January: Doug, Betsy, Jim and Chicago...

We met with Doug Garofalo today. How refreshing to know that the notion of collaboration can build a community of like minded (yes - I am like Garofalo!...pat on back motion with hand....) design, art professionals can create a dialogue about the built world. He will assist us with linking to an engineer for the work, and also had some great ideas of process with the realizing of the concepts. Interesting conversation that left Amanda and I feeling good and whistling happy tunes over coffee after the meeting. (coffee at Intelligentsia.............this is an advertisement)

January 15
Today Amanda and I just talked. It was cold, and CNN keeps predicting more global warming doom and gloom. I believe in it, but is what we are doing making a difference?...........

What day did we go to Betsy?
I am in love. Yes, people - L - o - v - e ! Betsy V at the UIC Recycing Center will help us with the collection of the sculpture paper shred pile thingy-ma-jig. The open minded, and excitement shown by this amazing person is contagious and honest. If one of the tenets of sustainability is "social" - then Betsy has shown this through open attitude and action. My question to this collaboration is: What if the City of Chicago actually had a recycling program that was visionary, with people who have the BIG PICTURE in mind a daily construct? .....Chicago needs the chutzpah and understanding of people like this, "green city" - Chicago is not. Yes, NOT. It would take the City two months if more administrative people with attitudes that are open, and wanting to see change in this arena, not more of the same apathy and questionable process with the Almighty Dollar in mind. (euro, yen, ...insert your currency here) Change happens with open minds. This was experienced today.

January 24
Today we found some Doors in an alley. Amanda's friend, Alissa told us about them. We drove, we talked, we looked, we laughed, we cried. They were heavy doors of mahogany and pine. The doors will be part of the interior/exterior door to gallery. Jim Brenner who is an amazing, yes - amazing artist who fabricates beautiful objects and ideas of any material will make a few parts to the project. Brenner has been making these fabulous doors from found reclaimed doors, a sliding, rolling effect with beautiful wood showing. The notion of "re-use" and "re-cycle" does not have to be tacky, comical (I like these things though.....) and trite. The materials that are cast off within daily life and left in the public spaces of the city can be made into the new, organic - creating a thoughtful built world. Amanda and I consider this to be an education for us, as well as an investigation of collaboration and social responsibility. This is obvious, but if you enter the space of knowing/not knowing the uncomfort makes for good learning experiences....I 'spose.

January 26
Today we made almost 32 phone calls, and 25 emails looking for plants, coffee, paper and help.
Yes.....almost 8 hours of being an office worker. We both realized that when you say the word "artist" and "project" either people laugh, cry, hang-up the phone or are interested.