Sunday, June 14, 2009

University of Trash

A quick mention of an interesting organization. The Sculpture Center has an exhibit called University of Trash. The goal is to create a forum for the exchange and fostering of ideas about radically rethinking how we live in our urban environment. To this end, they've had artists create interior architecture to reflect a new vision of public city space. Information about self-sufficient and self-organized urbanism is freely distributed (I picked up a copy of Indypendent Reader's "The City from Below" issue). Free classes on do-it-yourself art, and grass roots politics are offered throughout the summer, and anyone can sign-up to teach a class that fits the theme.




Silk-screening was been taught when I stopped by.

Giant calendar and chalkboard to inform about upcoming events.

2 comments:

MF Connection said...

The sharing of skills, which in this case are basically individual ways of managing one's surroundings, reminds me of community gardening. The difference between the country environment (producing vegetables and flowers) and the urban one (silk screening, trash management) reminds me of the importance of adapting one's content to the specific situation of the people involved. Eschewing the model of the Episcopal bishop who generated confusion and a sense of irrelevancy of what he had to offer when he urged the churches in Eastern Oregon, ranching country, to participate in AI (Active Inquiry, not a part of the local culture), when they understood AI to mean Artificial Insemination, something important to their way of life.

Ben Colahan said...

That's hilarious! Adapting to new contexts is something I think the church in general needs to be working on.