November 5, 2009
Tonight!

Tonight!

November 4, 2009

Crystal Liepa took these wonderful photos at our Halloween rent party. In the mix are Colin & Miranda experimenting with ectoplasm. What fun!

November 2, 2009
Machine Project in Los Angeles, California. “Machine Project is a non-profit community space in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles investigating art, technology, natural history, science, music, literature, and food. In our storefront on North Alvarado street we produce events, workshops, and site-specific installations using hands-on engagement to make rarefied knowledge accessible.”

Machine Project in Los Angeles, California.

“Machine Project is a non-profit community space in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles investigating art, technology, natural history, science, music, literature, and food. In our storefront on North Alvarado street we produce events, workshops, and site-specific installations using hands-on engagement to make rarefied knowledge accessible.”

File under: alternative art spaces 
November 2, 2009
“ West Bank Social Center. Just another reason Minneapolis is climbing up the “places I’d consider living” list.

Books Are Better Then Boys.

Aww, thanks!

October 29, 2009
Come ghost hunting at the West Bank Social Center! This month’s rent party just happens to fall on All Hallows’ Eve, so we’re exploring the space and exposing its supernatural elements. We’ll be presenting results from a smaller, all-night paranormal inquiry that took place last Saturday. Also on tap: Max Balhorn returns to WBSC with Ben Holt for a spirited one night sound and video installation You can participate by swapping real-life ghost stories, practicing divination techniques, making ectoplasm, and snapping spirit photos with photographer Crystal Liepa. And because hunting ghosts is hard work, there will also be music. Tunes from DJ Jonathan Ackerman, videos by Lindsey Borgerson, and ritualistic dancing to commence at 11:30pm. That’s next Saturday, October 31st, 9pm-2am at the WBSC. There will be a $5 cover at the door, costumes are not required. RSVP to the Facebook event! (photo: “A Seance” by spirit photographer William Hope)

Come ghost hunting at the West Bank Social Center! This month’s rent party just happens to fall on All Hallows’ Eve, so we’re exploring the space and exposing its supernatural elements. We’ll be presenting results from a smaller, all-night paranormal inquiry that took place last Saturday. Also on tap: Max Balhorn returns to WBSC with Ben Holt for a spirited one night sound and video installation

You can participate by swapping real-life ghost stories, practicing divination techniques, making ectoplasm, and snapping spirit photos with photographer Crystal Liepa.

And because hunting ghosts is hard work, there will also be music. Tunes from DJ Jonathan Ackerman, videos by Lindsey Borgerson, and ritualistic dancing to commence at 11:30pm.

That’s next Saturday, October 31st, 9pm-2am at the WBSC. There will be a $5 cover at the door, costumes are not required.

RSVP to the Facebook event!

(photo: “A Seance” by spirit photographer William Hope)

File under: Ghosts Paranormal Halloween 
October 27, 2009

Some Thoughts on Eating Together

Last night we welcomed a small group of new and old friends to West Bank Social Center for dinner. The menu was simple: we ate soup that had been made the day before by five of our friends, and leftover focaccia that Miranda had brought from work. The soup-makers had designed an activity to place us at the table next to people we didn’t know, and as you might expect, the conversations meandered.

I was seated across from a woman named Amanda who works for KFAI Radio and produces a podcast about local food issues. By the end of our conversation we were sharing thoughts about the future of agriculture, and the worldchanging possibilities of cookbooks. Next to me were two professors from the University who teach a course about art spaces and community engagement. We talked about food and politics, food and art, about the simple pleasures of cooking together, and strange fruits from faraway places.

At one point, I was asked why we decided to do this project, to have this soup dinner in this space?

I didn’t have a definitive answer, in part because I’ve had no time to think of one. I realized as I meandered my own way through the idea that we’d never really thought about soup as a project so much as an anti-project, that one day each month when we would simply share the company of interesting people.

“Because we’re hungry.” I told her. “And because we like to spend time with other people.”

In some ways, West Bank Social Center is the same story. We never really talk about it as a project so much as a space for things to happen. Since we began last summer it’s been a laboratory and a retreat, a noisy mess and a conversation. We struggle to pay the rent, we swap a lot of big and small ideas, but at the end of the day, it’s really about being hungry and being together.

-Shanai

October 22, 2009
This Friday night WBSC is excited to host Women’s Work, an evening of performance art presented by Pegasus and you beast, you gem. There will be limited space at this event, so if you are planning to come, RSVP here. This will be a really great night and we hope to see some of you there! Shanai

This Friday night WBSC is excited to host Women’s Work, an evening of performance art presented by Pegasus and you beast, you gem.

There will be limited space at this event, so if you are planning to come, RSVP here. This will be a really great night and we hope to see some of you there!

  • Shanai
October 20, 2009
We at WBSC like big thinkers— people whose visions resist tidy categories and easy summations. But damn if it isn’t hard to do these people justice in a quick event blurb. I’m feeling this way about Joni Tevis, who’s stopping by WBSC this Thursday, October 22 at 7pm to share some of her work. Tevis crafts lovely, thoughtful essays that I also want to call travelogues, and prose poems, and memoirs, and natural histories. Her subject matter is similarly wide-ranging, though they all seem to be investigating some of the same big questions about place and culture and memory. She’ll read pieces from her 2007 book, The Wet Collection (including a fascinating reflection on a stint spent selling funeral services in Texas), an essay on visiting a demolition derby with her mother, and excerpts from an upcoming book about ghost towns and atomic frontiers. Check out this recent Orion article to get a feel for her work. Hope to see you Thursday! Very much! —Miranda

We at WBSC like big thinkers— people whose visions resist tidy categories and easy summations. But damn if it isn’t hard to do these people justice in a quick event blurb.

I’m feeling this way about Joni Tevis, who’s stopping by WBSC this Thursday, October 22 at 7pm to share some of her work. Tevis crafts lovely, thoughtful essays that I also want to call travelogues, and prose poems, and memoirs, and natural histories. Her subject matter is similarly wide-ranging, though they all seem to be investigating some of the same big questions about place and culture and memory.

She’ll read pieces from her 2007 book, The Wet Collection (including a fascinating reflection on a stint spent selling funeral services in Texas), an essay on visiting a demolition derby with her mother, and excerpts from an upcoming book about ghost towns and atomic frontiers.

Check out this recent Orion article to get a feel for her work. Hope to see you Thursday!

Very much! —Miranda

File under: literary events 
October 16, 2009
We’ve said it before, but seriously: We love the folks over at Art Review and Preview. For the past two and a half years, they’ve busted their butts putting together issue after issue of thoughtful, engaged arts criticism. These are people who care about art and healthy creative communities! We’re fantastically excited to bring in ARP! founders/editors Tiff Hockin and Ariel Pate for our October Praxis, this Sunday from 4-6pm. Tiff and Ariel told me that we’ll be making newspapers, though they’re mum on details. Come make some papers and pick their brains about the tough business of running an independent arts journal! Very much! —Miranda

We’ve said it before, but seriously: We love the folks over at Art Review and Preview. For the past two and a half years, they’ve busted their butts putting together issue after issue of thoughtful, engaged arts criticism. These are people who care about art and healthy creative communities!

We’re fantastically excited to bring in ARP! founders/editors Tiff Hockin and Ariel Pate for our October Praxis, this Sunday from 4-6pm. Tiff and Ariel told me that we’ll be making newspapers, though they’re mum on details. Come make some papers and pick their brains about the tough business of running an independent arts journal!

Very much! —Miranda

File under: praxis 
October 15, 2009
Hey kids, it’s that time again. Next Tuesday is the 4th installment of MNKINO, and this time the theme is Repeat. Here are the details: MNKINO #4: REPEATTuesday, October 20th; 8pmat the WBSC (of course!) You can also RSVP on Facebook and fill out our handy submission form to let us know you’re coming, and if you’re bringing a film. Hope to see you there! —Andy

Hey kids, it’s that time again. Next Tuesday is the 4th installment of MNKINO, and this time the theme is Repeat. Here are the details:

MNKINO #4: REPEAT
Tuesday, October 20th; 8pm
at the WBSC (of course!)

You can also RSVP on Facebook and fill out our handy submission form to let us know you’re coming, and if you’re bringing a film.

Hope to see you there!

—Andy

File under: MNKINO