ArtLab: Come and FIND where you FIT IN!

Hi, Shannon the Education Programs Coordinator here. I’ve often proudly described the Mattress Factory as the “Island of Misfit Toys.” We love the diversity within our community of dedicated art-lovers and enthusiasts who frequent the Museum. This weekend we would like you to have a chance to contribute a piece of yourself to one of our ArtLab installations. Tomorrow we will be hosting a non-traditional, nonsectarian holiday ovule hunt (okay, okay, you can call it an art Easter egg hunt if you must).

Tomorrow from 1:00-4:00pm, visitors will be invited to search the galleries for items to be added to a collective installation. You may be surprised by what you find! We want the finished result to tell an interesting Mattress Factory tale of who we all are together.

These will be hidden throughout the Museum tomorrow – find one and bring it back to the lobby to help us complete the puzzle!

This project is a nod to Ling He's installation Wish exchange dandelion in our new exhibition "Gestures: Intimate Friction" over at our 1414 Monterey galleries. Ling says, "My wish to explore generosity is dispersed through 99 puzzle pieces traveling in balloon style that would spirit innocent spotters to return them, with drawings on their backs, to the gallery. Neither the puzzle, nor the room, has a right answer – it is defined with how much each participant would like to give."

 These are the puzzle pieces to Ling's installation Wish exchange dandelion which are somewhere out there in the North Side (if you find one, bring it back to the MF for free admission!)

At the bottom of each of these balloons is one of those clear puzzle pieces from Ling's Wish exchange dandelion. Museum visitors released these puzzle pieces and balloons during the exhibition opening on Friday, March 30th

In the spirit of Ling's community-building installation with all of those lovely red balloons, we'd love to see you tomorrow to locate and take these little pink coin machine capsules scattered around the galleries and help complete the installation!

ArtLab
Saturday, April 7, 2012
1-4pm
All ages
FREE w/paid Museum admission

FILL THIS BOX

The directions read: "Evidence of human learning. Please contribute."


To find out what this means, stop by our monthly ARTlab in the lobby of the Mattress Factory between 1-4pm tomorrow, Saturday, September 17, 2011.

Hint: This ARTlab activity is inspired by "Sites of Passage" artist Mostafa Sleem's piece Mind Area "Sound of the Sound" :

Where: Mattress Factory lobby
When: 1-4pm, Saturday, September 17, 2011
Who: Open to all
Cost: Free

FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT

Let’s talk about neighborhoods. We have an entire show about the topic courtesy of Curator-in-Residence, Georgina Jackson.

The Neighbo(u)rhood exhibition includes events, installations and video-based works, which present differing points of departure and reflections upon the idea of neighborhood. The (u) in the title refers to a difference of translation, but also an a nod to the role of oneself in the existence of neighborhood.

ARTLab project in March led by artist Gian Carlos (far right)

The show has me thinking about our communities and the way that our actions can contribute to our wellbeing as a whole. Because of this I think that we should start taking care of our global neighborhood by making art. Fundreds of pieces of art…

Participants of this Saturday’s Artlab will be participating in the Fundred Dollar Bill Project. Fundred Dollar Bills are original, hand-drawn versions of U.S. one hundred dollar bills that are being created around the country.

Wall of Fundreds at the Fabric Workshop

So what happens to these fundreds and fundreds of little pieces of art? They are all going to collection centers (the closest collection center is at one of our favorite places, The Fabric Workshop in Philadelphia) and will be delivered – by an armored truck! – to the U.S. Congress. Along with the fundreds will be a request for an even exchange of the creative capital for real funding to make safe lead-polluted soils in New Orleans and beyond.

The Fundred armored truck! One day, your Fundred will be inside.

Please join us from 1:00-4:00pm in the Mattress Factory lobby and help to take care of our neighborhoods!

Where: Mattress Factory lobby

When: Saturday, May 21, 2011 from 1-4pm

Why: To celebrate community and help a community through the Fundred Dollar Bill project.

CONTRIBUTE TO AN INSTALLATION, CONTRIBUTE TO JAPAN

Hello! We are once again gearing up for an incredibly active ARTLab this Saturday in our lobby from 1:00-4:00 pm. This month’s projects involve two of our artists-in-residence. We’ve been recruited by artist, Glenn Loughran, to help create pieces for his upcoming installation in Neighbo(u)rhood (opening May 13th). Visitors are invited to create origami paper fireworks with the help of MF volunteers and staff. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to an installation that will be shown here at the Mattress Factory during the running of the show.

Origami paper fireworks by MF staff

Don’t have the mind for paper fireworks? Not a problem! We will also be creating smaller (i.e., easier to create) origami creatures for those of you who are intimidated by twelve pieces of paper. In addition, these tiny creatures will be scattered throughout the Mattress Factory galleries as a small nod of compassion to those who are struggling with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.

Create an origami creature this Saturday

For the past month and a half one of our artists, Yumi Kori, was here working on a piece for a special education project that will debut in September. During her stay, Japan’s earthquake hit and she watched her home struggle as the disaster unfolded. Yumi continued on with her work here but she will shortly be returning back to her home. To show our support, The Mattress Factory will be collecting donations for the Japan Society this Saturday to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan. Any little bit will help.

We would like to thank the many visitors that take the time to visit and to participate in our programs. The level of support and creativity that our guests offer constantly amazes us. Thank you and we hope to see you on Saturday!

Who? You
Where? MF lobby
When? Saturday, April 16, 2011, 1-4pm
Cost? None. Come on by.

ARTLAB THIS SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2011

Hi. I’m Shannon.

I happen to think that I work for one of the most amazing museums in the world. I’m constantly surprised by what we do here. Sometimes it is shock and awe. Sometimes it is just pure joy that only strange art can create. Whatever it is… I love it. I also happen to be in a position where I get to share that experience with the public through programming related to our exhibitions.

Hey, that's me over on the far right

What did I do to deserve this? I’ll tell you what I did… I became theEducation Programs Coordinator for the Mattress Factory in summer 2010. This job allows me the freedom of imagination and reflection to put my own stamp on the programs I plan. So, I imagined ways to revamp our Saturday ARTLab programs. Folks can go anywhere, including countless museums and centers, and create art projects to take home and enjoy on shelves and mantles but how often do they get to become installation artists and temporarily show their work at a museum? Not often. That must change. It will change now.

Factory 14s "Eat It All" opening on July 30, 2010

Every 3rd Saturday of the month our visitors are invited to contribute their blood, sweat, tears, and creativity to a communal installation project here at the Mattress Factory called ARTLab. Please spare us the blood, sweat, and tears but bring the rest. One of our very own museum educators will guide willing participants of all ages through the process of installation art. The level of effort is up to you but the impact of the experience is up to us.

Rice paper flowers

This Saturday (March 17, 2011) Gian Carlos, an installation artist from Puerto Rico, will be leading a ARTLab activity that will help you melt away your worries by creating rice paper flowers and then releasing them along with all your troubles in a large water vessel. Watch your creation slowly disintegrate along with the troubles of the world.

Hope to see you at our next ARTLab this Saturday from 1-4pm!