Metaboston

Willoughby and Baltic Artist-in-Residence

Hacker/artist space Willoughby and Baltic is now offering an Artist-in-Residence Program to artists interested in mixing technology and art.

In order to support the creative process, Willoughby and Baltic offers a 6 month residency for two emerging artists. Each artist is granted a free, non-living shared studio space and a small material stipend. The studio is complete with free wi-fi and access to electronic assembly tools and modelmaking equipment, a machine shop, and a woodshop. The residency will commence on May 1st and end on October 31st, 2009.The deadline for submitting an application to the Artist-in-Residence program is March 31st, 2009.

Course on Urban Games at Willoughby & Baltic

Willoughby & Baltic will be offering a course on designing urban games taught by Bonnie Shaw, a founder of Snap-Shot-City, the photo treasure hunt game.

The Urban Games & Adventure Design class will open your eyes to the playful possibilities of the world around you.  Over 10 fun-filled weeks the class will teach you the tools to turn your city into a playground as you learn, design and play your very own Urban Game.
This course will provide you with a basic tool kit to design and play your very own urban games and adventures. It will teach you the basics of urban game and adventure design by introducing the emerging trends in urban gaming, teach you new ways of viewing, understanding and analyzing the city, provide a grounding in community engagement and interactive theatre, and introduce emerging technologies, mapping and social media applications.

Through fun and playful individual and group exercises you will design a new Urban Game or Adventure to be played on the streets of Cambridge/Boston.

Find out what all the fuss is about and get into some city scale fun!

We've covered a number of urban adventures in Boston put on by people like Banditos Misteriosos so this sounds like a fun, if expensive ($500 tuition) course.

Stepping Inside Willoughby & Baltic's Hackerspace

Interesting story on Willoughby and Baltic in Davis Square from Open Media Boston:

On Elm Street in Davis Square, next to an ordinary Subway sandwich shop, you'll find a glowing red doorway that marks the portal into the Willoughby and Baltic hackerspace. Founded and managed by local visual and electronic artist Meredith Garniss, the hackerspace, along with the model shop two doors down and the large Union Square fabrication studio, provide local hackers and artists with a place to cultivate ideas, learn new methods and machines, and most importantly, to connect with Boston's visual arts and hacker communities.

Standing in the model shop, Garniss proudly points around the room and tells me how much work Willoughby and Baltic members and volunteers have put into converting the once garage into a legitimate workspace. "I've had this property for five years now and wanted to do something with it. The floor was donated. I built the walls. People coming in wouldn't know it used to be a garage." I walk around the workbenches as Garniss talks about the machines. "People have bought equipment for themselves and just don't have room for it in their apartments, so they bring it in for us. I'd like to get another band saw, but maybe a pottery wheel would be a better use of space. Especially with the kiln here. Hopefully it won't be too loud in here." Garniss seems to be talking to herself as much as to me, figuring out how much more work there is to be done. "We'd love to purchase a 3D printer and a laser cutter, but when we looked into the price for leasing it, we decided we could wait a while." Just then, another member pops his head in and tells Garniss one of the new members builds 3D printers. Make no mistake: these are people who get the job done, most often on their own.

Honk! Fest 2008 Archived

Video and images of the Honk! Festival with 25 bands marching through Cambridge and Somerville. 

More images at the Honk! Flickr pool.

A Map of Charitable Solicitors (aka "Chuggers") in Davis Square

Limeduck put together a map of chuggers in Davis Square last week.  Good idea and it calls for a constantly updated mobile application.  (Image:  Limeduck)

Davis Square Livejournal Group Raise Money for Somerville Homeless Coalition

The Davis Square Livejournal Group used a real-world meetup to raise $1,350 for the Somerville Homeless Coalition:

"They decided to have a community yard sale both as a way of getting to know others and as a way of raising money for a worthy local charity.

The planned a community yard sale and thought that the best local charity to support would be the Somerville Homeless Coalition. Thanks to the help of many people, both in and out of city hall, they obtained the permits to hold the event in Hodgkin’s Park and raised over $1,350 for the Homeless Coalition.

(Image:  Davis Square Livejournal)

Willoughby & Baltic Expands in Davis Square

Willoughby and Baltic, the Somerville maker/hacker/robotics space is hosting an information session August 27th at 7:00pm to discuss new initiatives and classes (also discussed below).

"Willoughby and Baltic, founded in 2001, became home to DorkbotBoston in January 2005. Since then, the former gallery has been bursting at it’s seams while juggling robotics classes, hacker meetings, and exhibition planning.

In October 2008, Willoughby and Baltic will acquire two additional locations to support the growing hacker and maker communities in Boston. This volunteer-run initiative is a result of our growing community, and will serve as a center in the Somerville/Cambridge area for like-minded tinkerers and builders.  (more below)

Rocks in Bread at "When Pigs Fly"?

Interesting that globalization in the form of a traditional Chilean method of raisin production may have been responsible for an incident at the Davis Square "When Pigs Fly" bakery.

"When Pigs Fly bakery owner Andrew Siegel confirmed that when a Massachusetts man bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread at the When Pigs Fly store in Davis Square in Somerville, Mass., early last month, he may have gotten a little more than he expected.

The man, identified by Siegel as Michael Snyder of North Reading, Mass., sliced off a piece and began eating it when he heard and felt a crunch. After spitting the bread into his hand, Snyder reportedly found three or four small, rock-like pieces in the half-chewed bread.

"I'm not sure whether they were pebbles or pieces of stem or branch," Siegel said. "I don't even know whether they came from our bread.""

The bakery seems to have been pretty fair offering 3 replacement loaves while the customer seems to have asked for 5!

Artifaktori in Davis Square

Amy Berkowitz's new store in Davis Square, Artifaktori, is a collection of hip quirky items brought together by her vision.

"All kinds of treasures in all price ranges appear every day, making for an intriguing mix of objects — from genuine mod watchbands, kitschy chip and dip bowls, mah jongg sets, troll wrapping paper, lamps of all shapes and sizes, and other housewares and ephemera from the past century. Old etiquette books share a shelf with early books on sex education, and a portable typewriter sits next to a laptop from the ’70s.

The vintage clothing and accessories are carefully selected and in excellent condition. Hawaiian muumuus, classic little black dresses, sundresses, Jackie O suits from before she was Jackie O, and purses and clutch bags ranging from prewar to disco era."

Somerville ArtBeat: July 18-19

The theme of this year's ArtBeat festival in Davis Square is "Green" emphasizing sustainability and biking.

"Green can convey many things: the environment; greed and money; newness and growth; and the Green Line T coming to Somerville. We hope to explore questions like: What is our relationship with the natural environment? How can nature inspire creativity and artistic production? How can we protect and preserve our natural world? Other interpretations of the theme might evoke questions like: How can money shape, support or corrupt artistic production? How might the Green Line coming to Union Square shape urban development and design?"

Davis Square LiveJournal Homeless Benefit

 

From virtual to real community:

"The Davis Square LiveJournal Community will hold a community yard sale with proceeds to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition. The yard sale will be held in Hodgkins Park, located on Holland Street between Simpson Avenue and Paulina Street, on Sunday July 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a rain date of Sunday, Aug. 3."

Graffiti Stenciling Workshop in Davis

Annelies Kamen will be teaching a course on graffiti stenciling at Willoughby and Baltic in Davis Square.

"The immediacy and poignancy of stencil art has made it a prominent tool in DIY political, social and artistic movements. Stencils are a creative and easy way to express opinions, spread messages and expand the boundaries of your artistic language.

This workshop will teach you how to make your own stencil from a found or original image for use on clothing, in fine arts, as wall decoration, or for any purpose you choose. Among the topics covered will be altering images to translate to stencil format, single and multi-layered techniques, large scale and portable stencils, types of paint and stencil frames to use, and how best to use your stencils on different surfaces.

All materials are included in this workshop. Please bring an image or two you would like to use in a digital format (thumbdrive or CD). If you do not provide an image, we will provide one to you for the class. Letter stencils will also be provided if you would like your stencil to have text elements."

Info: 
July 9th 6:30pm - 9:30pm (Reserve by July 7th)

"Price:
Members: $20 plus $15 materials
Non-Members: $40 plus $15 materials
(Sign up for Willoughby and Baltic membership at the same time and save $5!)"

Urban Garden Tour in Somerville

Over 40 Somerville gardens will be open to the public on Saturday June 21.

"More than 40 private and public settings featuring fruit trees, fountains, sculpture, stone walls, moss, terraces, arbors, mosaics, murals, ponds or planters, will be on display. Some incorporate found objects and art; others are designed for children and are family friendly spaces. At one you will find a little-known certified Natural Wildlife Habitat. The garden club's own sites at the Powderhouse Rotary, the Main and West Libraries, are also marked on the map. The combined talents of master gardeners and the cultural influences of the diverse communities of Somerville create a unique event. Rain or shine, it promises to be a wonderful afternoon. "

Cost:  $12

Tickets:

"Advance ticket sales: June 1-June 20:  Program booklet [$12.00 admission], containing a map and individual garden descriptions, will be available June 1: Pemberton Garden Center, 2225 Mass Avenue, Cambridge, Sherman Café, 257 Washington St., Union Square, Somerville

Event Day Locations and Ticket Sales: Saturday, June 21st 11:30AM - 4:00PM:  Davis Square, opposite T entrances, intersection of Elm and Holland Streets, VNA Assisted Living Community, 259 Lowell St. The VNA also has a 1/4 acre wildlife habitat that is part of the tour."

Museum of Bad Art Opens Davis Square Branch

The appetite for bad art is relentless so the Dedham-based Museum of Bad Art will open a new branch right by the Somerville Theatre's toilets.  The new outpost will open May 14th.

You can bring bad art into your home now too (if it isn't already there) with the publication of the Museum of Bad Art's Masterworks catalogue.

The Semiotics of Somerville Road Race Markers

When a marker for a Somerville road race makes you think of racial politics is it a sign you've been in academia too long?  :)  (Image:  Alice J. Robinson)

Children's Publisher Candlewick in Davis Square

Candlewick Press a children's book publisher that has put out notable titles The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, The Tale of Despereaux, and the Encyclopedia Prehistorica series now has their office in Davis Square.

Interesting to see an apparently successful local publisher that publishes highly regarded books.

McIntyre and Moore's New Porter Square Location

Davis Square's loss is Porter Square's gain now that McIntyre and Moore have secured their new Cambridge location:

"With sadness we'll be moving our store from Davis Square toward the end of March, but we're looking forward to our new location at 1971 Mass. Ave., in Porter Square, Cambridge, just across the city line, with great optimism. We'll still be on the Red Line, one stop away, and while we'll be in a smaller space it'll be about the same size as our old store on Mt. Auburn St. in Harvard Square. It'll be a tighter fit but not necessarily many fewer books, just less open space, traditional for a used book store. And the quality of the books won't change."

Davis Square's loss is Porter Square's gain as used bookstore McIntyre & Moore is planning to shutter its Somerville location and move to Cambridge in April

Davis Square's loss is Porter Square's gain as used bookstore McIntyre & Moore is planning to shutter its Somerville location and move to Cambridge in April.  M&M cites a change in public patterns.  But not a decline in reading so much as a decline in browsing:

"Store manager Peter Coyle attributes lagging sales in part to the death of the browsing culture that large businesses depend upon to stay afloat. “It used to be that people would look for a book for two or three years, buying other books in the meantime,” he said. “Now with the Internet people go online and find everything instantly.”

The lack of browsers has hit stores like McIntyre and Moore especially hard, while sparing the smaller, more specialized stores that carry one or two genres at most. “The model of huge [used] bookstores is going by way of the dodo,” Coyle said. “If we don’t change we could be one of those places formerly known as a bookstore.”"

This move should help Porter Square continue to build critical mass with Porter Square Books seeming to attract good crowds.

December Philosophy Cafe at McIntyre & Moore, Davis Square

McIntyre & Moore and the Center of Naturalism are presenting the December installment of the long-running Davis Square Philosophy Cafe on December 18

"December’s topic, “Reductionism and Responsibility: Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?" will focus on the following:
Brain scans reveal that murderers prone to extreme violence tend to have poorer functioning in the pre-frontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for impulse control. Such findings spark the worry that if behavior results just from neural processes, then people aren’t legitimate targets of praise and blame. Do we have powers that transcend what neurons can do, and are such powers necessary to justify holding each other responsible? If we don’t, might that change our ideas about responsibility and criminal justice?"

Reddit hosted a meetup at the Burren in Davis Square on Halloween 2007

Reddit hosted a meetup in at the Burren in Davis Square on Halloween 2007.

Play Bridge in Davis Square

Play bridge in Davis Square with the Davis Square Bridge Club:  "an informal group of bridge enthusiasts who   meet every Wednesday night at 7:30 P.M. at the Diesel Cafe in Davis Square,   Somerville, Massachusetts, a block toward Porter Square from   the Davis Square T-Stop. We are a group of mixed abilities, some learners, some   tournament grade. We play Duplicate and Chicago Style bridge, and  learn from each   other by discussing the bid and play and by reading bridge publications."

Somerville is Site for First Known Guinness attempt for the Largest Gathering of Halloween Witches (Reciting Poetry)

Somerville is the site for the first known attempt for a Guinness World Record for the "Largest Gathering of Halloween Witches (Reciting Poetry)".   " It will take several weeks for the feat to be verified, said [official observer Edwin] Smith, who incidentally was wearing the full-bodied leopard outfit he wears 'at all weird occasions' and did not count himself as a witch for the record total."

Great Neighborhood Restaurants

A request for good "neighborhood favorite" restaurants by a pair of NY-transplant foodies sparks a great list of restaurants on the Chowhound board for Boston-area natives and visitors alike.

Lost Ring in Davis Square

Jeramie Mage finds a ring in front of the Davis Square Dunkin' Donuts; when the shop doesn't want to know about it he turns to the Live Journal:  "The ring is real, it has three stones mounted in a white gold band. The stones are all shaped in three unique shapes, describe to me what the shapes are and what the stones are and i will return the ring to you. I know what it likes to loose jewelry and this ring looks like it has some meaning behind it." If you're missing a ring contact him.

Davis Square Backyard Movies

Willoughby and Baltic Gallery in Davis Square will kick off a season of Thursday night backyard movies in the Boloco Burritos parking lot on June 7th.  The first night will be a selection of movies by the Brothers Quay (left) the highly original animation filmmakers.  A great mix of homespun and artistic.  Bring your lawnchairs!