9e2 Seattle Exploring the Intersection of Art, Science, and Technology

As you all know I have been passionately exploring the realm of art and technology as of late. I recently applied for a grant to develop an Artist In Residence program for technology companies, and now I am excited to announce that I am collaborating with 9e2 Seattle to do a social media push for the upcoming event! If you have not heard about it, here is a little bit of information:

 9e2 is an art exhibition and performance series commemorating “9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering,” an iconic exhibition 50 years ago in New York that sparked a new era of collaboration between artists, scientists, and engineers.

The original 9 Evenings was organized in 1966 by Robert Rauschenberg and Billy Klüver, and featured artists creating performances in collaboration with engineers from Bell Labs. Fifty years later, 9e2 embraces that same spirit of experimentation and collaboration with a new series of projects. Installations, nightly performances, and other events will explore the intersection of art, science, and technology. 

"The year 1966 saw a legendary and pivotal event in the history of technology-driven art. Called “9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering,” the project brought together 10 artists and 30 scientists and engineers from Bell Telephone Laboratories.

 

Flash forward to 2016, the fiftieth anniversary of this iconic event: 9e2 teams artists with scientists and engineers, in a festival of performances, installations, exhibits, and discussions. By examining contemporary themes that are poised to change the way we experience life on this planet, 9e2 will shine a spotlight on the next 50 years.

 

9e2 draws together artists, engineers, and scientists from across the United States, as well as from Seattle’s art community, technology companies, and schools. We highlight and celebrate Seattle’s place as a center for creativity and exploration of new technologies, build connections between artists, scientists, and the community, and commemorate a half-century of the artistic traditions engendered by the original 9 Evenings. At the same time, we expect 9e2 to leave a forward-looking legacy: new work, new bonds between artists and technologists, new ways of looking at and using technology, and a new awareness of the interconnections between science, technology, and art." - About 9 Evenings and 9e2

 

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Art + Technology Synthesis: Feature Friday, Artist In Residence Program, and More!

“Finding and keeping talent is a hot topic across the Puget Sound region. More than 25,000 technology jobs in the state have remained open for at least six months.” - Puget Sound Business Journal, Feb 4, 2016

There is something unique bubbling up in Seattle at the intersection of art and technology. Employers have realized that they need to do more to attract and retain talent, as well as sustain a culture of experimentation in their companies. Innovation does not happen in a silo, the more an individual is exposed to new ideas and industries the greater the opportunity for adaptation. Artists have a unique skill set and are seeking new ways to engage in a city which has undergone a massive transformation in the last 5-10 years.

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As part of efforts to connect the local art and technology communities, I have been working on a series of events and projects. This past Friday, I collaborated with Nick Hughes of FoundersLIVE to host Feature Friday at The RUINS. The startup community converged, and it was exciting to see a new energy fill the magical venue.

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In addition to this event, I have applied for a 4Culture grant for the development of an Art & Technology Innovation Program which would equip artists with the marketing and innovation tools needed to work with tech organizations. In recent years, we have seen National Parks to Facebook, to Autodesk, and Amtrak successfully launch artist in residence programs.

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The Art & Tech Innovation Program would have a twofold purpose. First, the grant would create an Artist Innovation Marketing Tool Kit to empower artists to monetize their work and engage in today’s technology driven world. Second, this grant would fund the development of an Artist In Residence program geared towards bridging the relationship between artist and local technology companies. Who knows what synthesis could happen as these communities connect in a deeper way!

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If you are interested in participating in the Artist In Residence program or would like to learn more, please email me at esther@uncommoncartography.com

Let's do this!

Esther

The Uncommon: Curtis Bright, Menswear Blogger

Curtis Bright, Menswear Blogger, The Bright Report (@curtisbright ) Top 4 Things To Know

•  I'm really excited about working with two of my favorite brands later this month- Filson and Beckett & Robb. With Tiarra Sorte (@tiarrasorte) behind the camera, I can hardly wait to shoot this project!
• Right now I'm reading "Paul Newman: A Life."-He was a true Renaissance man - an actor, entrepreneur, activist, philanthropist, professional race car driver, and style icon. How can a person not be inspired by someone who accomplished so much in one lifetime?
• I’m originally from Alaska . My family moved to Seattle in 1996 where I’ve lived ever since. Growing up in colder climates explains why Fall/Winter is my favorite season for fashion. I’m used to having to layer up for most of the year.
• I am a huge fan of anything with broth and rice- Hot Pot, gumbo. There’s something about these dishes that satisfies my soul more than any other food. 

3 Tips For Making Your Social Media Shine

I'm thrilled to introduce Andrea Alder, another brilliant lady that I met via Instagram (I tell you - definitely be on the lookout for your tribe on Instagram). Andrea is a rock star stylist and Seattle is damn lucky to have her. Today, she shares her favorite social media tips. I love her perspective.

Social Media Tip #3: Interact, Aesthetic, Shine!

Interact with your feed: We live in a world of social media, but that doesn't mean we don't interact with each other besides liking a picture here and there. If someone came up to me on the street and commented on my outfit I would thank them- the same goes for my social media. I think it's very important to participate in your comment thread, respond personally to my followers and engage in conversation. This creates a more genuine interaction and a larger social network.

Create an aesthetic: Branding yourself is like creating a virtual personality. Most successful Instagram accounts have a very distinctive aesthetic to their feed, whether is the same type of image being posted ( e.g. nature images, outfit posts, beauty tips) or the same filter used on all images to create a correlation between one image to the other. If you have a favorite filter, use it!! This will help your followers know when an image might belong to you.

Make it shine: You don't need to spend money on a fancy camera anymore to have beautiful images on your feed. While I keep a little Leica on hand for BTS shots of my work, I mostly use my iPhone for sharing my day to day life and inspiration. They key is good light, by this I mean natural light. Have a new necklace you want to show off? Find a white surface and go by your window. I find morning light to be the prettiest and softest so I like to take most of my flatlays in the morning, I also like to hold a foam core board on the opposite side of my object so the light from the window bounces off from the foam core and into the "dark" side of my object and this way I can create a nicely lit balanced image. If all this sounds like too much, try my favorite editing app "Snapseed" I love using the exposure brush to brighten areas of my image that might be too dark.

A N D R E A  A L D E R

D e s i g n e r | C r e a t i v e | S t y l i s t 

The Artist Uprising Putting Seattle On The Map

“There’s no protectiveness or competitiveness. We’re all really open with our resources, vendors, press contacts. There’s real camaraderie. The attitude is, ‘let’s get us all on the map.’ We’re all in this together.” - Devin Montgomery 

So much has happened in the last month, that I almost don’t know where to begin! I had the privilege of meeting with Eric Anderson, Chef at Brunswick and Hunt, which was the first of many times that it came to my attention that some Seattle publications are really not giving the type of love they should be to the talented creatives in our region. If you know me, then you know this just won’t do. I am determined to contribute to what I believe is a new artist uprising that is putting Seattle on the map. Just as I believe every industry is open for disruption, I also believe the narrow idea that Seattle is rain, coffee, grunge and technology, is no longer enough to characterize this region. It’s time for businesses to pay attention to what is brewing in their own backyard, and to stop outsourcing what creatives and entrepreneurs in Seattle can do brilliantly.

“The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers - creative and holistic right brain thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn’t.” - Daniel Pink

When I first met Aaron Hicks, clothing designer for YaJoe, he gave me the greatest compliment ever “If I ever design a womenswear line you would me my muse”, little did he know that a couple months later I would ask him to collaborate with me to create my dream of a modern artist smock. I love fashion but for quite some time I have contemplated Gertrude Stein’s quote “You can either buy clothes or pictures”. Your clothing and jewelry are a part of your armor for stepping into the world feeling empowered, as though you could seriously kick ass! I mean have you seen Shannon Koszyk's Audaces Fortuna Invat (Fortune Favors The Bold) ring?! Every day I want to be able to costume myself in a way that feels like I am imbued with a magical superpower. This past week I had the privilege of collaborating with Aaron to develop the first uncommon artist smock. I am BUBBLING OVER WITH EXCITEMENT to be wearing the uncommon artist smock in today’s photo shoot which I have produced in collaboration with some brilliant local creatives for The Ruins. Please follow @uncommoncartography and @the_ruins for a sneak peek.

“The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline and effort and being able to truly care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in a myriad of petty little unsexy ways every day.”  - David Foster Wallace

A final note, many of you may have noticed the series of uncommon collaborations I have been producing. The collaborations are an outflow of my desire to take artists and industries to the next level. These artists have been sharing their talents to help each other fill in their gaps and reach the brands they most desire to work with (because none of us can do it all). The collaborators have been developing some serious social capital and momentum. It has taken a couple of months, but we have begun to see new doors opening and paid projects being locked in as a result of our collaborations. If you would be interested in being featured in a future collaboration, please email me at esther@uncommoncartography.com.  

Let's Do This!

Esther

Ps: As part of our brand refresh for The Ruins in Seattle, I am coordinating a series of events (popups, artist showcases, industry events). If you are interested in participating in a pop-up, showcase, etc. or you know an entrepreneur or creative trying to get to the next level in their career, please email me at esther@theruins.net.