale
    • Deep respect for your neighbors, and the ability to collaborate with a broad public
    • Willingness to take risks and step out of comfort zones
    • Ability to actively engage non-artists in all aspects of your creative process

    Criteria Used to Evaluate Applications:
    • How is the project socially relevant to the community in which the artist lives?
    • Is it clear how the artist will engage community members in this project? What aspects of this project include community interaction?
    • Is this project feasible? Can the artist complete the project during the residency?
    • Is the project unique to the laundromat setting? How does the project interact with the laundromat as a public space?

    Key Program Dates:
    March 1, 2010: Application Received

    March 21, 2010: Interviews/Selection Event

    April 1, 2010: Notifications sent

    May 15 – October 31, 2010: Create Change residencies take place

    Visit our Create Change Public Artist Residency program page for more info and frequently asked questions.


    ]]>     NYFA Current Profile + additional Press http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/27/nyfa-current-profile-additional-press http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/27/nyfa-current-profile-additional-press Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:27:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/27/nyfa-current-profile-additional-press Check out the profile NYFA Current wrote about our organization in their December 2009 issue:
    Karen Demavivas and Suzan Sherman on The Laundromat Project [...]]]>     Check out the profile NYFA Current wrote about our organization in their December 2009 issue:
    Karen Demavivas and Suzan Sherman on The Laundromat Project

    Here's the list of press coverage for the 2009 Create Change projects:
    Breakthrough.tv Blog B-listed

    The Coolaid.com

    Daily News

    Huffington Post

    The Indypendent

    The Liberator Magazine

    The L Magazine

    The Local

    Urban Omnibus

    ]]>         2009 Auction Results http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/27/2009-auction-results http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/27/2009-auction-results Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:27:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/27/2009-auction-results
    The final numbers are in. The grand total of money raised reached close to $20,000!

    We look forward [...]]]>
    The final numbers are in. The grand total of money raised reached close to $20,000!

    We look forward to continued success at our second benefit auction at the end of the year. Thank you again for coming out and thank you to the artists Ifetayo Abdus-Salaam, David Abir, Dawolu Jabari Anderson, Petruskha Bazin, Aisha Bell, Nathan Bennett, Sanford Biggers, Louis Cameron, Saul Chernick, William Cordova, Pradeep Dalal, Stephanie Diamond, Stephanie Dinkins, Nathaniel Donnett, Sam Durant, Torkwase Dyson, Chitra Ganesh, Rico Gatson, Deborah Grant, Kira Lynn Harris, Wayne Hodge, Sheree Hovsepian, Jennie C. Jones, Nsenga Knight, Joseph Laurro, Simone Leigh, Shaun El C. Leonardo, Glenn Ligon, Carlos Martinez, Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky), Chris Myers, Glexis Novoa, Wura-Natasha Ogunji, Karyn Olivier, Kambui Olujimi, Jessica Ann Peavy, Micheal Premo, Rob Pruitt, Ronny Quevedo, Tanea Richardson, Marc Andre Robinson, Athena Robles, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Xaviera Simmons, Shinique Smith, Anna Stein, Hank Willis Thomas, Zefrey Throwell and Eric Anderson, Robert Trujillo, Mary Valverde, William Villalongo, Deborah Willis, and Saya Woolfalk for their generous contributions to the event.

    ]]>         The LP's 2010 Art + Community Council http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/26/the-lps-2010-art-community-council http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/26/the-lps-2010-art-community-council Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:05:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2010/01/26/the-lps-2010-art-community-council
    Stephanie Diamond is an artist whose work is based in Social Practice. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Selected exhibitions include work at Galeria Sin Titulo (San Juan, PR), Bronx Museum of the Arts, Queens Museum of Art, P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Contemporary Art Center (Vilnius, Lithuania), Jan Mot Galerie, (Belgium), The Sculpture Center, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The New York Historical Society, The Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, Art in General, Artists Space, Andrew Kreps Gallery, and Project Row Houses (Houston, TX). She has been a resident at Art Omi, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Swing Space program, and M and M Projects in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

    Stephanie received her B.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design and her M.A. from New York University. She currently is a Part-Time Lecturer at Parsons School of Design, and an Adjunct Professor at PACE University

    Rashid Shabazz is a Program Officer with the Campaign for Black Male Achievement at the Open Society Institute (OSI). He has over 15 years of experience as a grassroots media & communications organizer, youth development advocate, and dedicated activist against mass incarceration and prison expansion.

    He has been a contributing writer for several publications, including The Source and Trace magazines, the New Haven Advocate, the Huffington Post, the Future 500: Youth Organizing and Activism in the United States and many others.

    Rashid holds a B.A. in English from George Mason University, an M.A. in African studies from Yale University and an M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

    Carlos Martinez is a Colombian-born Queens-based environmentalist, photographer, and alum of The Laundromat Project's Create Change Program. For the past five years, he has worked with Green Map System, a non-profit organization that promotes inclusive participation in sustainable community development worldwide, using mapmaking as its medium. As a photographer and educator, he has worked with the International Center of Photography's Community Programs on their youth program at The Point in the South Bronx; National Geographic's Photo Camp; and a photography program with youth transitioning out of incarceration in partnership with Friends of Island Academy. Photo: Hrag Vartanian

    Jennifer Steverson is the Public Programs Curator at Weeksville Heritage Center. She has worked at Weeksville for four years in both education and public programming, overseeing an array of projects which include Weeksville’s Farmers Market and environmental education workshops for an intergenerational audience which are offered throughout the year. Other programs include the Weeksville Speakers Series and annual Salon Series summer concerts. She creates programs which seek to reach new audiences and to inspire their interest in historical Weeksville through connections with contemporary art, culture and politics. Jennifer recently oversaw the redesign the Weeksville’s Kitchen Garden, a space which reflects the deep connection between the historic and contemporary Weeksville community and the natural environment. She is interested in the role that historic houses play in urban communities as cultural oases and green spaces.

    Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Studies and Education from Eugene Lange College.

    ]]>         It's been an amazing season! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/11/07/its-been-an-amazing-season http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/11/07/its-been-an-amazing-season Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:23:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/11/07/its-been-an-amazing-season 2009 Create Change Public Artist Residency exhibition in October and 'fabu' turn out for our first benefit auction at Envoy Gallery on the Lower East Side. Create Change Public Artist Resident Michael Premo's project, [...]]]> 2009 Create Change Public Artist Residency exhibition in October and 'fabu' turn out for our first benefit auction at Envoy Gallery on the Lower East Side. Create Change Public Artist Resident Michael Premo's project, Housing is a Human Right, has been getting great press! Click here here, and here to read the buzz. See a trailer of the project here.

    Beautiful people, positive energy, and amazing ideas - we are so excited for our next year of programming.

    Stay tuned!

    Pictures from the 2009 Benefit Auction

    Photos Courtesy of Sara Zuiderveen




    Pictures from the 2009 Create Change Public Artist Residency exhibition at SUPERFRONT

    Photos Courtesy of Mackenten Petion




    ]]>         SOAPBOX: First Annual Art Auction - Tuesday, Nov. 3rd http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/10/13/soapbox-first-annual-art-auction-tuesday-nov-3rd http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/10/13/soapbox-first-annual-art-auction-tuesday-nov-3rd Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:45:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/10/13/soapbox-first-annual-art-auction-tuesday-nov-3rd SOAPBOX
    The Laundromat Project’s First Annual Art Auction
    Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
    Preview: 12-6 PM, Event: 6-9 PM
    Envoy Enterprises, 131 Chrystie St, New York City

     SOAPBOX
    The Laundromat Project’s First Annual Art Auction
    Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
    Preview: 12-6 PM, Event: 6-9 PM
    Envoy Enterprises, 131 Chrystie St, New York City

    Download the auction catalogue!

    Purchase tickets online.

    Join the Laundromat Project and its many friends on Tuesday, November 3rd for a silent auction and celebration to support social change through art in New York City's most vibrant communities! Tickets begin at just $25 and include editions by Mickalene Thomas, Rudy Shepherd, drinks, hors d'oeuvres and music by DJ Khary!


    Mickalene Thomas
    Kalena, 2009
    Archival inkjet print with hand-painted applications
    8 x 10 inches
    Edition of 20
    Included at the $1,000 contribution level
    Printed by Supreme Digital



    Rudy Shepherd
    Blacula, 2009
    Screenprint on paper
    11.75 x 9 inches
    Edition of 20
    Included at the $250 contribution level
    Printed by Kayrock Screenprinting

    Donating artists
    Ifetayo Abdus-Salaam • David Abir • Dawolu Jabari Anderson • Petruskha Bazin • Aisha Bell • Nathan Bennett • Sanford Biggers • Louis Cameron • Saul Chernick • William Cordova • Pradeep Dalal • Stephanie Diamond • Stephanie Dinkins • Nathaniel Donnett • Sam Durant • Torkwase Dyson • Chitra Ganesh • Rico Gatson • Deborah Grant • Kira Lynn Harris • Wayne Hodge • Sheree Hovsepian • Jennie C. Jones • Nsenga Knight • Joseph Laurro • Simone Leigh • Shaun El C. Leonardo • Glenn Ligon • Carlos Martinez • Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky) • Chris Myers • Glexis Novoa • Wura-Natasha Ogunji • Karyn Olivier • Jessica Ann Peavy • Micheal Premo • Rob Pruitt • Ronny Quevedo • Tanea Richardson • Marc Andre Robinson • Athena Robles • Paul Mpagi Sepuya • Xaviera Simmons • Shinique Smith • Anna Stein • Hank Willis Thomas • Zefrey Throwell and Eric Anderson • Robert Trujillo • Mary Valverde • William Villalongo • Deborah Willis • Saya Woolfalk • and others

    Host Committee
    Derrick Adams • Anthony Allen • Yona Backer • Naomi Beckwith • Collette Blanchard • Sylvia Chivaratanond • Dean Daderko • David Harper • Michelle Huff • Kemi Ilesanmi • Desiree Mwalimu • Kavita Rajanna • Alvin Starks • Sharon Pendana • Rudy Shepherd • Alvin Starks • Emma Taati • Mickalene Thomas • Jacquette Timmons • Rise Wilson • list in formation

    Tickets
    To purchase tickets, write specialevent@laundromatproject.org. Space is limited. Levels of support include:

    The Laundromat Project Champion, Gift of $1,000
    • Ten tickets to the event
    • Limited-edition print by Mickalene Thomas
    • Premiere recognition on all Laundromat Project publications & website
    • Half-page advertisement in the event catalogue
    Tax-deductibility of $800

    The Laundromat Project Ally, Gift of $250
    • Five tickets to the event
    • Limited-edition print by Rudy Shepherd
    • Premiere recognition on all Laundromat Project publications & website
    Tax-deductibility of $150

    The Laundromat Project Sustainer, Gift of $100
    • Two tickets to the event
    • Name recognition in the event catalogue & website
    Tax-deductibility of $70

    The Laundromat Project Contributor, Gift of $25
    • Individual ticket to the event
    • Name recognition in the event catalogue & website
    Tax-deductibility of $15

    If you cannot attend but would like to make a contribution, please visit our Support page.

    Please make all checks payable to NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) with “The Laundromat Project” written in the memo line of the check, and mail to: The Laundromat Project, 275 Macdonough Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233.

    The Laundromat Project is a sponsored project of NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

    We gratefully acknowledge the following organizations for their support:







    ]]>     2009 Create Change Exhibition opening at SUPERFRONT Gallery - October 17, 2009 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/28/2009-create-change-exhibition-opening-at-superfront-gallery-october-17-2009 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/28/2009-create-change-exhibition-opening-at-superfront-gallery-october-17-2009 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:16:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/28/2009-create-change-exhibition-opening-at-superfront-gallery-october-17-2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    917-449-1979

    SUPERFRONT
    1432 Atlantic [...]]]>     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    917-449-1979

    SUPERFRONT
    1432 Atlantic Avenue
    Brooklyn, NY 11216
    Gallery Hours: Saturdays & Sundays, 1-6pm and by appointment


    THREE ARTISTS WHO USE THE DEFACTO COMMUNITY SPACE OF LAUNDROMATS TO CREATE AND PERFORM PUBLIC ART ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN A GROUP SHOW

    CO-ORGANIZED BY THE LAUNDROMAT PROJECT AND SUPERFRONT


    (Brooklyn, NY) – For the last six months participants in The Laundromat Project’s 2009 Create Change Public Artist Residency Program have leveraged the space of local laundromats to engage their neighbors in a process of public art making that ranges from multimedia installation to an anonymous hotline for airing out “dirty laundry.” From October 17 – December 12, 2009 in a group show designed by the team at SUPERFRONT, a gallery focused on architectural experimentation, the general public is invited to experience these otherwise separate public works located across Brooklyn and Queens in their shared context of building community in a too often alienating city. The installation opens with a reception on Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m at SUPERFRONT.

    Each year, The Laundromat Project sponsors three artists of color to develop neighborhood-specific artworks through its Create Change Public Artist Residency Program. Following selection by a juried process, participating artists are charged with creating socially-relevant works using the space of their local laundromat to meet and engage their neighbors. This year’s Create Change artists: Carlos Martinez, Michael Premo, and Tracee Worley, have approached their projects from different perspectives and media, yet thematically converge through the act of public testimony.

    In his Photo Booth Without Borders, Carlos A. Martinez created a portable photo booth to travel to area laundromats in search of what his fellow Jackson Heights residents thought made (or could make) one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country a more livable community for old and new New Yorkers alike.

    Michael Premo’s Housing is a Human Right, developed in collaboration with Rachel Falcone, explores the concept of home and community through a collection of audio portraits of his neighbors' ongoing efforts to maintain or obtain affordable housing. Marked by image and sound, this assemblage of viscerally honest first person narratives serve as a reminder that home is as tenuous a space in New York City as the shelter that sustains it.

    Tracee Worley has created an experiment in neighborhood communication through The Dirty Laundry Line a toll free number and accompanying website that allows callers to come clean. Begun in Bed-Stuy and now spread to neighborhoods in Chicago and Oakland, the 800-hotline lets laundry patrons across the country purge secret shames, scandals, and betrayals by leaving an anonymous voicemail. Doubling as a cathartic forum and a voyeur's delight, the hotline also offers the option of snooping through other people’s dirty laundry.

    About The Laundromat Project

    The Laundromat Project is a community based arts organization committed to promoting the well-being of low-income communities of color. Understanding that creativity is a central component of healthy human beings; vibrant neighborhoods; and thriving economies, The LP's programs bring art to where people already are: the laundromat. Its two core programs, Works in Progress and Create Change Public Artist Residency Program, focus on making art education broadly accessible for all ages and skill levels, as well as providing professional development opportunities for artists of color looking to build or deepen a community-engaged art making practice by creating new public works in their own neighborhoods.

    About SUPERFRONT
    Since January 2008, SUPERFRONT has invited students, emerging architects, designers, visual artists, and performance artists to engage in a public forum that raises awareness of contemporary architectural practice and theory. Dedicated to supporting, promoting, and producing radical contemporary architecture while fostering creative interdisciplinary exchange, SUPERFRONT recently opened a satellite gallery in the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles in addition to its location in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

    ###


    ]]>         Carlos Martinez's Photo Booth Without Borders opens at Park(ing) Day in Jackson Heights, Queens http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/19/carlos-martinezs-photo-booth-without-borders-opens-at-parking-day-in-jackson-heights-queens http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/19/carlos-martinezs-photo-booth-without-borders-opens-at-parking-day-in-jackson-heights-queens Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:47:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/19/carlos-martinezs-photo-booth-without-borders-opens-at-parking-day-in-jackson-heights-queens Photo Booth Without Borders – Building Communities through Personal Stories, Carlos A. Martinez stops at laundromats throughout Queens to ask Jackson Heights locals and passersby to share their thoughts on how they can make Queens, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country, a more livable community. In [...]]]> Photo Booth Without Borders – Building Communities through Personal Stories, Carlos A. Martinez stops at laundromats throughout Queens to ask Jackson Heights locals and passersby to share their thoughts on how they can make Queens, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country, a more livable community. In exchange for sharing, each participant receives a portrait of themselves taken by Martinez.


    The Photo Booth Without Borders participated in Park(ing) Day – an annual, day-long, global event features artists, activists and citizens collaborating to temporarily transform metered parking spots into "PARK(ing)" spaces or temporary public parks – on September 18th, 2009 in front of the Aqua Clara Laundromat in Jackson Heights, Queens.


    All photographs courtesy of Hrag Vartanian



    ]]>         Volunteer + Internship Opportunities at The Laundromat Project http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/19/volunteer-internship-opportunities-at-the-laundromat-project http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/19/volunteer-internship-opportunities-at-the-laundromat-project Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:28:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/19/volunteer-internship-opportunities-at-the-laundromat-project Special Events Intern

    Position Description
    On Tuesday, November 3rd, The Laundromat Project will host its first annual auction fundraiser at Envoy Gallery. Our aim is to raise funds to [...]]]>     Special Events Intern

    Position Description
    On Tuesday, November 3rd, The Laundromat Project will host its first annual auction fundraiser at Envoy Gallery. Our aim is to raise funds to support our ongoing work and the appointment of our first full-time staff member. The event will be preceded by an online auction of works on paper donated by established and emerging contemporary artists. The Laundromat Project seeks a volunteer to support activities associated with organizing the November 3rd event and the accompanying online auction. Specifically, a Special Events intern will execute broad tasks.

    Responsibilities
    Tasks include:
    • Assisting with generating gift, food and alcohol sponsorships for the November 3rd Auction event at Envoy Gallery
    • Assisting with conducting outreach to media outlets and press contacts
    • Uploading art images and inputting bid information onto a blog site
    • Posting auction news items to web
    • Providing administrative support for donating artists, host committee, Board of Directors and Fundraising Consultant

    Requirements
    The ideal candidate:
    • Possesses excellent written and verbal communication skills
    • Is trustworthy and possesses sound judgment
    • Is available to work independently and as part of a team
    • Has access to a reliable computer and printer
    • Can dedicate 5-10 hours a week to project tasks between September 15th and November 15th
    • Is available for at least 1 in-person meeting per week leading up to the event
    • Is familiar with basic MS office applications and has facility with online document management
    • Is able to lift at least 25lbs
    • Has knowledge of the arts or an interest in learning about contemporary art
    • Prior Special Events or Fundraising experience is a plus but not required

    The Special Events Intern will report directly to the Board of Directors of The Laundromat Project.


    To Apply

    Please forward a resume and brief statement of interest specialevents[at]laundromatproject.org


    ###


    Works iN Progress Volunteer


    Position Description
    The Laundromat Project is hosting a series of pilot art-making workshops at The Laundry Room through its Works iN Progress program. These activities cater to an ongoing flow of people, as participants may arrive after the initial demonstration or explanation of the activity. Workshops incorporate fun and engaging art-making techniques in addition to a component that allows participants understand their neighborhood more profoundly.

    The fundamental goals for these workshops are to 1) bring art-making down to earth; and 2) provide an activity that helps neighbors get to know each other and their neighborhood better.

    Volunteers will serve as assistants to Teaching Artists working with the Works iN Progress Program as they facilitate workshops in and within close proximity to laundromats and as documentarians while workshops are in session.

    Key Responsibilities
    • Posting and passing out fliers to local businesses and organizations before workshops begin
    • Assisting Teaching Artist with lessons as needed
    • Photographing workshops for The Laundromat Project’s blog and flickr account
    • Uploading photographs with captions on Flickr account
    • Downloading/transferring photographs to a Laundromat Project staff member
    • Making sure participants sign guest book and Participation Agreement forms

    Participation Dates
    Volunteers are needed from 11am – 3:30pm on Saturday, September 26th; Sunday, September 27th; Saturday, October 3rd; Sunday, October 4th; Saturday, October 10th; Sunday October 11th.

    To Apply

    Please send your resume and brief letter of interest to Petrushka Bazin petrushka[at]laundromatproject.org


    ###


    Communications Internship


    Position Description
    The Laundromat Project hosts two core programs: Create Change Artist Residency Program and Works iN Progress. It’s third year of programming, The Laundromat Project is seeking interns to develop strategic press strategies to effectively promote its programs.

    The Communications Intern will be responsible for raising awareness to the organization’s Create Change and Works iN Progress Program through online and print media outlets. This entails targeting writers who may be interested in writing about the organization or its projects, creating a detailed spreadsheet that includes contact information for writers and deadlines for when press materials should be received.

    Requirements
    Candidate must be an independent self-motivated worker, detail oriented, have research experience, be proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel, feel comfortable with data entry, and have an interest in public art, community arts, arts education, or media relations.

    Most of the work for this position can be done independently and submitted virtually. However, the Communications Intern will be required to meet weekly with The Laundromat Project Programs Associate in person or by phone.

    Responsibilities
    • Creates an excel spreadsheet of online and print media outlets, which target specific writers who may take interest in the organization and its projects.
    • Meet weekly with The Laundromat Project Programs Associate

    Project Dates + Time Commitment
    5-8hrs/week | September 15 – December 31, 2009

    To Apply

    Please send a resume and cover letter no longer than 1-pg to Petrushka Bazin at petrushka[at]laundromatproject.org.


    ###


    ]]>         Tracee Worley's Dirty Laundry Line Goes Live http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/02/tracee-worleys-dirty-laundry-line-goes-live http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/02/tracee-worleys-dirty-laundry-line-goes-live Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:33:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/02/tracee-worleys-dirty-laundry-line-goes-live Create Change project, The Dirty Laundry Line, is an experiment in neighborhood communication, giving laundromat customers all over New York City the opportunity to anonymously air out their dirty laundry in public or voyeuristically snoop through [...]]]> Create Change project, The Dirty Laundry Line, is an experiment in neighborhood communication, giving laundromat customers all over New York City the opportunity to anonymously air out their dirty laundry in public or voyeuristically snoop through other people’s dirty laundry.

    Since August 2009, laundromat washers and dryers have been bombed with stickers inviting customers to call The Dirty Laundry Line. Curious callers are given the option to “press one” to anonymously “air out” their dirty laundry by leaving a message or “press two” to hear messages other callers have left.

    Call. Listen. Laugh. Cry. Press #1. Leave a message.

    This is just some place holder text so you can see what it might look like to have actual content on the page before you actually enter it. This is just some place holder text so you can see what it might look like to have actual content on the page before you actually enter it.



    photograph courtesy: Hrag Vartanian


    ]]>         Works iN Progress going on strong http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/02/works-in-progress-going-on-strong http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/02/works-in-progress-going-on-strong Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:56:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/09/02/works-in-progress-going-on-strong




    Visit us on flickr for more pictures.


    Works iN Progress Schedule*


    Sat, Aug. 1, 2009
    Drawing/Breath

    Sun, Aug 2, 2009
    CANCELLED due to weather

    Sat, Aug. 8, 2009
    Drawing/Breath

    Sun, Aug. 9, 2009
    CANCELLED due to weather

    Sat, Aug. 15, 2009
    I Pledge Allegiance to My Neighborhood: Making Community Flags

    Sun, Aug. 16, 2009
    I Pledge Allegiance to My Neighborhood: Making Community Flags

    Sat, Aug. 22, 2009
    Collage-N-Motion

    Sun, Aug. 23, 2009
    Collage-N-Motion

    Sat, Aug 29, 2009
    A Window into Your Experience: Sol Lewitt based Instructional Drawing

    Sun, Aug 30, 2009
    A Window into Your Experience: Sol Lewitt based Instructional Drawing

    Sat, Sept. 12, 2009
    Printmaking

    Sun, Sept. 13, 2009
    Narrative Silhouettes

    Sat, Sept. 19, 2009
    Printmaking

    Sun, Sept. 20, 2009
    Representational Postcards

    Sat, Sept. 26, 2009
    Resist Painting

    Sun, Sept. 27, 2009
    Culture in Images: Bearden Collages

    Sat, Oct. 3, 2009
    Resist Painting

    Sun, Oct. 4, 2009
    Representational Postcards

    Sat, Oct. 10, 2009
    Making Monuments from Paper [WORKSHOPS EXTENDED]

    Sun, Oct 11, 2009
    Making Monuments from Paper [WORKSHOPS EXTENDED]

    * Schedule is subject to change



    ]]>         Works iN Progress off to an amazing start http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/08/03/works-in-progress-off-to-an-amazing-start http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/08/03/works-in-progress-off-to-an-amazing-start Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:23:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/08/03/works-in-progress-off-to-an-amazing-start
    Each participant was given [...]]]>
    Each participant was given a piece of construction paper, a generous line of water-based ink, and a straw. Ife asked everyone to listen to the surrounding sounds and mirror them by blowing through their straws accordingly. Participants were then invited to enhance their pictures by adding color with chalk pastels. The results were beautiful.



    Visit our flickr page for more photos.


    See you next week! We’re right in front of The Laundry Room (143 W. 116th btwn Malcolm X + Adam Clayton Powell) every Saturday and Sunday weather permitting.



    Until then…

    ]]>         The Laundromat Project launches 10-week arts making workshops this weekend! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/07/29/the-laundromat-project-launches-10-week-arts-making-workshops-this-weekend http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/07/29/the-laundromat-project-launches-10-week-arts-making-workshops-this-weekend Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:03:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/07/29/the-laundromat-project-launches-10-week-arts-making-workshops-this-weekend
    Art-making activities cater to an ongoing flow of people, as participants are welcome to arrive after the [...]]]>
    Art-making activities cater to an ongoing flow of people, as participants are welcome to arrive after the initial demonstration has been made. Teaching Artists will lead participants in making fun and engaging art projects that teach art techniques and allow participants to look at and understand their neighborhood more profoundly.

    Come one. Come all!

    See you at the Laundry Room Saturday, August 1st for our kick off.

    ]]>         Call for Writers for Create Change Artist Residency Program http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/07/12/call-for-writers-for-create-change-artist-residency-program http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/07/12/call-for-writers-for-create-change-artist-residency-program Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:44:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/07/12/call-for-writers-for-create-change-artist-residency-program Call for Writers for Create Change Artist Residency Program

    Each year, The Laundromat Project selects three visual artists to participate in its six-month Create Change Artist Residency Program. Three writers are then paired with Create Change participants to write about their projects throughout their [...]]]>     Call for Writers for Create Change Artist Residency Program

    Each year, The Laundromat Project selects three visual artists to participate in its six-month Create Change Artist Residency Program. Three writers are then paired with Create Change participants to write about their projects throughout their residency.

    To Apply
    The Laundromat Project is looking for three writers of any genre (creative writing, journalism, art criticism, etc.) Our goal is to assemble as many different perspectives of this work as possible in anticipation of a program catalogue. Profiles should be brief in length (500 words maximum) and will appear first on our website but will be archived for later publication.

    If selected to profile one of the Create Change participants, we will connect the two of you so that you can spend time with their work at their respective laundromat site in order to engage with their process and ideas.

    Each work will receive a $500 honorarium upon successful completion of the profile.

    Please send three writing samples to exceed no more than 1,000 words each as PDF documents to Petrushka Bazin at petrushka(at)laundromatproject.org by July 22nd, 2009. If submitting an excerpt from a longer work, please send no more than five pages from the work and no additional samples.

    About The Laundromat Project
    The Laundromat Project is a community based arts organization committed to the well being of communities of color living on low incomes. We understand that creativity is a central component of healthy human beings, vibrant neighborhoods and thriving economies. Every year we invite artists to mount public art projects in laundromats throughout New York City. By bringing art to our neighbors, we aim to raise the quality of life in our community.

    About Create Change
    Create Change is a six-month public art residency program (May 15, 2009 – October 15, 2009) developed to connect communities and artists of color in meaningful ways. Each Create Change artist is charged with placing art-making in the context of everyday living by:

    ::producing a site-specific, socially relevant installation at their local laundromats

    ::engaging fellow laundry patrons as participants in their creative process; and

    ::increasing their own visibility as an artist and a neighbor in the area they call home.

    Past projects have ranged from building a drawing stand where laundromat patrons and passersby exchanged drawings with a local artist; to sculpting a bench made from ceramic tiles designed by secondary school students; to hosting a book exchange around a bench made from books.

    The themes of current projects include ideas of home, efforts to maintain or obtain affordable housing, “familiar strangers,” and storytelling.

    ]]>         The Create Change Program is growing! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/the-create-change-program-is-growing http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/the-create-change-program-is-growing Mon, 18 May 2009 15:06:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/the-create-change-program-is-growing
    The Laundromat Project’s Create Change Program invites artists to mount public art [...]]]>
    The Laundromat Project’s Create Change Program invites artists to mount public art projects in laundromats throughout New York City as a way of increasing the quality of life in communities of color living on low incomes. Past projects have taken place in Crown Heights, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Harlem.

    We are proud to announce Carlos Martinez, Michael Premo, and Tracee Worley as our three new Create Change Participants!

    Carlos A. Martinez is Colombian-born environmentalist and photographer based in Jackson Heights, Queens. For the past five years, he has worked with Green Map System, a non-profit organization that promotes inclusive participation in sustainable community development worldwide, using mapmaking as its medium. As a photographer and educator, he has worked with the International Center of Photography’s Community Programs on their youth program at The Point in the South Bronx, National Geographic’s Photo Camp, and a photography program with youth transitioning out of incarceration in partnership with Friends of Island Academy.

    Carlos will invite his local community to share their stories and personal journeys in a confessional-meets-photo booth.

    Michael Premo is dedicated to documenting, portraying, expressing and celebrating voices from the so-called margins. Through various mediums he seeks to create a stage for the expression of stories from communities whose perspectives have been neglected and underrepresented.

    Michael has collaborated on the creation and production of original work with The Civilians, EarSay, Inc., the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, The Globesity Festival: Hunger Strike Theater. He has traveled across the country recording and facilitating interviews for StoryCorps, a national project dedicated to recording, in sound, stories of everyday people, and StoryCorps Griot, an initiative to ensure that the voices, experiences, and life stories of African-Americans are preserved.

    Michael will create a multi-media project using sound and photography to record the stories of communities fighting to maintain or obtain decent affordable housing.

    Tracee Worley is a BedStuy-based guerilla artist, teacher, prankster and rabble-rouser. Drawing inspiration from The Situationists and other urban interventionists, her participatory art projects aim to creatively disrupt public space.Frustrated by the inability of her training in the social sciences to adequately capture the complexities of everyday life, she began using art as a means to shape the future with more powerful interpretations of the world.

    Tracee will move magnetic poetry from the refrigerator surface to those of washers and driers.

    ]]>         Introducing The LP Artist + Community Council http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/introducing-the-lp-artist-community-council http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/introducing-the-lp-artist-community-council Mon, 18 May 2009 14:14:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/introducing-the-lp-artist-community-council
    The 2009 Artist + Community Council includes: Rashida Bumbray, Martha Diaz, Andre Lancaster, and Rudy Shepherd.

    Rashida Bumbray joined the staff of The Kitchen in 2006, where she is Associate Curator. She previously served as Curatorial Assistant and Exhibition Coordinator at The Studio Museum in Harlem (2001-2006). While working at The Studio Museum, she co-organized exhibitions such as African Queen, HRLM: Pictures, Seeds and Roots: Selections from the Permanent Collection, co-curated with Thelma Golden, and Energy/Experimentation: Black Artists and Abstraction 1964-1980 with Kellie Jones, among others. She co-founded the well-known tap dance jam series Hoofers House, which is now co-produced by The Kitchen and co-curated Studio Sound, the Studio Museum’s lobby music installation.

    At The Kitchen, Ms. Bumbray recently curated solo exhibitions by Jamal Cyrus, Elodie Pong and Rodney McMillian, as well as performances by Kalup Linzy, Rashaad Newsome, Sanford Biggers and Keith & Mendi Obadike. She earned her BA in African American Studies and Theater & Dance from Oberlin College and is completing her MA in Africana Studies at New York University.

    Martha Diaz is the president of The Hip-Hop Association (H2A), and producer of the H2O International Film Festival and Hip-Hop Education Summit. She is the co-creator of the Hip-Hop Education Guidebook Series, and is releasing her second book entitled, Fresh, Bold and So Def: Women In Hip-Hop Changing The Game in September 2009. Martha created the Ladies First Fund, the first grant for women in Hip-Hop dedicated to fostering the next generation of social entrepreneurs. She also launched H2ONewsreel, the first Hip-Hop media and education resource distribution label catering to the education market. She is Co-founder and Director of the Hip-Hop Education Center for Research, Training, and Evaluation, a partnership with the H2A and the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education Reform at NYU. She is working on her Master’s Degree in Hip-Hop as a tool for Human Rights and Social Change at NYU’s Gallatin School for Individualized Study. Martha is the recipient of the Catherine B. Reynolds Scholarship, Black Lily Emerging Leader Award, and the Mary Chung Nia Award.

    Andre Lancaster is a playwright, stage director and Artistic & Managing Director of Freedom Train Productions, a black queer-inspired political theatre company. He has written four full-length plays: Hope Courage, The Trumpet Man, Descendants of Freedom: a futuristic queer hip hop odyssey, and I Am Not A Hero. His work has been developed and staged at HERE Arts Center (NYC), BRIC Studio (Brooklyn), Freedom Train Productions (Brooklyn), Esperanza Peace and Justice Center (San Antonio), Hyde Park Theatre (Austin), UT Theatre and Dance Reading Series (Austin), and New Works Festival (Austin). Descendants of Freedom was selected into HERE Art Center’s Queer@HERE Festival in 2004. In 2006, he directed the premiere production of Andrea E. Davis’s A Love Like Damien’s at WOW Cafe Theatre. He studied Playwriting at the University of Texas at Austin.

    Rudy Shepherd is a painter, sculptor and Create Change alum. Rudy’s Create Change project took the form of a larger-than-life drawing cart, which was rolled into a parking space outside one of Harlem’s busy laundromats. He invited passersby and those doing their laundry to sit-down and draw. Rudy is based in Harlem, NY and received a BS in Biology and Studio Art from Wake Forest University and an MFA in Sculpture from the School of Art Institute of Chicago. He is currently represented by Mixed Greens Gallery, NY. Shepherd is an artist in residence at Location One and has a two-person exhibition from May 9 – June 20, 2009 at Paperwork Gallery, Baltimore, MD.

    ]]>         New LP Program Associate + Exhibition Coordinator http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/new-lp-program-associate-exhibition-coordinator http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/new-lp-program-associate-exhibition-coordinator Mon, 18 May 2009 14:11:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/05/18/new-lp-program-associate-exhibition-coordinator
    Petrushka is [...]]]>
    Petrushka is an independent curator, artist, and educator based in New York. She holds an MA in Curatorial Practice from California College of Arts and a BFA from New York Univeristy’s Tisch School of the Arts Photography & Imaging program. Her past curatorial projects have included working as the Assistant Curator to traveling photography exhibition Reclaiming Midwives: Stills from All My Babies; co-curator to Self-Storage and Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher’s Learning to Love You More project. Petrushka’s photographic work has been included in exhibitions in New York and abroad along with publications such as Black: A Celebration of a Culture and exposure magazine.

    ]]>         CALL FOR ARTISTS http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/01/01/call-for-artists http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/01/01/call-for-artists Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:48:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2009/01/01/call-for-artists We are currently accepting applications for our 2009 Create Change Public Artist Residency Program. Applications and materials are due by March 9th, 2009. NOTE THE NEW, EXTENDED DEADLINE!

    To apply, you can download an     We are currently accepting applications for our 2009 Create Change Public Artist Residency Program. Applications and materials are due by March 9th, 2009. NOTE THE NEW, EXTENDED DEADLINE!

    To apply, you can download an     Application. Applicants are also encouraged to review answers to Frequently Asked Questions and the program summary below. To see examples of past Create Change projects click here.

    About Create Change

    Create Change is a six month public art residency program (May 15, 2009 – October 31, 2009) developed to connect communities and artists of color in meaningful ways. As a 2009 Create Change artist you will be able to place art-making in the context of everyday living by:

    ::producing a site-specific, socially relevant installation at your local laundromat

    ::engaging your fellow laundry patrons as participants in your creative process; and

    ::increasing your own visibility as an artist and a neighbor in the area you call home.

    Create Change public art projects can range in form (from physical installations to performative acts to other kinds of interventions), but must make use of the unique social space of New York City laundromats. Successful projects will 1) help participants to stay connected long after the projects are physically complete; and 2) facilitate a process in which neighbors from different class strata build relationships as shared stakeholders in the future of their neighborhood and/or of a larger cultural history.

    To support your process, we will provide you with a stipend and materials budget, but equally as important we offer a supportive network along with opportunities for professional development and sharing your work with a larger public.

    About The Laundromat Project

    The Laundromat Project is a community based arts organization committed to the well-being of communities of color living on low incomes. We understand that creativity is a central component of healthy human beings, vibrant neighborhoods and thriving economies. Every year we invite artists to mount public art projects in laundromats throughout Brooklyn and Harlem. By bringing art to where our neighbors already are (everyone has to do their laundry), we aim to raise the quality of life in our community.

    ]]>     The LP is honored to receive Union Square Arts Award! http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2008/12/05/the-lp-is-honored-to-receive-union-square-arts-award http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2008/12/05/the-lp-is-honored-to-receive-union-square-arts-award Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:17:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2008/12/05/the-lp-is-honored-to-receive-union-square-arts-award 17 NEW YORK CITY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE $700,000 IN AWARDS
    ——————————————–
    Community leaders to be honored at upcoming Union Square Awards [...]]]>     17 NEW YORK CITY GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE $700,000 IN AWARDS
    ——————————————–
    Community leaders to be honored at upcoming Union Square Awards ceremony
    —————————————-
    December 2008

    Union Square Awards Seventeen New York City organizations will be honored at the annual Union Square Awards celebration on Saturday, December 6th. Seven will receive the prestigious Union Square Award and a $50,000 grant for exceptional efforts addressing the critical social and economic issues facing New Yorkers. Ten will receive the Union Square Arts Award and a $35,000 grant in recognition of innovative work in the arts with youth and families in low-income communities. “With minimal resources, these organizations are making extraordinary contributions to local neighborhoods. Given the current economic situation, their work is vital to New York City,” says Executive Director Iris Morales.

    Named after the park on 14th Street where New Yorkers have organized and spoken out about major social issues since the nineteenth century, the Union Square Awards program was created to recognize and encourage initiative in serving New York City communities. The awards realize an anonymous donor’s dream of honoring New Yorkers who have taken action to improve people’s lives and advocate for social change. Since its inception, the Union Square Awards has granted more than $13 million to organizations that have not received either substantial funding or public accolade.

    This year’s awardees work with diverse populations across the City including young people, new immigrant communities, the formerly incarcerated, and the disabled. They join 186 organizations that have previously received the Award since its founding in 1998. Awardees will be recognized at a special ceremony at the historic Riverside Church in Manhattan.

    …

    Recipients of the Arts Award

    Cool Culture offers programs that provide low-income families access to New York’s arts, cultural and scientific institutions.

    Freedom Train Productions promotes new political theatre that features Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) characters written by up-and-coming Black LGBT playwrights.

    Girls Write Now is a creative writing organization that offers girls from New York City public schools a safe environment that fosters their creativity and independent voices.

    The Laundromat Project uses the space of local coin-ops to provide communities of color living on modest incomes access to visual arts as a tool for personal and social transformation.

    Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture without Borders celebrates Mexican culture in the United States and promotes understanding of Mexican traditions among immigrants, artists, educators and the public.

    The Multicultural Music Group offers performance, instruction and professional development in multicultural music to promote global understanding, cultural awareness, and academic achievement.

    Renaissance E.M.S. provides young people in the Bronx with music instruction, vocal training and other programs that maximize their potential and encourage community participation.

    T.W.W./Talks with Wolves provides children and youth with programs in writing, visual and performance arts that integrate African and Native American cultures.

    Urban Word works to ensure that New York City youth have a safe, supportive, dynamic and challenging community in which to discover and use their voices through written and spoken word.

    Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls (Rock Camp) is dedicated to using music to promote self-expression and self-esteem while building bridges of communication to combat racism and stereotypes.

    The Union Square Awards is a project of the Tides Center whose mission is to actively promote change toward a healthy society – one founded on principles of social justice, equal economic opportunity, a robust democratic process, and environmental sustainability.

    For more information about the Union Square Awards, please visit www.unionsquareawards.org.

    ]]>     Selected Press http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2008/12/01/selected-press http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2008/12/01/selected-press Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:37:00 +0000 http://laundromatproject.org/blog/2008/12/01/selected-press NYU Alumni Magazine
    Spring 2006
    by Nicole Pezold

    A laundromat might seem a peculiar place to exhibit art. But Risë Wilson (GSAS ’04) realized this very ordinary location could open a world to an entirely new audience, one that might never think to enter a gallery. As a black woman, she herself had often felt like an [...]]]>     NYU Alumni Magazine
    Spring 2006
    by Nicole Pezold

    A laundromat might seem a peculiar place to exhibit art. But Risë Wilson (GSAS ’04) realized this very ordinary location could open a world to an entirely new audience, one that might never think to enter a gallery. As a black woman, she herself had often felt like an interloper in the museums that inspired her. “The pictures in the gilded frames had nothing to do with my experience or my neighbors’ experiences,” she explains. To break down the real and perceived barriers that have locked generations of African-Americans out of the mainstream art world, Wilson proposed combining an art center in a low-income neighborhood with a laundromat that could help support it… FULL ARTICLE

    Sparknotes
    July 2005
    by Justin Kestler

    Art and laundry tend to be at opposite ends of the spectrum of human activity: laundry’s a chore we have to do; art tends to be a pleasure people seek out in their free time. The Laundromat Project was created to change both experiences by making a visit to an art exhibition a built-in part of the recurring chore of doing the wash. The profits from the coin-operated machines will help support the creation and showing of the artwork. But above all, the hope is to make art more accessible and relevant to communities who may never visit a gallery otherwise, creating programs and exhibitions that encourage people to engage more with the arts, education, and other civic activities… FULL ARTICLE

    Columbia College Today
    November 2004
    by Shira Boss-Bicak

    … For the money making side of the venture, Wilson considered pairing the arts center with a beauty or barber shop or a bodega, among other options. Her objective was to capture the broadest audience possible and to engage customers in visual arts in an informal atmosphere. Eventually she hit on the idea of a Laundromat.

    “You have to do laundry whether you want to or not,” notes Wilson, “no matter what the economy is doing.” FULL ARTICLE

    24/7 (a publication of Courier Life)
    November 2004
    by Christy Goodman

    … Their angel investor, Echoing Green, was the first place Wilson and Robinson applied for a grant. Lucky for them, they were also the only arts based grant given this year by Echoing Green.

    “This is a terrific example of how non-profits are incorporating social enterprise approaches with sustaining an association,” said Echoing Green President, Dr. Cheryl Dorsey. “We were all intrigued by the idea. It is such a smart idea that incorporates social justice principles and theories with a good arts education program that really embraces the changing neighborhood.”

    “This is a wonderful grant because it gives us time to plan. The next two years really are planning years to get this up and running,” says Wilson.A third of Echoing Green’s grants go to educational programming. Another third goes towards health-related programming. The rest is historically for the arts, but in the past few years, they have not funded any arts programming—until now… FULL ARTICLE

    Daily Challenge
    July 16-18, 2004

    Rooted in the belief that cultural participation can serve as a path to civic engagement, the Laundromat Project seeks to capitalize on the open, democratic space that a community laundromat offers to engage people who may not actively seek out an arts experience or civic involvement… FULL ARTICLE

    CAA News (College Art Association)
    September 2002
    by Stephanie Davies

    … Wilson perceives visual art as an underused tool in African American cultural autobiography and seeks to strengthen the interaction of black audiences with visual art. Her graduate work explores ways in which the art process and “product” has been and can be brought to new spaces and contexts specific to African American populations. Such work serves as preparation to create a laundromat-kunsthalle in a historically black neighborhood... FULL ARTICLE

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