Ready Freddy and a New Print by Libby

Pocket Utopia is getting ready for Fred. And we've editioned a new print by Libby Hartle!

bringing art into the practice of living and vice versa.

This post is in memory of Ben Schaafsma, who was accidentally struck by a car in Brooklyn, New York while walking on the morning of Thursday, October 23, 2008. He passed away on Saturday, October 25, 2008.

In August of 2008, Ben moved to New York City to become a program director for Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, and this where we met. Although we only spoke a handful of times, I was very impressed with his previous projects and was enthusiastic about possible future collaborations, in fact I wrote about him on this blog a little more than a a week ago.

There are several memorial sites up, and an obituary. By reading about his life, I found this fact summed up his generous spirit which will live on: at age 9, Schaafsma cataloged his personal collection of books, magazines and VHS tapes, and built a library in his basement for neighborhood kids to use.

the muse is in the house!

I returned to my studio this morning to find my muse waiting for me. It pays to go inspiration hunting.

Looking for...

After 3 days of open studio, I'm am trying to replenish the muse, that left the building after the unteenth time someone asked me, "why graph paper." I still can't manage a response, but I have found some muse juice out there to quench my thirst. Here's some refreshments, drink up:

Esopus Magazine, particularly Robert Guest's daily letters to his two children, 15 years worth! They're featured on the cover and above.

I discovered this magazine, with all its letters on the weblog hi and low, which is always visually inspiring (and they often use graph paper).

And, of course there's the community arts network, a grounding read,

and lots of Halloween-inspired treats on the crafty cow,

then it's off to roberta fallon and libby rosof's artblog,

more eye candy and worthy indulgences at aesthetic outburst's site,

and lastly, the New Yorker , so I can leave the studio well informed if not brilliantly creative!

From today's Metropolitan Diary

I love this...from today's Times,

DEAR DIARY:

To make room for a new sofa, my roommate and I dragged our old couch to the sidewalk one evening in hopes that an intrepid seeker of street furniture would pick it up. Since it was a nice night and the couch looked more comfortable than our stoop, we decided to sit on it for a bit to watch the world go by.

Drivers honked and passengers yelled, “Great idea!” Doormen from across the street waved, while kids giggled at the sight. We chatted with nearly every person who walked by, and many decided to join us. We brought out folding chairs to accommodate them, and soon the Upper West Side Couch Party was born.

One joiner was a lawyer from the Midwest who was on her way to a bar, but was easily swayed. Neighbors from our brownstone whom we’d never met stopped by. Two guys from down the block brought over a MacBook and a small set of speakers to provide music.

We ended up with donations of grapes, cherries, assorted snacks, beer, wine, Champagne and a stuffed dog.

Soon, our new friends decided to become recruiters themselves and called out to people passing by: “It’s the couch’s last night out!”

The impromptu couch party lasted until 2 a.m., and we managed not to get a single noise complaint.

By the next afternoon, the couch had been picked up. At least we know it had an incredible last night out.

Carly Blatt

Protect the Vote

Volunteering for voter protection is truly working on the front lines of democracy!

In an election that is bringing so many new and first-time voters into the process, the help that lawyers and law students can provide to voters on Election Day is enormous and very meaningful.

A newly registered voter in Pennsylvania who said that he wanted to vote for Barack Obama wrongly assumed he couldn't because he had lost the voter registration card that had been sent to him by the County. Other folks think they can not vote for Barack Obama in the general election because they are not registered Democrats.

And with massive turnout expected and the voter suppression efforts under way by the McCain campaign, the need for a deep army of lawyers and law students to help promote and protect the vote is truly significant.

The campaign and DNC have set up an unprecedented voter protection program. More volunteers are needed. And there is a particular need for folks who live in or are willing to travel to Ohio. Folks are strongly encouraged to travel to Ohio for the weekend, do get-out-the vote activities on the weekend and Monday, and then volunteer as a voter protection poll observer on Election Day.

The sign up is here:

Voter protect in Pennsylvania here

more here

Open Studio at the Elizabeth Foundation

I'm a little behind...since it opened yesterday, but I am participating in the annual Elizabeth Foundation's open studio weekend. The dates, times, and address are as follows:

My studio is #706 at 323 w. 39th Street, btw 8 and 9th aves, near Port Authority, the Elizabeth Foundation.

Thursday, October 16, 2008 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Friday, October 17, 2008 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm and
Saturday, October 18, 2008-12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

There are over 80 studios and I'll tour and shoot photos tonight of some of them.

The new program director of the Elizabeth Foundation, Ben Schaafsma, hails from Chicago and InCUBATE. InCUBATE, is the "Institute for Community Understanding Between Art and the Everyday," and they do a residency and an amazing project called Sunday Soup.

Look for more...soup and from the artists of the Elizabeth Foundation. Here's a look at my floor mate, Dorothy Robinson.