AWESOME CREATORS :: SPRING PREVIEW
[caption id="attachment_986" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="illustration by tom joyce http://tomjoyceillustration.blogspot.com/"][/caption] With Poetry Month recently ended, I find myself having separation anxiety from the influx of lovestuff our 30/30/30 series was made of. I've been excited to note that our poetry community's efforts have been making the rounds -- that connections are being established, gratitude circulated, and love received amongst circles of readers, friends, our terrific contributors, and many of the profiled poets, as well. Of course, to everything there is a season and by no means does April's close equate an end to Exit Strata's commitment to mutual appreciation. In fact, it gives us an opportunity to shine more, and well deserved light on our ongoing AWESOME CREATORS profile series, the inauguration of which slipped in on little cat feet amidst the Poetry Month festivus. What a bunch of awesome folk we've got in the bullpen to introduce to you this season! We could not be more excited, and since I've always been the kind of kid who wants to wear ALL her new clothes RIGHT AWAY I just *had* to share. I've given you mini preview schpiels here, in case you want to w(h)et? your whistle. You can look forward to conversations with: RICHARD EOIN NASH : RED LEMONADE, SMALL DEMONS ANNA BARSAN/JESSIE LEVANDOV: SIGNIFIED NICK LEAVENS : THE CLAQUE JOSEPH RIIPPII VELCROW RIPPER : OCCUPY LOVE POETRY SOCIETY OF NEW YORK / NY POETRY FESTIVAL ___ WOOHOO!
AWESOME CREATORS *EVENT!*: Introducing Our Fantabulous Printers:: Leah Matthews and Kate F Ire Dedlow
This is yet another one of those moments where we must jump to get you a profile of some of the AWESOME CREATORS in our community in order to bring you a kid tested Exit Strata approved event! You may have heard the until-recently-super-secret news that the premiere print publication of Exit Strata will have a super-special-super-delicious limited edition letterpress run, in addition to our standard run, and that this will be accompanied by a super-special-super-delectable limited edition broadside created in our community CoCo {Collaborative Content} salon? WELL. I am proud to introduce you to our printers, both of whom work in the print studio at Pratt, and both of whom are producing remarkable, groundmaking work in their own right -- mixing a range of print techniques with installation and multimedia to create environmental, experiential pieces quite unlike anything you've seen. It just so happens that TODAY is the MFA Thesis show of one of our print team, Leah Matthews, presenting the immersive "Glitter Rock" at the Pratt Studios on Steuben Street.
AWESOME CREATORS *NEED YOUR HELP* :: SUPPORT THE OCCUPY POETRY ANTHOLOGY!
In the introduction to the Occupy Wall Street Poetry Anthology it reads, "all movements need their poets to set the tone, to raise the questions and express the sensibility." And so begins a tome of over 1000 pages, one that compiler Stephen Boyer originally imagined as merely a "few pages stapled together." If you wonder how it sets the tone, you need only read the cover page, where the first words after the title are, "WE LOVE YOU."
AWESOME CREATOR*S*!: THE HELIOPOLIS PROJECT
[caption id="attachment_791" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="HELIOPOLIS presents The Industrious Revolution, May 2010"][/caption] The Heliopolis Project is a storefront gallery and project space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn NY dedicated to fostering a dialogue across all disciplines of making. Founded in 2010 by Eliza Swann and Jason Grabowski, Heliopolis has recently expanded. Collaboratively run, its members now include Bill Abdale, Georgia Elrod, Baris Gokturk, Leo Goldsmith, Rachel Rakes, Sarada Rauch and Andy Wolf. The first show curated by the new members was Soft Opening, March 9th-April 11th, 2012. The space was established to support artists with experiments in literature and art and to foster interdisplinary and translocal dialogues by hosting poets and artists in residence from around the US. As the economy and art market plummeted in the past few years a tightly knit arts community emerged that granted themselves authority over their own work and gave each other mutual permission and support to pursue an alternative way of thinking about the purpose and formal nature of art.
AWESOME CREATOR: WORDSANDMUSICMAN :: David King, New York, NY
[caption id="attachment_682" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo: Thomas Ahern & Misha Jenkins"][/caption]
Who am I: David King
What am I: Educator. Writer. Songwriter. Performer. Artist. Where am I: New York, NY, USA Kid tested, Exit Strata Approved Event: 4/20 at 10pm David King without the Confirmed Bachelors (solo acoustic set) Pete's Candy Store, Brooklyn, NY(Follow DK & the CB here for upcoming shows, digital media, and other updates)
_______AWESOME CREATOR: PLAYWRIGHT :: Mark Snyder, Brooklyn NY
Mark Snyder, Ladies and Gentleman!
MARK SNYDER started writing plays in the eighth grade, casting himself in the juiciest parts. He now prefers giving real live actors that opportunity. His work has been performed at HERE, The Tank, the SF OOB [Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Play] Festival, the (sadly-defunct) Slipper Room, Pete's Candy Store, and throughout assorted speakeasies and bistros throughout downtown NYC. He can be found riding his bike and churning homemade ice cream at home in Brooklyn, and at: www.facebook.com/markbsnyder.
**Editor's Note: Mark has a terrific new play out, so he's been sneaky and given us our WWWWHW answers in regards to A DECENT STRETCH, showing at THE TANK NYC on 4/28-29. We are so excited about the play (and bringing a cadre of folks -- come with!) that we allowed it -- for now. Check back for more on Mark's creative process (the real WWWWHW) shortly! What we cannot leave out of this profile is that for our inaugural A.C., no one fits the bill more than Mark -- in addition to having a FT "job" (shiver) this man gets up every day before 5 am to write. The last play I saw of his was up at HERE... a month ago. And that's about the clip he keeps. CONSTANT rigor. He is a marvel and an inspiration! (And look at those abs!)Announcing: The AWESOME CREATOR Series
Who is an awesome creator? Why... YOU are! It's still Poetry Month, and we at Exit Strata have been largely focused on that discipline, with our invitational 30/30/30 Inspiration, Community, Tradition posts. However, we want to stress that we love and are inspired by *all* creative disciplines -- in fact, that this big love is why we are here. The primary intention behind using our virtual home as a portal for not only for content but for people is to bring together creators from all mediums: a reminder that we are more alike than we are different.