SLOUP #23: The Science of Sloup (AN INVITATION)

On the night of Sunday, January 29th, Sloup will happen all over St Louis because anyone & any place can host.

That’s you!

A SLOUP HOST WILL:

•have people over some time that night

•feed them soup

•distribute the month’s artists’ proposals to your guests (proposals will be accessible on the blog by noon that day.)

•facilitate a Sloup vote (by individual ballot, majority, or unanimity—up to you! experiment!)

•collect a $10 donation from each voter (hosts may choose to vote or not; proposers may not host Sloup but proposers may attend Sloup)

•document the event creatively

•and drop off a post-Sloup packet between 7 and noon on January 30th at Local Harvest Café at 3137 Morganford Rd.

**
post-Sloup packet contents
1. a list of participants & their email addresses (& any extra documentation!)
2. the recipe or story behind the soup
3. all ballots (or a tally if your Sloupers voted together)
4. $10 per ballot (or per vote in tally)
5. process notes from your Sloup based on these 7 questions:
-What drew you to hosting and what were your plans or hopes for your Sloup? How did it play out?
-Describe your Sloup’s dynamics (i.e. host/guest, dinner/proposals, etc).
-Describe the discussion and voting process regarding the artists’ proposals.
-What were some successes and challenges of hosting your Sloup? Any supreme moments, surprises, major issues, small awkwardnesses?
-Would you host a Sloup again? Why or why not? What elements would you keep or change?
-If you have attended Sloup before, compare your Sloup to others. If your hosting experience was your first Sloup, what do you now expect from future Sloups?
-After hosting a Sloup, do you have any advice for Sloup as it moves forward?
**

Please make it your own. And last minute is fine—we don’t need to know ‘til the next morning! But we can help you plan your Sloup and/or advertise your Sloup to others if you’d like it to be open. Ideally, a Directory of possible Sloups to attend (at homes, restaurants, and art spaces) on January 29th will emerge on our blog. And if any requirements limit your ideal sloup-ability, we want to know (i.e. Do you need us to drop off copies of the proposals to your site that afternoon?).

Sloup 23: The Science of Sloup is a collaboration between Sloup and Francesca Wilmott of Los Caminos. Francesca will host a Sloup that night at Los Caminos. ( los.caminos.art@gmail.com)

And Amelia and Maggie would like to attend other Sloups. Invite us!

MORE INFO AND IDEAS TO FOLLOW. email ideas and questions to sloup2122@gmail.com

December 18th: Sloup Holiday Party @ FOAM (no cover!)

Check it. Sloup is taking it's first breather since it started rolling in February of 2010. We're going to use the time to re-group, and you should too. We expect big little things and little big things in January from your proposals. Please ask the same of us.

The party at FOAM is from 7 'til 11 or so and, while it's just a nite to get together and unwind with new and old friends amidst a busy month, there will be a lot to take in:

*An invitation to participate in Sloup 23: The Science of Sloup (January Sloup) will hit the streets, pamphlet-style. It's going to be a big fun deal, and we'll be there to talk it up. (It's an experiment!! Check back at the blog if you can't make the party!)
*Vegan white bean, roasted garlic, and sage soup will be available to raise operating funds for Sloup 2012--$5 for a bowl and $10 for all you can eat!
*DJ Invisible Cola and DJ Michael "Mike" Stasny will kick back behind their laptops and stuff our stockings with special sounds that wrap our hearts in faux-fur slippers.
*Wonder Koch will discuss her recent artistic projects and how losing Sloup twice contributed to their development.
*Great hot boozy drinks will be on sale all night long: thank FOAM for having us by indulging big time. They make a mean toddy.

We're still not over how great last month's Sloup felt at Moonlight Farm. That is all. See you on the 18th.

Project #22: Issue Magazine ($180)

JD Scott wrote," We are currently seeking funding for our first issue, “Home,” which we intend to publish this Spring. Here’s an excerpt from our mission statement:
“Issue Magazine is a collaborative, multidisciplinary publication that will explore social issues in St. Louis through the lens of architecture and design. This organization seeks to introduce social issues - and their existing and potential solutions - to students of Washington University and members of the St. Louis community.”
We intend to use unconventional journalistic methods and mediums—collage, photomontage, journal writing, mapping—to reveal views of the city that are both intimate and highly accessible.
A quote that I was referred to recently:
“Enough of Art. It’s Art that kills us. People no longer want to do a painting: they make Art. People want Art. And they are given it. But the less Art there is in painting, the more painting there is.”
—Pablo Picasso
Capital “A” Art and Architecture are distanced from context—from the community. They are inward-looking and often self-obsessed endeavors. The intent of the publication is to return to (lowercase) art and architecture, to highlight people, projects, and places far removed from galleries and coffee-table books; and, most importantly, to continually reinforce the idea that architects and designers must be advocates for social justice."

Whoa - Wow! So Fantastic! Thank you caravan-ing friends for making the trek out to Moonlight Farm last night. The moon was hiding behind the clouds - but we were all kept warm with blankets and a bonfire. There were two kinds of hand-churned butter, local local pears in the soup and the cider - and so much good conversation! So nice to see plenty of new faces as well as our returning Sloup friends. How many 'best Sloup ever's did you hear last night?

Next Month: Holiday Party December 18th at 7 pm at FOAM!

Let's take the month off together and hold tight to those proposals until 2012 friends-- we will keep you updated with more details!

Sloup #22: tomorrow

it's here! field trip time! Amanda and Alaric are ready for us, it's going to be a clear and chilly night, the soup and cider are going to rule, it's all systems go...

but, what we DO need is some more proposals to read and discuss by fire light.

PLEASE take some time today to get your thoughts out on paper if you have an upcoming art project, and we know you do. Send it our way, and no matter the outcome, you'll make some new fans who are thinking about what you do.

Sloup #22: Moonlight Farm Field Trip

Sloup is the same but different this month, and we can't wait. Let's get started a little early because we've got to take a little journey to our venue this time, and it'd be fun to catch the sunset over the fields.

Moonlight Farm is at 3470 Dutch Bottom Road in Arnold, MO. It's an easy shot down 55 for the most part, with a few twists and turns at the end.

So, for those of you who can head out at 4:15 or so, let's meet at The Mud House at 4 and get oriented and sardine-like and build a parade. Don't be shy about showing up car-less, lots of folks will have extra seats! And if you like driving, we'd love you to be one of those pals with extra seats.

For those of you who want to leave a little later or direct from home, here are the basics:
"(from Mud House) Cherokee St. to 55 S to 141 (about 14 miles), make a right on 141, make a left on Missouri State Rd (about 2 miles - it's the next street past Astra Way, there is no light at Missouri State), make a left at the stop sign, make a right on Dutch Bottom Rd, follow the road around a large curve, you will see an iron gated driveway on the left and go over a creek, the next gravel driveway you see on the left is our road! follow the road down to the barn!"

Those are direct from our hosts, Amanda and Alaric Geimer! That's right, they said "barn." Let's DO THIS.

They also say they'll be making a "fresh-off-zee-farm winter squash and pear soup and scrumptious hot pear cider for slurping." Yum-mee.

The whole Sloup thing will still go down smooth and easy: packet of fresh artist's proposals, informal chats about them all, $10 for a vote on your favorites, we post the winner in the mornin'... but THIS time, once you read 'em, they'll turn into kindling for our cozy bonfire.

Didya hear that?? Extra incentive to submit a proposal this month- your art-goal will become ashes that go up and up into the night, and that's way more powerful magic than your standard household birthday candles.

We'll head back to the city together by 7 o'clock or so. Plenty of time to head to the next thing STL has going on for you, or to catch a much-needed big bear nap.

PLANNING AHEAD:
December 18th: Sloup Holiday Party @ Foam
January 2012: Sloup Pulls Some Tricks Out Of Its Sleeves

Project #21: Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra

Heather Rice of Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra (winner of October's $230 grant!!) wrote:

"My band 'Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra' is a six piece ensemble who composes and performs original soundtracks to old silent films. We want to purchase our own screen and projector to allow us to play at more venues instead of being restricted to only places that have this technology. We feel that this would also enable us to plan a tour for this upcoming fall or spring.

Werner Herzog's "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" reminds us how powerful and fresh art can be tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years after its creation. The advanced technique and almost cubist style of some of the ancient cave paintings illustrate how wrong it is to assume art simply develops and improves along a single, uninterrupted evolutionary path. In the case of these ancient works of art, luck and plate tectonics preserved them by sealing off the cave to air, mold, and decay. In the present day, one of the best ways to preserve the similarly advanced art of silent film is through keeping it alive with fresh music and showing it to as many people in as many places as possible."

Congratulations R & P - job well done. And thank you everyone for attending yesterday evening to eat, vote, carve, and dunk.

Galen, you are the host with the most, such a cozy time. Will - your punch packed a punch, please come back again with your fantastic recipes. I'm feeling punny today so I should wrap this up. Not a drop of soup left last night - surely the sign of success. Stay tuned for updates folks for Sloup #22 - this one involves a ROAD TRIP so watch the blog and the Face for maps and other various directives. Think brave. Think car pool.

SLOUP #21: GONDOWEEN

Come to Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts this October 30th at 6 p.m. and get festive with Galen Gondolfi! Pumpkin Ale Soup by Amanda Phillips. Tiki Drink by Will Fischer of UnderWARES (BYOlittleextrasumthin.). Decorations by YOU (wear them! at least get out the orange shirt.).

$10 gets you soup and a vote toward your favorite proposal. (Send us a proposal and your favorite can be your own!!)

This is going to be the funnest. We can feel it.