Explore the ways in which art can inspire, grow, and bring together our local community. Come together to learn, discuss, and develop ways in which we can facilitate and encourage artistic development in our own community. Over the next few months we will read and discuss articles and essays from the Community Arts Network. They have a large database of free articles, books, essays, and resources for learning and facilitation community art.

At our first meeting we will discuss an article by Jan Cohen-Cruz, “An Introduction to Community Art and Activism” as well as talk about what topics we would like to cover in the future. Please bring book, articles, or topic ideas as well as a print out of the article. Click here to view the article.

Note: this meetup is at the same location as the book binding workshop and will take place before it.

Codex Book Binding Workshop
Location: Ames Progressive
Date: Sunday, August 9th
Time: 2-4pm
Suggested donation of $2
RSVP on meetup.com here
Learn how to make your own journal using the codex method of binding. This style of binding is perfect for journals and sketch books because it lays flat while you are working.

All supplies provided except paper to fill your journal – graph paper, lined paper, copy paper, linen paper, or sketch paper all great to bind into your journal.

Please bring 20 or more sheets of any paper you wish to be bound – once bound they will be exactly 1/2 their original size – so letter sized sheets of paper will be made into a half sheet sized book. Tools for cutting down paper will be available for use at the workshop.
See you all on Sunday!
Kristin

Des Moines, IA – August 1st (11am-3pm) Swap-O-Rama-Rama (SORR) makes it’s first appearance in Des Moines, Iowa with a massive clothing swap and series of DIY (do-it-yourself) workshops. Hosted at the Des Moines Social Club in the heart of Des Moines, SORR will bring the community together with a message that encourages creativity and resistance to consumerism. With an admission of $10, swappers need only bring along one bag of unwanted clothing. SORR events recycle tens of thousands of pounds of clothing each year by teaching creative reuse through clothing alteration.

At SORR, do-it-yourself workshops, artist-run demos, and recycled fashion shows gather people together for the purpose of transforming unwanted clothing into a celebration of community creativity. Artist-taught workshops and thematic workstations such as silk screening, stenciling, or hand & machine sewing offer inspiration. Traditional crafts such as embroidery, knitting, beading and appliqué can also be found. If guests want to be hands-on they can slide over to any number of do-it-yourself workstations and get started. As well, skilled local re-use designers, artists and do-it-yourselfers are there to share their knowledge. Each swap also hosts a fashion show that features the recycled designs of local designers who are exploring re-use, as well as a fashion show for attendees of the event in which they are invited to show off the modified wearables that they made earlier in the day. All of the materials for creativity are free once inside the event. All left over clothing is donated to local charities.

Swap-O-Rama-Rama was created by artist Wendy Tremayne as a response to her feelings about consumerism and waste in our culture. Swap-O-Rama-Rama offers a way to obtain new/used clothing, to learn and create without the use of non-sustainable resources. The SORR community has rapidly grown through a Creative Commons license that assists sister events inspired by the original. SORR events can now be found in over 50 cities covering 6 countries.

Swap-O-Rama-Rama is fiscally sponsored by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).

Des Moines SORR Website: http://dsmswap@gmail.com

Official Swap-O-Rama-Rama Website: http://www.swaporamarama.org

Seems like the pockets are always getting torn off Jason’s jeans. Extensive mending and patching was executed.

See the darned spot? nope, me neither! And that’s the point. 3 pairs of socks now ready for feet!

usually it’s the dog carrying around the toy that looks like a cat, well, in this case it’s sarah’s cat that carries around a little dog – a proceeds to claw it’s guts out. Favorite cat toy now ready to be re-gutted all over again!

I brought a whole slew of books to look through and browse and chat about. zines brought back from San Francisco, collected over the years, and newly acquired.

Ames c.art fliers at the ames progressive. You can download fliers to print out and distribute here. More fliers coming soon! I just printed these off on graph paper, cut them down a bit, and then fixed them to 1/4 page pieces of card stock to hand out – print on anything you want and give them to friends – make them your own by jazzing them up, or get them out there on some white printer paper – main thing is to just have fun, spread the word, and help make ames c.art a success. Thank you for spreading the word!

And it was so great to meet/remeet/collaorate/chat with all of you! Look to the calendar and the news blog for more information on upcoming ames c.art events!

Bring: a project to work on, a project (or neat book or whatever you are excited about) to show off, and a sack lunch. I will be mending and knitting and bring a few interesting books I’ve come across lately. I want to encourage a bit of a show and tell this meeting. What have you been working on at home? what are you excited about? what have you been writing, playing, reading, making?

Questions? Bring those too: on any sewing, crochet, knitting, weaving, drawing, or painting project bring it along. All members have their own areas of expertise; we will all work together to help find a solution for your project.

When and Where: Sunday, July 12th – Noon to 4pm – stop by anytime, we are so okay with dropping in when you can to say hi. The Ames Progressive – located at 118 Hayward Avenue, Suite #3 in Ames, in the same building as The Ark Pet Shop, Domino’s Pizza, Nite Owl Printing and Scallion Korean Restaurant (just go around back, or take the side entrance and follow the hallway)

See you there!
Kristin

It’s called Ames C.art (ames collaborative art). The whole idea of it is the facilitation of collaboration between all media and art in order to infuse the community with creativity through public projects – be they workshops, lectures, or on the street art. Ames Collaborative Art. Facilitating the growth, sharing, collaboration of ames area artists and creative do gooders.

At first it will simply take the place of the sewing rebellion and instead of just sewing we will have a once a month workshop on a variety of techniques. The meeting on the 26th will be on drawing for instance.

The second “event” type I want to start up is a reading group at the library. It will cover art topics with an emphasis on community works and public art projects + self development and growth. Like the book Art + Fear for the first book (it’s short, inspiring, and informative). Look for more information on that coming up next month.

The online component of the group will be features on local artists, artist groups, and organizations. There will also be a calender of local events and submission deadlines. And of course a calender of the events the c.art coordinates.

The whole thing will be ambulatory – on the move – collaborating with various businesses, organizations and artists in order to host a variety of events that encourage creativity, growth, and participation of the community in the arts.

Always your participation and support is encouraged. There are many ways to be involved with the ames c.art: coming to events, donating your organizations space for event hosting, teaching a workshop, setting up and hosting an event, writing a review for the website, helping to keep the community event calender up to date by sending me information about your or your organization’s events. Any idea you have, just email me and we can work together to make it happen. And that is what it’s all about: the ames c.art is Ames Collaborative Art.

I look forward to working with you!

Kristin Roach
admin [at] amescart [dot] org