We’re excited to announce a new effort for SPARKcon 2009 – a Yearbook! Beth and Britt are looking for your best 10-20 photos from each SPARK. Based on the quality and quantity of images, we can figure out the layout and amount of pages. Our intention is to give everyone a chance to relive their best experiences at SPARKcon, and in many cases, see some of the things they missed. We hope to use this book as a fundraiser for next year’s events.

The simplest way to get us images is to mail a CD to:
SPARKcon
323 W Martin St
Raleigh NC 27601

If you email us at contact@sparkcon.com we’ll know to look for it.

Please put each photographer’s name in the actual file name, so that we are sure to credit everyone properly.

Please note: in order to clear us with copyright laws, these images must be owned by a photographer who has signed a Photographer’s Release. Any performers depicted must also have a signed Talent Release.

Look for a “yearbook signing party” coming down the road… SPARK on!

Speaking for the rest of the Bobbleheads, we were amazed by how consistently everyone “got it” this year. All of you seemed to be right on the same page with the same vision, which just gave all of us even more energy. This unified voice seemed to even carry over to every tweet, article and interview that we saw. We’re truly lucky to be living in an environment filled with such positive, creative and community-minded people like all of you. And it’s operating at a level I haven’t seen anywhere else.

There is a symphony of chatter going on about what to do next year. We ask that you write these ideas down as soon as you can – before we forget. As organizers, it might be best if you can write suggestions as comments to this post. However we can read posts on the public site (“feedback” page), or on the facebook group.

If you have any interesting stories or favorite vignettes of the event, please share those as well. Otherwise tag your photos with SPARKcon in flickr or tell us where else you put them.

We will be scheduling a meeting in the next few weeks to try to visit with all of you again and capture all of your thoughts. Be on the lookout and come prepared to celebrate!

Thank you again and Spark on!

Aly

Please note: we hope to have all of you at the kickoff meeting at 6 on Thursday to pick up badges, have a drink, and support the keynote speaker and Pecha Kucha event.

For tonight we just want to go through final logistics:

1. overall plan of the event, with rain plans
2. confirmation of every act in your SPARK as per the published schedule, and turning in all talent release forms
3. your final volunteer needs
4. any outstanding facilities needs
5. your official photographer and videographer names, and turning in all photo/video release forms
6. scheduling a recap meeting *with a SPARKcon yearbook event*

Spark on!

Aly

Given the growing nature of SPARKcon,  photography of the event will be organized differently this year.  Cheryl Gottschall and Bryan Regan will be our Overall Photographers. Their purpose will be to capture a few great shots of the whole event. As a result,  they will not be documenting each and every work,  artist or event in SPARKcon. We are asking each SPARK to reach out to their local community and recruit their own SPARK photographers. These photographers need to fill out the Photographer’s Release Form and submit their raw photos to each SPARK team. Each SPARK team is in turn, responsible for getting these photos to the Bobbleheads so we can create a central bank of them.

In our agreement,  SPARKcon is trading special access to these events in exchange for rights to their images for SPARKcon purposes only. Of course the photographers retain ownership of their work and can do what they like with the images as well. SPARKcon will also request that each SPARK post at leat a few images to the SPARKcon flickr group.

We do ask all SPARKcon photos are tagged with sparkcon and ____SPARK whenever uploaded to sites like flickr. This will make for some fun web-fed interactive visualizations during the event.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

We are ready to go!

I’m sure there are lots of questions.

As you know, you will be able to work on your POD installations at Carolina Portable Storage, 8701 Fleet Service Drive Raleigh, NC

The location is not far from 540 and US 70, near Westgate Road. I am hoping that you can begin this weekend.

There are wooden walls, and wooden studs. You can nail, screw, staple, WITHIN REASON. These PODS have to be put back into service when the PODS project is done.

When the PODS are transferred to Fayetteville Street, they will be moved very carefully, keeping the unit stable and level. Very delicate things probably should be installed at the final location. But a lot of the work can be done on site at the PODS location. Unfortunately, things might get a little hot out there in the Carolina PODS parking lot, so I apologize for this. I will email you a follow up letter regarding hours that the PODS site is open.

Just a little info about artSpark and SparkCon. Mostly this is a grass roots volunteer arts organization, mostly run by people like me, who want to see exciting programming in the arts community. So be patient when things seem a little chaotic! I am also proposing that we meet at least once as a team. How about this Sunday afternoon in Raleigh at my studio? I’ll supply the beer. Let me know who is available.

Best, Nancy 919-656-8012

Members:

• Matt Tendam (mtendam77@gmail.com)
• Todd Delk (Todd.Delk@kimley-horn.com)
• Ryan Cummings (rcdec@earthlink.net)
• Michael Gilchrist (mrg123@earthlink.net)

The greenSPARK team has been working since our kick-off meeting on 7/2/09 to put the following ideas into motion, with the appropriate event tie-in and contact person in parentheses:

·Recycling stations (eventwide – Matt Tendam)

We are acquiring bins/cans/etc. to provide 4-6 recycling stations around the Fayetteville Street event venue, including a composting bin for food waste near the tastySPARK and bazaarSPARK locations. VOLUNTEERS WILL BE NEEDED DURING THE EVENT. volunteers will be needed to ensure that waste is properly separated and non compostable items are not collected in the compost bins. A brief training session prior to the event will be necessary as well. City of Raleigh will provide recycling bins and collection services. McGill Environmental Services will collect and process compostable materials. McGill has offered to waive their processing fee of $20/ton given some advertisement will be available. We are still working on procuring a large roll off container for mass collection of compostable materials.

·Printing and brochures (eventwide – Matt Tendam)

We hope to help Bobbleheads with using post-consumer/sustainable forests paper and eco-friendly inks for any event media. We are looking for in-kind donations of these products. I need a deadline as to when these materials will be needed.

·Reusable water bottles (eventwide, tastySPARK – Todd Delk)

We want to have reusable water bottles for sale (price or suggested donation) and 4-6 water-filling stations at event in lieu of sale of bottled water. We are searching for sponsor that can contribute/donate/front ordering 300-500 water bottles with SPARKcon and sponsor logo. This feature needs to be advertised as available at event and for participants can buy bottle or bring your favorite from home

·Water filling stations (eventwide, tastySPARK – Todd Delk)

We organizing to have 4-6 water stations around event using 2 large water coolers per station with ice and tap water. We are investigating a water cooler sponsor like LeBleu as option as well. VOLUNTEERS WILL BE NEEDED TO HELP KEEP STATIONS FILLED and we are looking for in-kind ice sponsor.

·Alternative transportation (eventwide – Todd Delk)

• Bike Valet – Efforts to secure bike racks has transitioned to approaching parking deck to provide space for a “bike valet” area (VOLUNTEERS TO STAFF WILL BE NEEDED)
• spokeSPARK (online submission) – Commenter suggested we create display space and have camera set-up to display photo collage of area’s fashionable bicycle and cyclists.
• Transit – We are looking for promotions with and highlighting getting to/from SPARKcon via CAT, TTA and R-Line
• Some kind of tie-in with Raleigh Rickshaw, Segway Store

·Reusable shopping bags (bazaarSPARK – Michael Gilchrist) – We are looking for in-kind donation of reusable shopping bags to support vendors at event.

·Relay for Light/Stationary Bike Power Generator(s) (healthSPARK?, groundSPARK?, artSPARK?, main stage? – Todd Delk)

We hope to SOMEHOW acquire/build stationary bike generator(s) to provide power as carbon offset for event. Discussion of single bike possibilities include powering the message board, tent lights, lights for artSPARK pod; multiple bike possibilities (maybe for next year) include night lighting for groundSPARK artists based on people signing up for shifts.

* NC Green Power Raffle (Ryan Cummings)

A raffle will be held with proceeds from the ticket sales being given to NC Green Power to fund their alternative energy projects. We are still trying to procure prizes but initial efforts have been made to find a bike made of recycled parts as the main prize. We are looking for other in-kind donations of eco-friendly products and services to raffle off.

·Other ideas tossed around: eco-friendly make-up for fashionSPARK, bio-diesel generators for main stage, cooperative farming highlighted at bazaarSPARK

Please post the information here at plan.sparkcon.com and email it to dave@visualartexchange.org

For organizational reasons please title your posts
xxxSPARK EVENT INFO: then event title here

*NOTE If you are doing multiple events, please give separate info for each event.

TITLE OF EVENT
not the spark name…should be the actual event name (like “Street Painting Festival”)

DATE(s) OF EVENT

STARTING AND END TIMES OF EVENT

LOCATION OF EVENT

EVENT DESCRIPTION
Paragraph or two about what will happen for the event.
Each event will have it’s own page, so you can explain the whole event as you wish.

SPONSORS

MANAGEMENT/PRODUCTION CREDITS

TALENT CREDITS
• individual/group/brand names of the talent showcasing their work
• how they are participating if appropriate (example, in fashionSPARK, there will be designers, hair and makeup stylists – let us know who is doing what)
• short bio of talent or production if appropriate

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR EVENT INFO—as complete as possible— by FRIDAY AUG 14th

If you prefer to download a word doc with the above info to fill in… DOWNLOAD HERE

There will be an open call to artists for a juried exhibition that artists will submit to by jpegs. The due date is August 25; the artists will be notified September 1. There will be a 5 dollar fee to help pay for signage.  Art hanging in the windows will be held on September 7.  Hanging the Exhibition will be on September 14.  The artwork could be for sale which will be run through VAE.  artSPARK will put out a volunteer call for gallery sitting during SPARKcon.