London Journal March 2016

We completed another adventure in London. We go about every 18 months and this is a short trip of only three weeks this time. We were so lucky to have our exit gate next to the West End Gallery in Terminal 2 of SD International Airport. Their focus right now is Point of Entry.

Olivia Vivanco (photo)

Olivia Vivanco

Michael Ruiz (altered photo)

Michael Ruiz

Ivan Diaz Robledo (split screen video)

Ivan Diaz Robledo

We arrived in London on March 6 after a riotous few days drinking far too much whiskey in Scotland with old friends. So we took a few days off to settle in to our charming rental flat in Lisson Grove near the Church street market. 

Although we have a flat in London, it is rented out but Darwin was able to find a great place on AirBNR.  Here is our recommendation Flat 2, 5 Plympton St, London NW8 8A. 

Plympton Street is quite tiny and a bit hidden and I could not believe the cabby even could drive down it. It is one lane and I was surprised it was not one way as two care simple would not fit. Some one would have to back up. There are several flats done up like this one on the street but you would never know from the outside what is hidden away. 

This flat was so cleverly designed to be bright and even with a smallish square footage, it looked huge. High ceilings, and the patio seen through huge windows and the open plan made this a light and cheerful place to live for our stay in London. It is masculine with red brick walls and black leather, but also clear acrylic and natural woods touches and the fresh flowers delivered by our host made it warm and gracious. The American bright yellow fridge and red lacquered cabinet gave the flat even more personality. There were masses of books to choose from and a starter basket of breakfast treats.

We found every thing we needed to hold a dinner party and to store and cook food for ourselves. Fresh vegetables from Church Street market and the closeness of the buses and underground made shopping super easy. We enjoyed especially exploring the hundreds of antique stalls open all week just a few feet from the front door. Very close to the flat is excellent Indian  (tandori) Lahore, Chinese (dim sum) Phoenix Palace and (skate wing and chips  Sea Shell restaurants. Ozz got outstanding reviews but we didn’t have time to try that….maybe next time.

Our host hired a company to manage the flat and they were responsive to our every need. Plumbing in the UK is not quite as reliable as that in the US and we are aware of that so the adjustments that had to be made during our stay were handled efficiently and with minimum intrusion.

We would recommend this flat for anyone who wants a stay in London and wants to experience living like a native. At less than £100  a night including cleaning and AirBNB fee, you would never find a hotel to match this experience in London.

 

 

Our bed is in back of this wall.

No large dinner parties from this wee kitchen but it does have all mod cons.

 

Glad to have a big yellow USA refrigerator in the dining room.

Let me begin by saying that when you visit a place every 18 months, you do see changes. The biggest one so far is that technology has grabbed hold of all communication and transportation modes. We have been encouraged to use Uber instead of black taxis. Our phones plot our routes by foot, bus and tubes from destination to destination.  We read reviews online instead of in print.

So to get out on the streets and just walk and look and listen is a nice change. It is colder than I remember London being, so I am wearing all of my layers. It takes twice as long to get dressed here as at home...underpants, bra, slacks and t shirts and I am done usually. Now I add sweater, jacket, coat, gloves, scarf and a hat!

Our first real day out was to scope out the antique markets next to the flat and also score some fresh food at the market. Alphies is a block that actually almost extends over our roof with 300 stalls. We got lost in the maze of staircases and levels. There were also about 15 shop fronts that we didn't get to yet. A huge number specialized in 50's Italian modern and I felt like I was walking through a Felini movie….lots of chrome and glass and cast metal. And then all the silver you could possible want. There was a roof top cafe with great views but too cold to eat outside.  We had pear cider and a tuna filled baked potato and a yummy orange poppy seed cake. The rest of Church street market is fresh vegetables and fish and I got a very large box of blueberries for 2 pounds. Trying to keep my antioxidant levels high. Mainly middle eastern shoppers but nice to have that fresh items just around the corner every day but Sunday. Not a gourmet market, but well priced. 

It appears that the entire nations antic was held in these 300 stalls. Got to love that CAT!

And how about this sculpture that must have been an unwanted wedding present for some poor couple.

This amazingly thin gold chairs must have been used at a fashion show in the 60s when tiny models were all the rage.

These two tall columns of glass were so outrageous.I could see them at the entrance to a home theater.

Loved this round sectional table when the matching round chairs fit neatly under each circle.

A pair of glass dogs...might have to go back for these!

half a baked potato with tuna and fresh tasty stripes of carrot.

Pear cider

An orange poppy seed cake as good as the one I make myself.

Darwin overlooking the outside roof top

View on a cloudy cold day.

Royal Academy: Painting the Modern Garden Monet to Matisse I think the most interesting thing about this exhibition was realizing that the garden is a relatively new invention. When a leisure class developed gardens thrived.  As cities grew, the idea of an oasis was very alluring. Artist made their own gardens and Monet was of course, the most inspiring of these creators. This was a chance to see the late works of Monet when he made the leap to remove ground and sky and let the works exists as abstracts (almost). One large water lily painting from Kansas City, Cleveland and St. Louis were re-united in this show for the finale triptych. 

 

 

With the very larg Monet pictures you can stand very close and be absorbed into the paint. This was a real treat.

Gustav Klmt's pryamid composition, draws you into the path of light.

 

This charming scene with children has a perfect composition

Gustave Caillebotte was a new artist for me.After I researched him, I discovered this was the only image I liked!

Emile Nolde's bold compositions were a relief after all those pretty pale garden views.

The Age of Giorgione upstairs at the Royal Academy was so interesting....all those "pretty boys" painted so long ago...and one very phallic religious painting. Am I the only ones that sees these as sexual?

Anyone for a bit of rough?

I attended a Zocalo Public Square panel in Encinitas before I left for this trip and it was interesting to compare and contrast this event with one we attending in London. Encinitas was packed to the rafter with people who really wanted to discuss the subject of the evening…was San Diego ready to be a city of culture? The panelists were not exactly experts but they were passionate about the arts. The venue was a little classroom at Lux Institute. There were carrot strips in plastic cups at the reception after the panel. Darwin and I attended a Zocalo Public Square produced Smithsonian sponsored panel discussion at the British Museum on the relationship of America as a colony of Great Britain. (click to hear the discussion) Panelist Adrian Wooldridge, of The Economist, feels that fundamentally America remains British. But panelists Craig Calhoun, director of the London School of Economics and Political Science; author and former Penguin book editor Erin Moore; and moderator Brooke Masters of the Financial Times—all dual citizens see America with a very distinctive path since those early British days. Panelist Loyd Grossman, a broadcaster (you may remember him as the first presenter for Master Chef), born in America but with the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire, was somewhere in the middle and kept the discussion light and humorous. The venue was amazingly impressive but only about 1/2 full, the panel very articulate and clever. The reception was elaborate with selection of drinks and nibbles in lovely glass container. There were printed coasters and ball point pens as give aways.  Zocalo started in 2003 out of LA and is an affiliate of Arizona State University. It is a not-for-profit Ideas Exchange that blends free live events, conferences and humanities journalism that is syndicated to 264 media outlets worldwide.  It maybe that there is never another Zocalo in Encinitas or even San Diego, but the idea of organized public discussions not based on an election year, it a worthwhile idea. If you want to join into more arts events in North County San Diego, then sign up for notices from North County Arts Network. There next meeting will be coming up in April 2016 and the topic is arts education. 

What a thrill to see really good artists who are dear old friends showing this March in London. My two favorite shows were:

Overland: Boyd and Evans at Flowers Gallery Cork St – a smashing show of photographs that perfectly capture that perfect moment of sky and land. Boyd and Evans are dedicated appreciators of the American terrain and they go on safari in the southwest as often as possible and have documented our topography over many years.  This brilliant show focuses strongly on  the sky pointing its drama to earthy concerns. No one that I have ever seen does this better that the duo of Boyd and Evans.Not just absolutely stunning, phenomenally stupendously stunning. 

 

Sporting Chance: Nancy Atakan, Sporting Chance at Pi Gallery, Eastcastle St. This exhibition of digital drawings also includes the original pencil work and embroidered handkerchiefs. Atakan knows the world is full enough of the stories of raped, abused, discriminated, and down trodden women. In this series she has concentrated on an enhanced story of a women and her quest to bring gymnastics to Turkey. She chooses to see her fictionalized character as a heroine who aids the county into seeing the benefits of physical exercise. The story is told in a lovely but un-passionate dialogue written in Atakan’s own hand.

Nancy Atakan

GRAD Gallery for Russian Arts and Design: Unexpected Eisendstein The film Battleship Potemkin is the most well know work by Eisendstein, It is a fierce, aggressive compelling telling of a harsh story. That is why this exhibition of Eisendstein visit to London, fascination with Sherlock Holmes and Nick Carter and modernist costumes designs not only came as a surprise but showed a very human and charming side to this very real person.  

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I took a bad fall on a hard pavement and the rest of my visits to art shows was curtailed this trip. I did manage to see my friends, which was a great joy, but I missed the following planned exhibitions.

Evelyn Yard: Neo-Pagen Bitch Which

Wellcome Collection: States of Mind

Gogosian Avedon and Warhol

National Portrait Gallery:  Vogue a Century in Style
National Gallery: Delacroix 

V&A: Botticelli Reimagined

Tate Modern: Calder 
Somerset House: Venturing Beyond

Barbican Curve: Imran Qureshi

Marlborough: Joe Tilson, The Stones of Venice

I also recommend a quite different choice of exhibitions visited by Doug Simay. You can read about these when he post his next picks in April.

Abraham Cruzvillegas at Tate Modern
Giacomo Manzu (1908- 1991) at Estorick Collection
Gino Severini (1883-1966) at Estorick
Umberto Boccioni (1882-916) at Estorick

Chantal Joffe at Victoria Miro

Chillida at Ordovas

Paul Winstanley at Alan Cristea

Joan Miro at Bernard Jacobsen + William Tillyer

Arnaldo Pomodoro at Tornaduoni

Tom Wesselman at David Zwirner

Yamashita Kikuji at Sadie Coles HQ

Harmony Korine at Gagosian Davies

Alighiero  Boetti at Ben Brown

I will be back in London in 18 months and hope to be fit again long before that time. 

 

 

What is the what of what?

My husband had a very interesting conversation with his barber in London many years ago. The barber asked how much of you, do you have to cut off and you are still you. If you are missing a leg, are you still you? If you have a heart transplant are you still you?  The question is, where does the you of you reside in your body?   We are watching David Eagleman’s series about the brain on PBS. It appears that the construct of who we are, resides in the brain. So I guess if the brain remains, I am still me.

These same questions are now being asked in the art world. The Whitney Museum of Art seems to be the only one with a replication committee to decide issues of this kind. If a work can no longer be repaired then, when, how and should it be replicated? Ben Lerner in his article The Custodians in the New Yorker, Jan 11, queries if we should look at older art aesthetically or as an artifact. The first means you want to experience the work as closely to the original view as possible. The later means that the toll time take on an object becomes part of the object’s integrity.  The current solution seems to be to make sure you know the artists wishes, which might mean that the artists needs to be interviewed or leave specific instructions.

I am thinking about this because I now make work from materials that will not last long. I have used cellophane and glue gun glue in the last few years. I simply stopped promoting these works for sale as the longevity is so questionable. The maintenance or repair of these works would be costly, time consuming and inaccurate. But they give me very immediate results.  No delayed gratification for me!.

In the future, these types of works might be scanned and replicated by 3-d printing. I might even be able to control the number of replications and the length of time they are allowed to last. I could put in future technological changes, like making them move or making them edible…or they could even record reactions of viewers to them. Who knows what the future might be for art.  How will this affect the monetary value? Right now that is determined (in simplistic terms) by how many people with how much money want the works. But who knows what exchange credits we might be using in the future. Maybe these works will be money itself.    

State of the Arts 2016

by Patricia Frischer

Two of the seven ways of learning are inter personal and inner personal*. This blog is my inner personal musing made public. I was pondering that the other day when I read a very interesting article in the New Yorker by Adam Gopnik. He was the magazine’s art critic from 1987-1995 but has written fiction, humor, book reviews, profiles, and reported pieces from abroad. At the end of this last article, I found myself saying (internally), “Well done, Adam.”  I realized that I felt like I had had a conversation with this man and I almost felt I knew him and I certainly would like to consider him a friend. How is that possible with someone you have never met? 

I don’t often look at statistics because I am not sure I trust them off the web. Could it be robots that are looking at the site, or maybe people who are clicking on SDVAN thinking they will learn something about South Dakota?  And it seems like half of my readers are from Russia so what is up with that? But I have been writing this blog for 10 years now, with over 90 posts and 30,500 page views so that can’t all be me reading my own blog, can it? So are there occasional dialogues going on inter personally with someone out there that I know nothing about. I do hope that someone out there considers me a friend even though I have never met them.

As artists, we are constantly having that internal conversation with ourselves. I ask and answer questions about shape, color, content. Or I can bliss out with into subconscious nirvana when I feel that someone else is guiding my hand and producing the work. But lately, people have become my medium as I get excited about putting together collaborations  that I hope enhance our community.  

Over the last 20 years, I have seen the visual arts community become stronger and stronger and now the performing arts which seemed to be lagging the last few years is catching up as well. How do we measure this? We do so with the strength of the umbrella organizations that serve entire sections of the arts. I am forecasting that the culmination of those collaborations will be the return of the San Diego County Arts Council. This won’t be because of the administration of that organization, but because individual organizations come together and see the worth of uniting.

*The others are kinesthetic, audio, verbal, mathematical and of course, visual.

Your Donations make a difference - Web Wonders

Over the years, we have been collecting a list of certain improvements that need to be made on the site in order to remove glitches and simply make it easier and more efficient to use the site. In 2015, we hired Anand Bora a web developer from Determinant Studios  in Bangalore, India. Anand was part of our DNA of Creativity project working on the PAMM project (Poly Aesthetics: Mapping of the Muses). We had a great challenge for Anand as the original site was constructed in 2003 in India, which is ancient history in web terms. He has performed miracles to sort out our code, clean up the site and make some wonderful improvements for the user and for the administration of the site.

We highly recommend Anand Bora for any web design needs you may have, and will be continuing to use his services for even more improvements to the site, especially with your kind end of the year donations to SDVAN.  We would like to add more search capacity especially for collectors looking to make commissions, added categories for mediums and locations for artists, continuing safety features, and a rating system for events by the public.  

Just in the last year we have added: 

Lots of back end admin changes have been made to make is easier to use and for the site to be more safe from virus and robot attacks. 

A print function on the top left of each page.

The resource search function has been repaired and you can once again search for a type of resource in one part of the county.

There is now an alphabetical search possible for Art Resources divided into first letter categories.

There is a new easy way to upload image for event listings. You can just browse your own computer for an image. The image no longer has to be online. Images up to 500kb can be used.

Every page for the search is now properly branded and linked with our menu bar.

We have fixed the am/pm confusion and now all listing for month, day and year are on pacific standard time.

San Diego Visual Arts Network  is a  database of information  produced  to improve the clarity, accuracy and sophistication of discourse about San Diego's artistic and cultural life and is dedicated to the idea that the Visual Arts are a vital part of the health of our city.

Did you know:

The SDVAN  connects almost 1,000 organizations and nearly 1500 artists and is  the largest resource ever brought together to support the visual arts community in the entire region of San Diego.  Its potential for influence within the entire community is great.

SDVAN is a nonprofit  entity which provides representation and support for the entire visual arts community through its directory and calendar services and is FREE.

How you can help:

$100 pays for updates for the directory for one month

$500 covers the cost of making feature event banner status for five exhibitions

$700 prints a flyer for the year

$1000 makes possible additional improvements on the site like posting images

$2000 will create a rating system for our new View Art Now App

$5000 supports the SD Art Prize

Support SDVAN and you receive more than the gift of art.  You support that which binds us together that goes beyond religion, race, or gender. You support our freedom to express ourselves and to gather to celebrate our creativity. 

Donate to SDVAN online, by phone or by post. Those of you who can give $25 of more will be listed on the permanent sponsor page
 

Thank you so much for your tax deductible donation to our 100% volunteer non-profit. 

For more information: www.SDVisualArts.net or contact patricia@SDVisualArts.net  (760) 943 0148

Thankful for STEM into STEAM

by Patricia Frischer

We got the good news today through John Eger that STEM May Become STEAM Officially (Huffington Post). This would be a huge step for nationally for the arts. It recognizes the value of the arts in making a well rounded student capable of performing to the highest levels at any endeavor they may choose.  Cutting the arts from education in the 70's was a huge mistake and we are lucky that the world is still turning as remedial arts training is necessary for a whole generation of students not given any help in being able to work well in teams, to communicate their vision, or think of original, innovative ideas. 

According to John Eger, ",,,  last week, the caucus--through Congresswoman Bonamici--successfully added an amendment to the rewrite of the nation's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) legislation that will integrate the arts into STEM education.

According to Americans for the Arts, " The bill next goes to the House and Senate for final (and likely) passage in early December before landing on the President's desk."

The amendment specifically calls for "integrating other academic subjects, including the arts, into STEM programs to increase participation in STEM, improve attainment of STEM-related skills, and promote well-rounded education."

Chula Vista is on the forefront of this push. They have spent $15 million to hire 72 elementary school teachers for the district. My hope is for every city in San Diego county to spend $15 million or more on the arts in 2016.  But for now we are grateful  to see this come down from on high and be a mandate for schools throughout America.


 

ART MAKES THINGS STRANGE: Looking at and Talking About Art

I had the pleasure on being on a panel in early October at SDAI. I made a presentation but I came away with lots of new ideas as well delivered by the other panelist and audience.We were all delighted with Jennifer DeCarlo's  (jdc fine art ) idea of an art participation pyramid.  It is built on a strong base of community involvement with art writers and curators, art administrators, gallerist as you climb to the peak. Artist are too free to be part of the structure but hoover all around.

Jennifer DeCarlo Cultural Consumer Pyramid

One of the most interesting things about the evening was the comment that San Diego only needs sun, tech and the border. Maybe we do put too much energy in cultivating the general public. But my belief in the power of art is so great that I see it as a necessity like food, water and shelter. If art is this powerful in a great many lives, it does seem as if everyone would benefit from it. I admire communities that know and practice their daily involvement in the arts.They are richer for it.
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Funding For The Arts Month @ SDAI Oct 8 Looking at and Talking About Art (Jennifer DeCarlo, Director of jdc fine art; Larry Baza, Chair of the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture; Patricia Frischer, Founder of the San Diego Visual Arts Network; Alessandra Moctezuma, Professor of Fine Art and Director of the Mesa College Art Gallery)

Here is my presentation for the evening:

I have chosen to speak about the young or newly interested potential art gamer. This is someone who might have gone to the meet up at one of the museums like TNT at MOCA or Night Owl at Athenaeum or Culture and Cocktails at SDMA or Art After Dark at OMA. They might be tempted to attend by the possibility of picking up a date. But Art is not an everyday occurrence in our lives. It is a strange thing that makes us notice ordinary things in a new light. What we need younger generations to realize is that when you look hard and talk about a work of art, you are actually defining yourself. You reveal yourself to others and if you are lucky to yourself.  

Most viewers have an inferiority complex and think you need an art history degree for the ability to understand art. This is compounded by many artists not being able to speak about their work. But a viewer can start by describing exactly what is viewed. Start with size, color, line, content and before you know it ideas will start to flow about content and meaning and you will bring yourself into the experience. Simply by describing a work you can start the process and once started here are some questions to enrich that dialogue.

What one art works would you choose to give as a gift and to whom would you give it?

Which artwork speaks to you and what does it say?

If you could meet one of these artists which would you choose to meet?

If you could walk inside one of these works in miniature, which would you choose?

Can you imagine this artwork in your home and where would you put it? Why does it relate to that place?

How did you think the artist got the idea for the piece?

What is the media used and why do you think that was chosen to fabricate it?

What do you like most about it?

What does it remind you of?

What did you learn looking at this art work?

Did this work remind you of another work?

Why do you think you like or dislike it?

Artist can do the same thing:  

Start with a paragraph description of an art work of yours you like best.

How did you get the idea for the piece?

Why did you choose that media to fabricate it?

What do you like most about it?

What does it remind you of?

What did you learn by doing this art work?

Did this work lead you to make another work?

Who bought or expressed a liking for the work and why do you think they bought or liked it?

Artist can interview themselves as a way of preparing to create a dialogue

When did you first start creating artwork?

What media do you use? 

Is there a reason you choose that medium?

Do you start out with an idea of the end in mind?

What inspires your work?

When you conceive or set about executing a work of art, do you think you're guided mostly by a constant driving inner aesthetic?  Or do you think you're in some significant way reacting to the world around you - to culture or the economy, say?

Do you think that you actually see the world differently than other people?

Does religion, or any sort of spiritual belief, play in the creation of your work?

Who would you say are your greatest influences? Or is there a particular historical period from which you draw inspiration?

What's your history of working in San Diego?

Does your work sell well in another geographical area?  If so, why do you think that is?

Is it ever hard to part with a work?

Did you ever consider expressing yourself in other art forms?

What do you think art is really about today?

Do you have a favorite art work among your creations?

How do you know you've finished a particular art work? i.e. How do you know when to stop working on a piece?

When it comes right down to it, what do you like best about making art?

How can people see your art and buy it?

Or an artist could:

Keep a diary - write up notes during the creation of the work and pull information from those notes.

Or an artist could

Interview a good friend about the art work and borrow the best bits

BECOME AN ART BUYER - NINE TIPS TO HELP

Yes, I do mean you may have never said, "I'll buy that one, please."

1.       When the lights are on in an art sales gallery after 5 o'clock and a crowd has gathered, it means you can walk right in, have a drink and a bite to eat and look at the art.  No invitation is needed.  You don't have to pay to enter and you won't be pressured to buy anything.  Gallery openings are listed in magazines and newspapers and you are welcome to attend.

2.       One of the pleasures of owning a work of art is meeting the artist.  There are many opportunities for this to happen.  Go to an exhibition opening and the artist is often present.  Most cities have an open studio tour or an art walk (San Diego has both). An art dealer may be able to arrange a meeting and most artists welcome a call from you directly to arrange to see more of their work.

3.       Celebrate if you fall in love with an artwork.  This is a totally valid reason to buy.  Like in any good love match, if you treasure it, it will reward you. Give yourself permission to own the work. Long term you will learn more and more about it and about yourself.

4.       It is also OK to buy a work because it fits the décor of your home.  Just make sure you have an emotional and/or intellectual connection to the work as well.

5.       Don't hesitate to buy a work of art to commemorate a special event or to remember a favorite place or feeling.  Many famous collections were started in just this way.

6.       If you do happen to like one of the works but you are unsure, ask if you can take it home to see if you can live with the artwork.

7.       If you are nervous about buying or even looking at art, seek out a friend, an art collector, an art dealer or consultant to mentor you.  Some artists are excellent mentors and can speak well about a whole range of artwork.

8.       If you buy art, you may eventually outgrow it.  This is all right and you can sell the work, give it away or put it in the attic and see if it can tell you more later.  Just make sure and replace it with a new work.

9.       Once you buy an artwork, share it with friends and let them experience the joy, insight and pleasure from the works that surround you. Your art defines you and is another way to show who you are.

Maker's Spaces

Three big art fairs are coming to town. The one you probably know about is at Art San Diego Contemporary Art Show  Nov 5 -8 because SDVAN displays the San Diego Art Prize 2015 at this show and has done every year. It is again at the Balboa Park Activity Center. The SD Makers Fair on Oct 3 & 4 is sponsored in part by the Balboa Park Cultural  Partnership at the Fleet Science Museum. SD STEAM Maker Festival is Dec 5 at O’Brian Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The last two of these shows are a way to see everything that is going on at Maker’s Spaces within the global Maker Movement which is DIY nirvana. Marker’s spaces vary but all seem to offer a variety of prices to come and use equipment of all sorts with training on the use of that equipment.  Here is a summary of the shows and the spaces.  

SD Makers Faire Fleet Science Musuem,Balboa Park, Oct 3 and 4, 10 am to 6 pm Adults $20 - $30, Children $12.50 to $$18.75 includes entrance to 10 Balboa Park Museums.

Part high tech science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students. All of these “makers” come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and to celebrate the Maker Movement, a global tech influenced do it yourself community that celebrates new products and services. The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, San Diego Makers Guild and Tijuana Innovadora are partnering with the City of San Diego to put on this first ever event showcasing innovators and creators from our bi-national region. The first Maker Faire launched in May 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area and was quickly followed by Faires in Austin, Detroit and New York City, as well as others around the world. Technology has lowered the barriers to entry to becoming a Maker and this launched the Maker Movement which fuels Maker Faire.

The 2015 San Diego STEAM Maker Festival  Dec 5th 2015, 10:00am to 5:00pm Adults: $8, children under 18 $6. Parking $10  at O’Brian Hall, Del Mar Fairgrounds.
SD STEAM makers Festival is designed to bridge the gap between school based STEAM programs and the MAKER Movement STEAM is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) with the added A of Arts. . Over 120 booths, displays and presentations will showcase local school programs, crafters, makers and the people and companies that are driving the next wave of creative technologies. Expect to see local and national companies with every vendor  providing an activity or demonstration to enjoy. Plus meet charities making a difference in children’s lives. STEAM Maker Festival is a celebration for all-ages, a gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. This is an expos combined with an educational event. Save $2 on any full price ticket by using the discount code STEAM when buying online until Dec 1. 

17th Annual High Tech Fair is Oct 14-15 sponsored by the San Diego Science Alliance and the San Diego County Office of Education, the High Tech Fair is free and open to the public. It takes place in Bing Crosby Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.Special Student-Parent Night Wednesday, October 14, 5- 8 pm. Parents can connect with their children and learn more ab out science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the upcoming High Tech Fair.

The following spaces offer multiple membership plans and give you an opportunity with trained helpers to make your own things.  

MakerPlace has  a complete metal, wood and electronic shop, classroom with work areas. Think of it as your dream shop… the one you’d build if you had a really big garage and a huge budget … a large number of expensive tools, many computer controlled, available for your unlimited use. Multi-needle embroidery and industrial sewing machines are available for your construction of personalized gifts, shirts, caps, backpacks and comforters. A 3-D printer can create real durable plastic objects from just a drawing. Large format, high powered lasers are available to cut shapes from wood, plastic or many metals or delicately engrave messages on wine glasses. A computer controlled vinyl cutter can make precise signs, decals or sand blasting masks. Welders, benders, brakes, shears, mills, an English wheel and a complete (legal) paint spray booth are ready to make or modify your motorcycle, bike, or ATV. The wood shop offers a planer, shaper, sanders, drill press, a large format 3 axis cnc router, numerous saws and a lathe all with integral sawdust management. If some of these tools are unfamiliar, MakerSpace offers classes that will teach members how to safely operate their machines, which are available as needed for one low cost membership. $79 to $160 per month

1022 West Morena Blvd, Suite H, SD, 92110 Tel: 619.225.7288 info@makerplace.com

Shop Hours:  9am - 9pm - 7 days a week. Facility tours available @ 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM & 5 PM everyday. No appointment necessary. Closed toe shoes required.

Open Source Maker Labs  is a high-tech digital fabrication lab, where members can learn, collaborate, innovate, design, and build almost anything. Makers of all ages and skill levels have access to a wide range of tools, equipment, resources, and workspace. Makers, do it yourself (DIY) technology enthusiasts, students, and startup entrepreneurs can leverage open source designs and projects. Activities include 3D printing, electronics, robotics, and the use of advanced CNC tools. OSML has a strong focus on using and learning practical skills and applying them creatively. Prices from $35 per day, from $70 - $130 for month

2591 Pioneer Ave., Suite G, Vista CA 92081. Tel: 760.998.1522 info@opensourcemakerlabs.com

Shop Hours: Tues - Fri 6 -9 PM, Sat 9 AM - 6 PM, Sun 1 - 6 PM

Fab Lab is a non-profit community space that gives access to the tools, training, and community needed to feel comfortable making just about anything. Memberships are open to everyone. Started by the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms in 2007, Fab Lab San Diego is one part of a large network of Labs across the world.  These labs are production workshops and small-scale innovation hubs equipped with digital fabrication machines and technologies for the production of objects, tools and electronics. Fab Labs are organized around a global network connecting 100 laboratories in more than 30 countries, from South Africa to Norway or Amsterdam center to an ashram in India. Fab Labs are building one of the largest networks of knowledge and people in the world that is growing exponentially worldwide, it is expected to double in the next two years. Fab Lab San Diego is a founding tenant of Makers Quarter in San Diego’s upper East Village. Prices start from $75

847 14th Street (at E Street) , SD 92101 info@fablabsd.org 
Shop Hours: Monday - Friday: 2:00pm–10:00pm, Saturday: 12:00am–8:00pm

Makers Quarter™ is a gathering place of San Diego’s Artists and Innovators, and the heart of our city’s Maker Movement. The Maker Spirit has always been part of the fabric of East Village, from the original home of Jerome’s Furniture almost a century ago, to the craft brewers at Monkey Paw, to the modern day Makers who perfect and teach their crafts in the Moniker Warehouse today. Makers Quarter™ is located as an extension of the East Village tech corridor and serves as the hub for San Diego’s urban innovation economy, offering the environment and culture that inspires our city’s entrepreneurs, artists and makers to unleash their creativity. The following are found in the Makers Quarter: Silo,  Smarts Farm, Monkey Paw, FabLab, Moniker Warehouse, Urban Discovery Academy, San Diego City College, Fuse Integration

Bio, Tech & Beyond is an innovation space established by the city Carlsbad to promote biotech and STEM based ventures. They incubate programs that relate to start up businesses, education, new technologies and solutions for enabling more sustainable healthcare. The aim is to be an economic hub that companies, organizations and individuals can utilize for business development. Currently the facility is being sustained through low cost lab space rentals. But they also are working with reagent and consumable vendors for establishing a product distribution center and instrumentation providers for show casing new equipment or refurbishing old equipment. BTNB was founded by Joseph Jackson who helped start BioCurious and Kevin Lustig who is founder/CEO of AssayDepot.

2351 Faraday Ave, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Tours available by appointment contact info@btandb.com

 

Thinkabit Lab at Qualcomm, also referred to as the STEM Lab, is the combination of a lab, makerspace, and classroom for middle school students to learn about STEM careers, as well as participate in engineering experiments to promote the importance of STEM opportunities and skills for all. The Lab allows students to experience what it is engineers do at Qualcomm. Students are led by teachers and engineers as they create, collaborate, and present their Robo Crafts. They’re encouraged to innovate, partner and execute in ways that represent 21st century skills.

5775 Morehouse Drive, San Diego, CA 92121

In Praise of Saying Thank You

I have been listening to the radio in the car this week. I usually end up with a take away. No, the universe is not speaking to me, but someone on the airwaves seems to be communicating directly to me. Sometimes I even have to keep listening to the radio even after I pull the car into the garage. (My garage only has two sides so I don’t worry about carbon monoxide.) But the downside is that I don’t have any idea who it was that said what I found inspiring so I can’t quote names or organizations.

For example, I came in on the middle of a discussion by an art marketing specialist. The interviewer asked her the one biggest mistake that artist make in promoting their work. I held my breath for the answer. Would it be over or under pricing, meaningless artist statements, or maybe getting drunk at their own opening receptions? No to all of these. IT WAS NOT SAYING THANK YOU ENOUGH.

Sounds simple, but I started thinking of all the people I say thank you to and how it is never enough: Artists involved in SDVAN projects, art gallery and museum directors, patrons who give donations, writers who report on our SDVAN efforts, masses of volunteers, our Indian software expert, community leaders who support the arts, my family and personal friends that help me through moods swings, stress, ranting, and who feed and walk me and all those people on the radio and their words of wisdom.

So I researched how to say thank you. Be sincere, be grateful and be specific. It can be in person, over the phone, in a text, in an email and don’t forget the classic written note.  I could be saying thank you 24 hours a day, day in and day out. But can one be sincere day in and day out….I know I am grateful every moment of my life. But sincerity can be exhausting and much harder to muster if you think you should be grateful but the “gift” was more trouble than it was worth.

Deep down my mother loves to get compliment and thanks, but she always shrugs it off as insincere. She does not think she is worthy because thinking you are worthy is too prideful and to be resisted.

And who says thank you to me? Masses do but a lot of what I do is never acknowledged. The thanks is seeing a worthy project happen and the fun I have in participating. Do we need to start saying thank you to those who thank us? Do others think that saying thank you, is a thankless task?

Next on the radio was news of the drop by 1000 points of the stock market. Echoes of 1929, but the reassuring words came fast. THE STOCK MARKET IS NOT THE ECONOMY. The Economy is fine. I am grateful for this viewpoint. Who do I send a thank you note to for the good night’s sleep I can have tonight?