Behind the Scenes: T-shirt pressing for Regret & Resolve

 

We’re a week into taking submissions for Regret & Resolve and to get a jump start on all the t-shirt making we’ll have to do at the end of the month (remember, submissions close on January 25th), we’ve begun pressing some test shirts. We also got some great coverage in the University of Windsor Daily News (thanks!), and we’re starting to get the plans together for install and event opening (on January 31st at 7pm). In the meantime, here’s a peek at how we’re doing this t-shirt thing…

 

Using the handiest tool we’ve ever bought (our Graphtec vinyl cutter) and some t-shirt specific vinyl, we cut the letters backwards and then weed them (that is, pulling all the excess material off from around the letters). The vinyl cutter doesn’t puncture the clear substrate.

 

Then we take our little mock-ups and check for placement.

 

Hiba and Laura each did a regret and a resolve, laying it on the shirt, now right side forwards.

 

Then, to the heat press.

 

Laura may be the only one who nows how to use this thing so far. She did a bunch of tests a while ago and found the exact right settings to dial in.

 

Line up the shirt under the press.

And then, we have a t-shirt!

 

Hiba, checks her alignment against Laura’s.

 

Action sequence: Hiba presses the shirts.

 

It takes a good amount of force to bring the press down.

 

Then, lock it into place and wait for the ridiculous little tune that play in 8-bit squeaks. That’s when you know it’s done.

 

Then, we start on the window install.

And wrap up the evening putting up some new window vinyl.

There’s still a lot of time left to submit your idea for a Regret or Resolve t-shirt — but don’t wait to the last minute!

 

Call for Participation: Regret & Resolve

tshirt-crop

With the start of the new year, we wanted to take stock of the regrets we have about the city or our roles within it, and the resolutions we might make to change this place for the better.

We want to ask two questions: What are the things that we know we should be doing, or wished we would do, or find ourselves scared to do, but never get around to actually doing? How can we take responsibility or ownership over our actions, or lack thereof, and find a way to be honest with where we should go next?

We’re wondering what citizenship looks like in a city like Windsor, and how we might be able to publicly and honestly articulate it.

Regret & Resolve  is a new project where we’ll be turning a series of resolutions and regrets into t-shirts. We’ll take online submissions from residents of Windsor and create a limited edition series of 50 shirts. Each selected submission will be made into two shirts — one for the author and one for our gallery exhibition. We’ll release all the shirts on the same night (January 31st) with an exhibition and exchange at Civic Space that will be open to the public.

We want these shirts to capture a moment of tension and hope in the city as we know it today and hope for it to be tomorrow. We feel like there may not be a venue to collectively articulate the responsibilities shared across this city, and that a t-shirt might be a good place to start. Printing these regrets and resolutions on t-shirts allows for a distributed conversation, a series of positions that we might take at the beginning of a new year, and a way to publicly talk about what we’ll do next. We’re really interested in an honest assessment of the things gone wrong, and the ways in which we might commit to righting them.

Interested? Fill out an online form between January 7-25, 2013 with your statement of regret or resolution. We’ll select 50 submissions and print them for the opening at Civic Space on January 31st from 7-9pm.


Submissions are now closed, see you on January 31 at 7pm!

Scattered Notes from the end of the year

The holidays flew by, but here’s a quick look at how we spent part of it — amazingly, we almost all got together at one point or another. It’s been way too long! Right before everyone arrived home, Hiba reviews the t-shirt project … already changed again from the image above.

Rosina and Hiba took another look at the t-shirt phrasing, while simultaneously pulling together a small window installation.

Also, we made our first full-size work from the drafts we did a few weeks back.

We can’t wait to do some more of these! Above, Hiba lays the vinyl over the black background.

Bunting installation at the window.

Holidays.

Call to resolve, made with our little bunting app.

Call to resolve: Participate and Be Patient.

You saw our bunting app, right? This was a first draft of the little graphic.

Also, working on the installation for an upcoming show. Hardware.

Then, the holiday party!

Then, back to the studio, working on hardware for the hearts.

Michelle and Sara.

Karlyn, back from the west, and Hiba.

Josh Babcock + JB Weld.

Michelle’s adventures at the hardware store.

New vinyl.

Planning.

Hardware assembly.

It failed, the first time.

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Second try, with acrylic.

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The gap.

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Scars.

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Notes for a form. We’re finalizing things for this t-shirt project. You’re going to participate, right?!

 

Job Posting: Program Coordinator for Neighbourhood Artists in Residence Program

jobposting

We’ll have a lot more news (and a call for submissions) on this new neighbourhood artist-in-residence program soon, but in the meantime, there’s a job posting for a position to help make this happen. It’s a part-time position to support what is sure to be an amazingly fun project, and the bonus is, you’ll get to hang out with us! More info below…


Arts Council Windsor and Region (ACWR) is seeking a Part-Time Program Coordinator (Neighbourhood Artists in Residence)

DEADLINE: JANUARY 22 2013 via email applications@acwr.net

GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION
Under the supervision of the ACWR Executive Director, the Program Coordinator is responsible through a two year contract to develop, manage and facilitate a 12 month Artist in Residence program located throughout Windsor & Essex County which will bring contemporary art to the community in non-traditional spaces in non-traditional ways.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Artist-in-Residence programs exist to invite artists, performers, musicians, curators, and all manner of creative people for a time and space away from their usual environment. Art residencies emphasize the importance of meaningful and multi-layered cultural exchange and immersion into another culture or place. The Windsor Essex Artist in Residence program will locate 10 chosen artists from across Canada and beyond into neighborhood community spaces throughout Windsor and Essex County. These community hubs will provide a productive “home base” for the artists and a compelling injection of culture into the surrounding neighborhood. Beyond artists working in the community spaces, they will also engage with the community stakeholders and user groups to animate, explore and inspire the specific stories, curiosities, challenges and triumphs of the local community. The program will span two years, with six months preparation, 12 months of residences, and six months of wrap up and reporting. A final exhibition and symposium will be held after the residencies are completed. An online publication will be created documenting the program.

This program is a collaborative partnership between the Arts Council – Windsor & Region, Broken City Lab and The City of Windsor (“the Collaborative”).

More information here: http://acwr.net/news/acwr-seeks-part-time-program-coordinator/

This program and position is made possible through the generous financial support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Micro-Project: Make Your Own Bunting (Web App)

makebunting

Whether making your own guerrilla celebration, working on a gallery installation, or even getting ready for some upcoming holiday festivities, we think our little automagic bunting app will make everything a little bit easier.

We got tired of hand-setting each letter when we’ve made bunting in the past, so we cooked up this simple little web app that takes any string of text you enter and converts each letter into a one-page gif file, ready to be printed, trimmed (using the handy built-in guides), and strung together using your favourite little bull clips, tape, or other hanging mechanism.

Try it out and send us a picture of what you do with it!

Today we declare our loss

Today we declare our loss.

December 1 is a Day without Art, an international day of observance which focuses attention on the proufound impact AIDS has had on artists and the world arts community.

Since 1990, each year an increasing number of galleries, theatres, artist groups and individuals have participated in a vast array of commemorative events.

December 1: “International Day Without Art”

Annually, members of the arts and cultural community and various social service agencies meet to discuss activities/strategies undertaken to acknowledge this international day of mourning and action in response to the AIDS crisis. Windsor Day Without Art Collective activities include symbolic exhibition closings and the shrouding of public artwork, the distribution of pins and flyers, vigils and guerrilla performances commemorating the lives of artists and cultural workers lost to AIDS in North America.

Windsor Day Without Art Collective 2012 members include: AIDS Committee of Windsor, Artcite Inc., Arts Council Windsor & Region, Art Gallery of Windsor, Book Room New and Used Books, Broken City Lab, Common Ground Art Gallery, Leyla’s Art Studio, Literary Arts Windsor, Media City, Metropolitan Community Church of Windsor, Nobel Peace Project, one ten park : a working space, Rampike Magazine, U of W English Department, U of W Music Student Society, U of W School of Creative Arts and Innovation, U of W School of Dramatic Arts, U of W SODA / School of Dramatic Arts Student Society, U of W Visual Arts Student Society, Virginianne Atelier, Windsor Artists for Social Justice, Windsor Community Museum, Windsor Endowment for the Arts, Windsor Feminist Theatre, Windsor Pride, Windsor Symphony Orchestra .

Please join us in celebrating the lives of our beloved friends and colleagues at a joint World AIDS Day / Day Without Art
Candlelight Vigil at 6:30 pm on December 1 at the Art Gallery of Windsor, 401 riverside Drive West, Windsor, Ontario.

All are welcome! Free admission – refreshments available.

In recognition of Day Without Art, we have implemented a greyscale filter for all images on our site.

Exploring Philadelphia & Public Talk with Mural Arts & Philly Works

We’ll  be visiting Philadelphia to explore the development of short- and long-term projects in collaboration with the Mural Arts Program and community organizations in the city. During our visit, Mural Arts and Philly Works will be hosting a public presentation of our work, and a stimulating conversation about how artists can engage people in conversations and collaborative actions that build stronger awareness of, connection to and investment in our community fabric.

The details, if you’re in the area:

Monday, November 19, 6 p.m.
City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
Lincoln Financial Mural Arts Center
at the Thomas Eakins House
1727-1729 Mt. Vernon Street

Presented in collaboration with Philly Works.

1W3KND Writers in Residence Announced!

1w3knd-announce-update

1W3KND starts on November 16 and we’re incredibly excited to announce the list of selected participants that we’ll be hosting at CIVIC SPACE. But first, some background on the project.

1W3KND is aimed at developing essays, interviews, manifestos, critiques, reviews, and other texts around ideas of collaboration, socially engaged works, artist-run culture, and public practices. We’re hoping to publish these in one form or another some time next year. There have been a number of books released over the past year discussing socially-engaged practices (here’s a list of a few of our favourites), but we’re really interested in reading more from artists themselves, especially those in the earlier stages of their career. We think there’s a need to make more time to write through the ideas, questions, and concerns that come through engaging in these kinds of practices, and we’re hoping we can help to accommodate those interested in doing that writing.

The structure of the residency will attempt to focus and frame the writing by way of an envelope on the table with a list of instructions, including a brief overview of subject that the paired writers in residence will be spending the weekend exploring, discussing and of course writing about.

And now, here’s the list / calendar. If you want to connect with anyone, let us know!

November:

Penelope Smart
Erin MacMillan

Irene Chin
Megan Marin

 

December:

Jason Deary
Mary Tremonte

Zoe Chan
Sarah Febbraro

Mike DiRisio
Nathan Stevens

 

January:

Amber Ginsburg
Siobhan Rigg

VSVSVS
Julian Majewski

Jacqui Artnfield
Emily DiCarlo

 

February:

Nathan Swartzendruber
Mike Fleisch

Allison Rowe
Rhiannon Vogl

 

Help Wanted: Ad-hoc volunteer studio assistant

We’re looking for an ad-hoc volunteer studio assistant to help us do some or all of the following:

-Visual and archival research
-Building and making things
-Silk screening
-Scanning and archiving
-Basic print and/or web design
-Materials research
-General office assistance
-Installation assistance

In return for your one or two day a week time commitment, we offer the following:

-Fun and free coffee
-Experience in a professional artist-run-centre and collective
-An eclectic mix of background music including jazz, hip hop, and metalcore
-Dangerously good reference letters
-Invaluable learning opportunities that will help you make more art, be an incredibly good organizer, and maybe even get you into grad school

Preferred Qualifications:

-High school diploma, first-year University/College, or otherwise very mature
-Incredibly punctual
-Drivers license and access to a vehicle
-General care and attention to detail
-Very positive and helpful attitude
-Focused
-Self-directed
-Well organized
-Experience with power tools and/or Adobe Creative Suite

Start Date: As soon as possible
End Date: End of April 2013 (with possible contract renewal)

Interested? Please fill out the form below, ASAP!


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Setting Up for the Urban Ecology Workshops

Today, we’re pleased to kick off the first workshop from our first artist-in-residence at CIVIC SPACE! Samantha Lefort will host a series of workshops this week on Urban Ecology — starting today at 3pm with Urban Apiaries (BEES AND YOU, IN THE URBAN LANDSCAPE).

Need to know more? Check out more info on Windsor’s CBC Radio’s The Bridge in an interview with Sam!

Sam and Hiba spent the bulk of Monday preparing the space and materials for the workshops.

Some prep for the window installation and urban container gardening workshop.

Box of supplies!

We also put up some signage in the window … translating Sam’s banner graphic into a vinyl cut.

Justin and Sam at work.

Can’t wait to see all of this come together.

Sam’s to-do list on some ledger sheets she found in an attic in Philadelphia.

Bundles of bamboo.

Hiba prepping the vinyl transfer tape.

The cut turned out well — and white looks great on the windows.

I think we’ll be changing our other graphics to white as well.

Free workshops all week on making our city a more livable place! Check out the details here:
http://civicspace.info/programming/urban-ecology-workshops/

Also, we’re still looking for some moss for Thursday night’s workshop– anyone have any leads?