BCL Report: April 1, 2011 (Forgetting the Border)

We played catch up on How to Forget the Border Completely on Friday night.

We invented new consultancies, planned interviews and events, and came up with new tactics for forgetting a border completely.

It was much needed and so much fun!!!

While Danielle hides behind her hand…

She was also busy inventing these crazy contraptions to ease border crossing.

These inventions work to address imaginary border walls between Windsor and Detroit (and perhaps real border walls around the world). This is the beginning of a larger series.

Often the inventions are also meant to be masked in everyday attire and objects.

Kevin + headphones.

Michelle rolls in with some delicious food.

We finally get to see Rosina again after her new job on the line has kept her away on Friday nights.

As Danielle draws, Kevin gets to work right away, calling his mom to set up an interview for our border interview series. Michelle or Kevin, did I miss the date we settled on for this?

The crew around the table!

Rosina has been continuously working with Erin Marie on an alternative tour of Windsor-Detroit using Google Maps.

Above, a number of the plots in the border cities — maybe we need to extend into Essex County?

You can see there’s a mix of restaurants, general public areas, and cultural stops.

Rosina looking more stumped than I remember her being — Josh looking into the distance!

Michelle and Danielle talk new sites for the map, we’re all invited to add to it.

We also started brainstorming our Border Etiquette Class, which will likely be more of a course.

And a book, or maybe just included in the publication we’re thinking of for this project.

We’ve picked a date — set it aside now — May 8th.

The big plan — yes, you read correctly, an obstacle course. We figure this Border Etiquette class/course should actually be training border crossers on the many tactics they need to have a successful trip, however they choose to do it.

And, we also started imagining a Canada Border Services consultancy.

We wanted to ask the questions about how we could make the border crossing process more enjoyable for people traveling to Canada… maybe a tourist destination in and of itself?

Puppies instead of search dogs.

Doctor’s office suckers when you’ve crossed successfully, or random teddy bears to counteract the random searches.

Also, streamers and confetti fi you’re selected for a random search.

And, to go along with our Border Etiquette Course, Sara started designing a certificate of completion. Her dad bought those shiny emblems that go on certificates in bulk, so this will be completely professional!

Meanwhile, Kevin draws out the border etiquette course.

There’s going to be a running event.

A timed event… just a couple samples.

Also, Eric Boucher stopped by, and it was great to see him. Michelle and Josh work on the Canada Border Services Customer Service Consultancy image.

The crew around the table.

Josh’s notes — so neat, I wish my handwriting was this legible!

Sara continues work on her certificate, honing in on a logo for the event.

And pulling from some older notes — a video idea for a long panoramic view of the city to the north.

And our Portals to Detroit. This idea is still in development. Need to learn SketchUp.

Michelle and Josh put finishing touches on the initial sketch of the consultancy.

Yes, this is how we would propose improving customer service at Canada Border Services.

Happy bears, a rainbow light installation, and balloons and streamers, and we assumed that guy in the white shirt was already dancing or something. All good ideas.

We’re off next week to celebrate Michelle’s BFA exhibition (and to re-celebrate Rosina’s win at CJAM’s Jammie Awards last week). Michelle and I are at conferences in the middle of the week, but looking forward to the next time we can push ahead of HFBC!!!

How to Forget the Border Completely is generously supported by the Ontario Arts Council.