WEST BANK SOCIAL CENTER

PRAXIS w/ Stephanie Sherman (Elsewhere Collaborative) Wednesday,...

colinkloecker — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:55:00 -0600

PRAXIS w/ Stephanie Sherman (Elsewhere Collaborative)
Wednesday, November 17th, 8 to 9:30pm

Works Progress/West Bank Social Center welcomes Stephanie Sherman, co-founder and collaborative director of Elsewhere, for a talk and informal Q+A session on the living museum, site-specific residency program, and creative laboratory. Set within a former thrift store in downtown Greensboro, NC, Elsewhere started from a massive collection of 58-years worth of cultural surplus sitting without destination, and in 2003 was converted into a living museum, conceptual+material playground, and space for investigating everyday and extraordinary life. Now, nothing is for sale, and artists live and work amidst an endlessly circulating collection of objects and artworks that is continually re-purposed and re-imagined.

Elsewhere is a unique residency model, hosting over 40 creatives from across the globe each year who create projects with and within this evolving environment, responding to the things, architectures, collaborative community, and developing downtown Greensboro. Stephanie will share the story of Elsewhere’s history, evolution, contemporary challenges, and future visions. She will speak from the interwoven perspectives of non-profit director, artist, curator, writer, and organizer, insisting that these practices together can make for a more dynamic, responsive, sustainable (art)world.

MORE ABOUT STEPHANIE SHERMAN:
Stephanie explores the intersection of everyday and extraordinary life through site-specific projects that interweave the practices of curator, artist, writer, and organizer. She is currently collaborative director and founder of Elsewhere, a living museum and residency program set within a three-story former thrift store. Her creative and critical research themes include magic realism, cultural outpourings, public processes, urban revitalization, smiling and laughter, social formations, collective imaginaries, and how things compose narratives and designate patterns. She loves people, books, and buildings, in theory and practice, and schooling in 20th C English Literature at UPenn and Critical Theory and Philosophy at Duke inform her current projects.

ABOUT PRAXIS:
Praxis is a free monthly artist talk coordinated by Works Progress at West Bank Social Center. Local, national, and international artists, curators, administrators and cultural producers discuss their work in an intimate setting, followed (when possible) by practical exercises and activities for those interested in experimenting with new ways of thinking, making and doing.

Photo by Kate Strathmann (Fall 2010 Resident at Elsewhere)

Somebody hit the reset button! The very fine folks at 1419 have...

colinkloecker — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:34:00 -0500

Somebody hit the reset button!

The very fine folks at 1419 have put us up on their 2nd floor for a partnership that we’re all very excited about. Here’s a rough sketch of the weekly series of events we’re working on:

DISKURS - Film & discussion night. Previous films include Tanpopo, Freak Orlando, & Black Sunday.
PRAXIS - Artists talk about their work (over breakfast?) and lead us in a related activity.
SOUP NIGHT - Community meal & mixer.
BOOK CLUB - Where books are made, not read.

More details soon! In the meantime, you can say Hi! to us at the 1419 Potluck dinner on Sunday, October 24th at 5pm. We’ll toast to the future and make big plans!

HOTPANTS at WBSC (The Last Rent Party) Saturday, September 18th...

colinkloecker — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:06:00 -0500

HOTPANTS at WBSC
(The Last Rent Party)
Saturday, September 18th at 9:30pm
Above The Nomad World Pub

Come prepared to groove with beautiful people to beautiful soul and funk from days past. NO LAPTOPS NEVER EVER. What to expect:

Rare Funk & Soul @ 45 RPM
3$ Donation
Wood Planks & Baby Powder
Dominos & Dice
Sparkling Eyes & Sweating Bodies
dales 45s everywhere (not in sleeve)
Soul Soul Soul

This is the last dancin’ party at West Bank Social Center. KEEP THAT IN MIND. Your attendance will both help the party bump and raise money to help us pay our final rent check. It’s a win win win.

More details & RSVP

Hope to see you at the Kabaret opening screening tonight! 8pm is...

andyinabox — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:40:54 -0500

Hope to see you at the Kabaret opening screening tonight! 8pm is when it begins.

(reblogged from MNKINO)

Friend of WBSC, Zoe Prinds-Flash is having a one night show at...

colinkloecker — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:35:00 -0500

Friend of WBSC, Zoe Prinds-Flash is having a one night show at The Archive (below the VFW on Lyndale) Friday after next (July 2nd).

She’s an incredibly talented young photographer and I really recommend checking out her portfolio and Flickr stream. Your donations at the event will benefit the West Bank Social Center. How cool is that?

Hope y’all can pop in for a bit!

thanks folks ~ we’ve gotten enough cabbage to build the...

wolbert — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:24:47 -0500

thanks folks ~ we’ve gotten enough cabbage to build the biggest Tasty_Space yet! we’ll be building the raised bed frame for the babies donated by Mother Earth Gardens on Sunday morning at the Nomad Pub ~ weather depending.

the guts will go in on Monday ~ come feast your eyes on the lasagna layering scheme!

Help us photosynthesize! and please share this with anyone...

wolbert — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:34:00 -0500

Help us photosynthesize! and please share this with anyone looking to support a good cause…

I am planning a series of FREE events about vegetable cultivation + preparation. The Nomad, Easy Bean, and Seed Savers have started us off, but we still need a few more things! In conjunction with Works Progress, monetary or product donations to VeggiEvents will be tax deductible [still finalizing the details].

Sponsorship of this project will be advertised in our media coverage + on our website. To ensure prime growth of these superstar seedlings, we need monetary or product donations for:
~ 15 cubic yards of soil / compost
~ salvage lumber, pressure treated or finished boards for boxing a raised bed
approximately 30’ long x 3’ deep x 18” high
~ straw, hay, or other organic mulching product
~ organic seed starter mix
~ worm castings or other natural fertilizers + growth agents

Questions? call me… 612.741.6074

~sw

Come out this Friday 21st for an evening of performance hosted...

ijoinedunderduress — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:43:00 -0500

Come out this Friday 21st for an evening of performance hosted by you Beast, you Gem. Co-curated by C.L. Meisinger & Elissa Johnson, ybyg brings you the most underground eclectic performace art and music every other month. Doors open at 9 with The Danger Board and proceeds loud and riotous (with Lucreshia Grant, Hannah Starr, DJs Conch & Bonk, Lungless Ladies, Muscle Twitch, Martha Stoned, installation by Edie Overturf, Munky Junk, Malicious Jigglies, Motor Jelly, ) from there. $5 gets you in…

…say hello to my little friends… Enjoying the view...

wolbert — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:11:25 -0500

…say hello to my little friends…

Enjoying the view from their window boxes are some tasty scallions, Napa cabbage, and purple cabbages donated by Easy Bean Farm. Easy Bean is a community supported agriculture farm and they’re still accepting shareholders for this season, if you’d like a constant supply of tasty local organic vegetables, herbs, + recipes. They’re also some pretty fantastic people!

These friendly plants will play major roles in the vegetable education [veggucation?] events that the WBSC is launching this summer.

~ sw

worksprogress.org

colinkloecker — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:48:38 -0500

worksprogress.org:

The mother-ship just launched it’s new website today. Enjoy!

West Bank Market Starts Saturday!

shanai-matteson-deactivated2010 — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:51:51 -0500

Stop by the empty lot on Cedar Avenue (next door to WBSC) on Saturday from 10 - 3PM for the first in a new series of monthly market days being put on by folks in the neighborhood. This market might not have the ~~contrived atmosphere~~ glitz of local art fairs, or the foot traffic of our awesome farmers’ markets, but it will have vendors selling art, clothing, jewelery, second-hand items, used bikes, cd’s, records, tshirts, hand made rugs, hand made bags…and anything else that you roll-up to sell or trade. Seriously - it’s the kind of place where you can bring a blanket and a box of books to sell - no reservations needed!

There will be live music, and you can grab a bite to eat at any of the nearby restaurants.

Colin and I will be bringing our new project Movement Museum outdoors for the first time. Stop by to say hello.

S.H.M.

This Saturday at WBSC: Bike Porn (as strange & entertaining...

shanai-matteson-deactivated2010 — Tue, 04 May 2010 07:59:40 -0500

This Saturday at WBSC: Bike Porn (as strange & entertaining as it sounds).

Screenings will be at 8PM and Midnight, $5 tickets, adults only.

More details here.

hereby announcing ~ the DIRTY TUB project… Daylight...

wolbert — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:20:04 -0500

hereby announcing ~ the DIRTY TUB project…

Daylight abounds in the WBSC. To tap this amenity, we’ll pipe the variable sunshine supply to this clawfooted tub using salvaged materials.

What does this mean?

Stay tuned for updates that’ll clamber along these interwebs!

~ sw

We’re in the thick of the Minneapolis Art on Wheels Artist...

shanai-matteson-deactivated2010 — Sun, 02 May 2010 13:16:54 -0500

We’re in the thick of the Minneapolis Art on Wheels Artist Residency Program, which will transform WBSC into a laboratory and studio until sometime in mid-June. Check out their website or stop by if you’re curious what this visiting group of artists is up to!

There will still be occasional events at WBSC, so keep your eyes on our calendar for details.

-S.H.M.

thursday, april 22nd, is the fourth installment of diskurs, a...

colinkloecker — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:54:04 -0500

thursday, april 22nd, is the fourth installment of diskurs, a night of talk and film. the feature: ulrike ottinger’s freak orlando the discussion: freaks

7pm (film starts promptly at 705p)

(BYOB or drinks downstairs // small donations appreciated for the wbsc)

Shanai and I were excited to make Sarah Wolbert a set of keys...

colinkloecker — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:24:51 -0500

Shanai and I were excited to make Sarah Wolbert a set of keys yesterday so that she can come and go as necessary in her new role as WBSC Resident Detritivore Systems Analyst & Designer (title subject to change!). It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of her work - she’s presented her thesis at both Cafe Scientifique and Give & Take (seen above).

We’ve given Sarah carte blanche access to the West Bank Social Center and all the (admittedly not so sustainable) systems within. Our hope is that, over time, WBSC can become a living working laboratory for Sarah’s ideas on urban acupuncture, food supply systems, and detritivore infrastructures. We can’t wait to see what kind of trouble she stirs up in the process!

Read more about her work on the designer UNDIs blog.

C.H.K.

Those of you who have followed our activities since roughly a...

shanai-matteson-deactivated2010 — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:51:00 -0500

Those of you who have followed our activities since roughly a year ago, when we opened, will have noticed that in the past couple of months things have been a bit quieter in our corner of the West Bank.

This is because we’ve been busy. Boy, have we ever!

Our friends from MAW will be using the West Bank Social Center for the next two months as headquarters for their Artist Residency Program, which will bring media artists from around the world here to Minneapolis to create new projects. You can read about the projects here, and stay tuned, because there will almost certainly be some prototyping.

To prepare for the residents, MAW has been making some improvements to the space, including installing a gigantic projection screen made from an old vinyl billboard (they’re a resourceful bunch - just look at the photo).

In the meantime, the WBSC crew has been busy getting set for a few new projects of our own that will get us out of the space and into the surrounding city.

Our first curated exhibition, We Work Here: A Conversation on Art, Economics and Community, will open on June 3rd at Intermedia Arts with programming happening there, and here, and in a number of places in between. Want to participate? Here’s how.

There are still a number of artists and groups using WBSC for their various shows and gatherings - check out the calendar to see more, and let us know if you are interested.

We’re in conversation with other businesses and groups in the neighborhood, and trying to encourage and participate in some creative collaborations over the summer. More on that soon!

One of our cohort will be leaving in August for big things in New York, and we will be looking for more people with various skills and interests to work with us here in the space, so if you are interested, drop us a line!

And don’t forget to stop by tomorrow night to help us celebrate the end of short, but weary winter. Rent party details here.

S.H.M.

THIS IS EXCITING! You know the empty lot on Cedar Avenue,...

shanai-matteson-deactivated2010 — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:54:00 -0500

THIS IS EXCITING!

You know the empty lot on Cedar Avenue, across from Palmers? We can see it right now from our windows. For those of you who don’t know the history of the neighborhood, it used to be Dania Hall, a Danish community center that was home to a number of creative & community activities. It burned down in 2000.

Eventually, someone will redevelop the site, but this summer it will still be empty.

So…some folks from the neighborhood business community, WBBA, will be helping to organize a Saturday flea market, perhaps not as large as the one pictured here, but hopefully just as populated.

If anyone is interested in selling their crafts, artwork, books, collections of random oddities…let us know! We’ll lend you one of WBSC tables and we’ll put you in touch with the organizers.

We’ve got some ideas of our own - so stay tuned!

S.H.M.

Interested in creative community work on the West Bank?

shanai-matteson-deactivated2010 — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:41:00 -0500

Some folks working out of the Bryan Coyle Center are looking for help this summer from artists who might be interested in youth mural and art projects, i.e. painting art on balusters, garbage cans, utility boxes, etc.

If you’re interested, contact them directly, or let us know if you want us to connect the dots.

S.H.M.

Our spring rent party is this Saturday at WBSC. We’ll be...

shanai-matteson-deactivated2010 — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:11:00 -0500

Our spring rent party is this Saturday at WBSC. We’ll be bobbing for apples, shadow dancing, sippin’ from a bottomless punch bowl, and engaging in the usual chatter.

This is a party to help pay the rent, so it’ll be a suggested $5 at the door, but no one will be turned away.

Minneapolis Art on Wheels media artist Andrea Steudel + DJ Luke will be there to help you shake your apple bottom!

Activities begin at 9PM!

|||||||| $5 at the Door | BYOPC (Bring Your Own Punch Cup) ||||||||