Dodekapus throws "Art Party" at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta with the help of Sam Flax

On Thursday December 9, 2010, Dodekapus Art Collective took the trend of “art party” to a different level when they visited Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Egleston Children’s Health Care System and Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center merged in 1998 forming Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta). With donations from Sam Flax, the members of Dodekapus were able to bring paints, canvases, and paper to the children so they could paint a dream-inspired piece for Dodekapus’ “I Can Dream All Day” show, set for February 5, 2011, and create pieces for themselves to take with them.

The room was covered with streamers of all colors, table decorations, coloring books, toy microphones, silly sunglasses, beaded necklaces, stickers, and arts and crafts. With over 20 kids present, their imaginations were able to run wild and laughter and excitement filled the room as the children learned that their pieces would be displayed and auctioned off at the Dodekapus show with all proceeds from the pieces going straight back to their hospital.

As the day came to a close, Dodekapus rewarded each child with an honorary membership to their collective in the form of a certificate, and left with the promise of returning to host more art parties for the children in the future.

“Connecting with these children that are fighting such a big battle at such a young age is extremely inspiring. I’m blessed to have met them and to have shared good times with some whose good times may be more limited.”- Adrian Barzaga of Dodekapus.

Some of the children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta are facing life-threatening diseases. With the funds raised by Dodekapus and other organizations, the city of Atlanta can take part in aiding medical research and growing resources for treating these brave children. And with charitable donations made by companies such as Sam Flax, these children are able to enjoy a break from their days stuck in their hospital rooms so they can be kids again, even if it is just for an hour.

To view the children’s work, to bid for a piece of the work, or to donate to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, please come the Dodekapus event on February 5, 2011, at the Relapse Warehouse at 1200 Permalume Place, Atlanta, GA, 30318. For more information, please go to the Dodekapus website at www.dodekapus.org.



Special thanks to Tamyra for her inspiring words, and celebrating art with the members of Dodekapus!

Dodeka Press

Dodeka Press has emerged out of the need for an outlet; among the media minded Dodekapus members. We want to create a presentational view of what our community is doing while highlighting our members' work.

The blog will no longer state meeting time & place; however, we always meet on Thursdays @ 8PM and Sundays @ 2PM. For more information, follow our Facebook feed: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=293779968312&ref=ts

If anyone is interested in contributing to this new Dodekapus blog/zine/creative space... please submit any files (images, writing, recipes, reviews, rants, digital animation, video, and future events pertaining to the 12 mediums that Dodekapus represents to our email.) Please also submit artist bios no more than 100 words, including examples of work and anything else you wish to be accompanied with said bio.

For further reference here is a list of all active Dodekapus members involved with the Dodeka Press:
Brice Elizabeth Watson
Trevor Jones
Kyle Nielsen
Patty Lacrete
Ian Thompson
Matt Jones



Please send all submissions to dodekapress@gmail.com

BELTLINE Public art initiative.

We're having some trouble figuring out this 20ft sculpture, but we press on! We'll have people out there working all day so please take a peek under the Freedom pkwy bridge where PATH crosses the Beltline and you can have a hand in creating this huge sculpture. There should be people working on it daily, but come out at your earliest convenience. I know there are so many amazing people with super strong work ethic that helped on Collective Conscious and we'd love to see your faces again. We've got until June3rd really to finish for the June 6th presentation of the temporary art projects on the Beltline.

This weekend is Freedom Fest. Jesse Merriman, Jessica Holdbrooks, Patricia Lecrete, Ana Maria Paramo, Haley Murphy, Jeremiah Bailey, Brice Watson ( who wants to do psychic readings), Ian Thompson , and Sergio Garzon will be doing live art for the event.

Freedom Fest is a art, music, and life festival taking place at the beautiful Lake Claire Land Trust Located in Candler Park.


TICKETS ARE ONLY $10 ADV!!!
Available now at www.hearthatlanta.com

Purchase at Candler Park Market, Feed Your Head Music, or directly from any of the bands listed.

The Line Up featuring some of the best bands from Atlanta!

Wade in the Rhythm (Reggae Jam)
Selmanaires (Psychedelic/Tropical)
Charlie Wooten Project (Funk/Jazz)
Hello Ocho (Dance-Psychedelia)
The Nice Guise (hip hop)
Invisible Circus (Jazz/ Funk)
3052 Dub Collective (Dub Reggae)
Eclectic Roots Ensemble (Reggae)
Jason Albright Band (Jam Band)
Abby Go Go (Psychedelic Rock)
The Ruination (Dub Reggae)
Street Violence (Tropical Punk)
Tone Color (Experimental)
Reigning Mother (Rock)
Eric Scott Guthrie (Singer/Songwriter)
Ladislaus (World Fusion)
South Of West (Blues Rock)
Free Ticket (Psychedelic Rock)
Wowser Bowser (Psychedelic Dance Party)
Giant Lion (Dancey Folk)
I-tegrity (Reggae)
Isness (Hip Hop/Electronic)

With live art and an art gallery brought to you by Living Walls Art community and Dodekapus Art Collective

Not a fest to miss!

The Hearth/Landtrust is a GREEN facility. Please please please walk, bike, carpool, or ride marta. Candler Park marta station is only 3 blocks from the Landtrust so help reduce neighborhood impact. Thanks!

Freedom Fest After Life Event @ Eyedrum!!!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108731599170428&ref=ts
(tickets also available at hearthatlanta.com)

We are doing an event at Sampson St. Lofts' airplane hanger for Living Walls on June 11th. Their Movie Night highlighted many of the artists that will be attending the Living Walls Conference and it was completely inspirational. We've decided to help them with a fundraiser and all of the details haven't been worked out, but Monica has mentioned a carnival theme. We love that stuff. Here's some more info.
Dear artists, speakers and friends,

Blacki and I have finally launched our kickstarter video. As you would
know we have set a list of fundraisers to happen throughout the summer
and one of our biggest ones is the kickstarter video.
For the ones not aware of how this works...We first had to get invited
into the site, then you write about your project, make a video and
have a rewards program for the people that decide to back up the
project. We are asking for $4000...If we don't get raise that amount,
then we get nothing. We believe this is something we should be able to
achieve but we need your support, the more this video gets out there
and promoted then $4000 should not be so hard to reach.(proceeds from the 11th will help with this.)

Blacki and team worked really hard with very little sleep to piece
this together for a whole week ,and our participating artists and
friends were very supportive of this idea and let us use some footage
of their videos.From the bottom of our hearts we thank them very
much..

please help us make this happen

this is the link to the video:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blacki/living-walls-the-city-speaks?pos=1

thank you

much love

Monica

--
Blacki Li Rudi Migliozzi
& Monica Campana
Conference Organizers
livingwallsconference.com


Dashboard & Living Walls at MINT: Call For Art !! - Dashboard Show for Living Walls Conference at Mint Gallery June 26th

Dear Creative Types, Art Advocates and Hot Dog Lovers.

The Living Walls Conference is in August as you all know. It has developed from a brain child into a full grown movement. Living Walls has caught the attention of people, publications and collectives across all oceans. Juxtapoz Magazine jumped on board before there was anything in existence but a paragraph about an idea - that might possibly change the face of street art in Atlanta – and planet Earth. Not too far after the French Consulate became involved, offering one of their finest street artists to the grassroots colloquium, however tis still a secret who.

As we all know hot dogs cost money. And if hot dogs cost money – then conferences that change the face of the earth surely do. Living Walls needs your support, emotionally and financially. Multiple fundraisers are being held within the next few months. Donate your work for support of Living Walls, The City Speaks. An art auction will be held on June 26th at Mint Gallery. This will be good for you in a number of ways. Just by having your art at this auction you add that little line on your resume - that never hurts. The show aligns with a closing of the beltline – temporary art show, which Mint Gallery just so happens to be very close to. Much foot traffic is to be expected. Many of the artists who have already donated are well known and the caliber of the work at the show will be light-years beyond most donated art fundraisers. This will be an art show and a fundraiser! Not just the latter. Take Advantage of this.

The Conference will be held at Eyedrum the weekend of August 13th. WE HAVE TWO MONTHS! MAKE IT COUNT! Help your city grow with creative pulses - and for pete’s sake, support your local cooperatives and organizations! In time, these are the movements who will help you as artists become more well known, happier, and less hungry. But you have to help them now.

Thank You and with all our love
Dashboard Co-Op

Send your work to

Courtney Hammond
Courtney@DashboardCo-Op.org

We're meeting with Masa from Asahi this week to plan our second big Dodek-event on July 17th at The Goat Farm. We can dream all day... deadline for submissions *July4th.*

There is a magic art initiative in this city in which all working artists from every medium are invited to share their work with this beautiful city. Let's make enough noise to change this place into an arts-centric hub of the SOUTH!

Dodekout. James Trevor Jones
jtrevorjones@gmail.com
dodekapus@gmail.com
HOLLA!

PUPPETPARTY! WICKERPUS!

Lucky and Lam are putting on a puppet show today at GSU's sculpture studio with shows at 1:30pm & 2:30pm. Come check out JD's puppets and the performamce.

This evening we'll be having our own puppet workshop at JonesAbode 485 oakdale rd apt. c43 atlanta, ga 30307 @ 8pm
Please bring yo own sock, felt, yarn, thread, googlie eyes, panty hose, whatever you want to add to your new puppet. All of the puppets made will be brought to the Star Bar on Sat. May 8th 9pm, after our full day of WickerPus, for Malissa Sole's Birthday party photo booth downstairs. These guys will also be used for The Judies new video.

This Saturday, the 8th at 10AM!, will begin the construction of WICKERPUS! Our 20ft wicker sculpture will be on the Beltline directly behind Foundation skate park i
View Larger Map vehicle access behind Sampson st. lofts.

WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET! Bring water, a snack, gloves, a shovel, boots, and a strong will to work on this astounding addition to the Beltline Public Art Project. Love ya'll Dodekababies! See you tonight.

Tjones

Happy Friday!

I know this is a little late, but Critical Mass always gives me a breath of fresh awesome! We've got so many projects and people to play with right now, it's nuts! Pee. Nuts. WICKERpus for the Beltline(http://www.beltline.org/BeltLineBasics/PublicArt/ArtontheBeltLine/tabid/3962/Default.aspx) will be planned and begun erected on MAY8th. Most of the work will be done during the next two weekends, but more weekday help is encouraged and needed. Contact Patty for details.

Cara Caravan was kicking it tonight at Blue Frog (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111966488824441&ref=ts) with some of her pieces and the rest of the work was astounding as well. Congrats and Margaritas.

Lam, Luckie, Miles, Trevor, and Warren are working on "I feel pretty" from West Side Story for 500 Songs for kids (http://www.myspace.com/500songsforkids)on Monday at 9:45 PM Smith's Olde Bar so come out and support. I hear that the last two nights have been fantastic.

May22nd The Land Trust & the Hearth are having a local festival designed to highlight this new wave of creative performers and creators around our city (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118310681515218&ref=ts ) and we have a live art spot and booth to share with them. There are roughly 9 spots for live art and please speak up if you'd like to contribute.

Living Walls (http://livingwallsconference.com/participate.html) is sponsoring a street art show on June 11th in which we will be assisting in presence and promotion.

DodekaPress is kicking out a solid interactive zine for us and doing it well. Kelly will get you in a whole new light.

LaserBeamKitty (http://sonenmusic.com/laserbeamkitty/) was a blast tonight at Highland Ballroom! Cousin Dan is awesome!

July 17th is the date set for our collaboration with Masa from ASAHI at the Goat Farm (http://www.myspace.com/thegoatfarm1) in West Midtown. We haven't decided the details for this show yet, but it's just a heads up.

Sorry for the lack of conversation this past week, but I know that everybody is pretty busy with finals and other mayhem. Stay strong and connected. Meeting on Sunday at 2pm J.L. unless otherwise noted tomorrow. Dodekout.

teej.

Artist March on the Capital

Allow me to correct the time and location of the march.

Monday, April 19th
1:00-3:00
Start at The Rialto, march to the Capitol.
80 Forsyth Street, NW

My apologies for any confusion. I need sleep.

Georgia Arts Funding

Greetings everyone,

You may have heard, the version of the 2011 state budget passed by Georgia's House of Representatives would eliminate the Georgia's Council for the Arts. If the agency is cut, Georgia would be the only state not to have an arts council, which means zero funding for the arts. The senate is expected to vote on the budget next week, before sending a final budget to Govenor Sonny Perdue for approval.

Because of precisely this kind of deficiency of support for the local arts culture, we founded Dodekapus. During our service project in Little 5 Points this Sunday, we will be preparing for our rally against the budget cut on Monday.

SO...

On Monday, April 20th, we, along with other artist organizations including Wonderroot and Sam Flax, will be leading a march from Woodruff Park to the capital at 3pm to protest the budget cut. We need to have as many artists out with us as possible to make sure that our government officials understand that this decision is intolerable and that Atlanta's local arts culture is worth fighting for. Any which way you can support is appreciated - even just spreading the word. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me, email me, or join us in Little 5 Points on Sunday.

The link below contains a simple way to voice your thoughts on the elimination of the Georgia Council for the Arts. Please share with all who may be interested.

http://capwiz.com/artsusa/ga/issues/alert/?alertid=14931951&queueid=

Regards,

Adrian Barzaga
Revolutionary for the Arts

Service Project!

Yo Dodekababies!

This Sunday in the Little 5 Points square... Dodekapus will host a project providing our community an oppourtunity to become involved with our collective. From 2pm-5pm, our culinary king, Brian Duffy, will be cooking up some more thai for the hungry. The only stipulation to get a bowl of that tasty deliciousness...is to create some art collaboratively with our resident Dodekababies. We will provide art supplies, canvas, musical instruments, hula hoops, etc.

We're looking to make some noise...so if you're loud...(or if you want to be) Come out and join us...serve the Atlanta people by allowing them to engage in art. Bring instruments if you'd like! We will meet at 1:30pm at Java Lords to set-up!

Come out people! Atlanta needs you!

and as always...
with love,
Melanka of Dodekapus
770-715-6216

ps. You don't have to be homeless to be hungry.

Dodekawhat???

Congratulations! Our Dodekapus' launch event definitely made some noise! Thanks so much to Scott Walker, Lionel Flax & Sam Flax, Chris Appleton from WonderRoot, Asahi, Freeside, Java Lords, 7 Stages, Raphael, Sopo, Atlanta Sound & Lighting, and the Lighting Loft for all of your donations and support for a new voice in collaborative art from Atlanta.

We have a huge appreciation for The Atlanta F.I.C.A. Capoiera group, Meut, Lam & Sundrop Synthesis, Noir ATL, ATLien Cara and her hoops, Sonen, India Brooks, The Falcon Lords, Imperial Opa, The Back Pockets, and DJ Santiago and all the Dodekapeople who performed.

So many people supported and promoted us wholeheartedly and we'd love to thank Jessica Blankenship and Creative Loafing, Burn Away, Dashboard Co-op, Laserbeam Kitty, The Beltline Public Art Project, Rob Thompson, and Dennis Baldwin.

We've opened the floodgates to a new outlet for collaboration. Thursday we will have a meeting at a TBA location to discuss our Sunday service project and our next interactive spectacle. DODEKOUT!

Winston and Kelly are putting together a zine for us so if you'd like an article in it let them know. Love you all and congrats on putting together the best party Atlanta has seen in forever!

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Good morning Dodekapeople! We've had some quality time at RAW space the past couple of days. The stage is set, installations hung/built, trees and tree house set, and EVERYBODY's talking about our initiative.

Go to creativeloafing.com and check out our front page spot! Jessica Blankenship did a lovely piece on our collective and will be constantly updating loafers about the many new art collectives and non-profits popping up.

So today is the first official artist check-in from 10am-4pm and feel free to stick around after to help us build up the space and meet the other artists involved. From 8-10 we're going to run through the performances and block out our movement.

The sun is shining and I know it's got me in great spirits so won't you join me in some making some art!

love ya'll.

TJONES.

Holla at yo dolla!

Hey e'rybody! Hope everybody is super pumped about our show in less than 2 weeks! We got a stage donated to us, the pa works that we received (anybody got a mixer?), Sevananda donated a $75 gift certificate for food, we picked up supplies from Sam Flax, danced it up with LASERBEAM KITTY!, I did the Bike porn race and met lots of fun people, and checked out Colin Baylor( who's performing with Lam) at WonderRoot the other day(he's awesome!).

So hope ya'll are really talking this event up to the masses! Good luck on your work and soak in some of this beautiful sunshine! LOVE!

TrevorJones aka HollywoodKoal aka Jimmy Jazz aka framebender. RIDE A BIKE!

FISCAL SPONSORSHIP!

YO DODODEKAPUS! We had a wonderful time at the park yesterday and created a ton of buzz. A big thanks to Cara and Andrew for leading workshops. I encourage everyone to put together workshops for future meetings. We made many many beautiful sounds, hula hoops, and pieces of theatre.

Today, I (Trevor Jones a.k.a. Hollywood Koal a.k.a. Jimmy Jazz) signed our fiscal sponsorship agreement with Chris Appleton at WonderRoot. He is really excited about our initiative and you all should stop by to join WonderRoot, they have a great facility for creativity of all kinds. While there, Chris gave me a packet detailing an interesting opportunity to have a larger contribution to the Beltline public art initiative so start thinking of big proposals.

We've got to start contacting individuals and organizations for funding. I'd love for everybody to make the effort to establish a solid funding base. You know somebody that wants to help us out. We'll put together a solid letter template for you all to send out later today.

Keep working on that art Dodekababies. See you on Thursday at 8:30PM via Stuck's place behind Manuel's Tavern on North Ave.

Love

Thursday Feb. 25 2010

We had a very concise and informative meeting at Java Lords. We still have some new faces at the meetings and that is fantastic, keep 'em coming.

We've got a little over a month to put together everything and really need to organize what is going on and who needs help with it.

Please E-mail dodekapus@gmail.com with your areas of interest including:

Promotions.
Food & Beverage.
Doodle Cat.
Electric.
Installation Crew.
Clean up & Breakdown.

Anyone interested in contacting sponsors or donors, please inform us so we can give you the materials needed to initiate a relationship. Thanks so much for everybody's enthusiasm and support for this electric response for the need of collaborative art projects in the dirty dirty ATL!

Yet Another Juicy Dodekapus Update

Above are some clips of our most recent meeting held at Freeside Atlanta on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We are currently developing our relationship with WonderRoot and love what they have done to act as a catalyst for new Atlanta art. If anyone is interested, they have a great facility for most every medium. www.wonderroot.org

We're putting together a materials list for the main projects associated with the event and encourage any and every person/atlien involved to submit requests for materials before wednesday the 24th of February so we can decipher a budget. Thanks so much for everyone's wonderful ideas and goals for the event, we're making beautiful strides toward a monumental precedent for DODEKAPUS!

Also, Dodekapus is representing in some BELTLINE AWARNESS LOVE.



See you on Thursday at Javalords @ 8PM!

* This Sunday we're hosting a dance/movement/hoola hooping workshop in Inman Park.Come meet up at Javalords @ 2pm and be prepared to have a blast!!*

Dōdekapus Valentine's Day Updates

This Thursday's Meeting is cancelled (2/18/10)

ART PARTY
Saturday February 20th @ 9pm
Dōdekapus will be hosting its first art party/ meet and greet
for artists to do final sketches and alterations on their costumes.
Bring cloth, crazy clothing pieces you want to alter, and the makings for an amazing persona for the show!

Come to Walker Park @ 9pm:
200 Memorial Terrace SE, Atlanta, GA‎
P.S.- it's BYOB

FreeSide Workshops
From now on, Sunday Meetings will be held at Freeside Atlanta @ 2pm:

675 Metropolitan Parkway
Suite 6066
Atlanta, GA 30310

We will be meeting to discuss the April 9th event, and at 4pm
our resident hacker Andrew will be holding art/ technology
workshops to assist artists in completing their installation
pieces and visual works.

Proposals Due by March 15th
Please submit a JPEG image no larger than 72 DPI with title of work, artist name, medium, and dimensions to dodekapus@gmail.com.

02-07-2010

STREET TEAM NEEDED
Flyer distrubution and Dodekapus presence on all art campuses is a must. Please contact us at dodekapus@gmail.com if you are interested in helping us spread the word.

ART PARTY
The location is yet to be announced, but on Saturday February 20th we will be hosting an art party meet and greet for all of the Dodekapus artists to begin working on music, installations, ideas, and costumes for the show.

CALLING ALL DANCERS
Lucky proposed a fantastic performance/ installation piece based on Sun Ra's experimental jazz band the Arkestra. Check out these links to get a vibe of the performance/experience we will be introducing to our audience...





MUSICIANS
For any musicians interested in performing please contact the Dodekapus MC Trevor Jones at jtrevorjones@gmail.com

POETS/ WRITERS/DANCERS
Our resident writer Miles Keenlyside proposed an idea to present spoken word and short stories in the form of dance or performance art collaborations. If you interested please contact him at m.f.keenlyside@gmail.com

VIDEO INSTALLATION
If you are tech savvy we proposed placing cameras throughout the space and filming a timelapse video of the creation of our first show to potentially broadcast on live streaming video for an internet audience. Please contact us at dodekapus@gmail.com for more information.

The next meeting will be held at Java Lords at 8:15pm until 11:15pm.

02-04-2010

At tonight's meeting we discussed...

-Ways in which to install the artwork for the exhibit, since the gracious host of our space prefers that we not put nails into the brick. So far the most popular idea is to hang lengths of chain closely together from pipes on the ceiling to create a sort of wall on which to hang the work.

-From now on business meetings will be held at Java Lords at 6pm. This is for anyone who would like to be involved with financial duties.

-It is very important that all ideas for collaborations get underway. February 21st is the proposed deadline for ideas, and the deadline for submitted artwork will be in March.

-An installation team will be created to set the scene for our space. If you would like to be a part of this, please come to Sunday's meeting to begin talking with the rest of the team.

-An idea for a Doodle Cat bike race! The race will include four checkpoints, each hosting a different medium of art, in which participants are invited to add their own touch to the featured work, as well as create their own to take with them and enhance throughout the race. So when the race ends at the studio space at 431 Fair St the day of the exhibit, we will have four new collaborated works, as well as the participants' own pieces.

-Furthermore, if anyone knows of a non-profit that can be our fiscal sponsor please send them our way.


If you were unable to attend tonight's meeting, there will be another on Sunday at the Black Box at 7 Stages from 2-4pm.



Photo from tonight's meeting taken by Jessica Colvin.

Call to Artists

Poster designed by Chris Holloway.

Dōdekapus would like to invite all interested Atlanta artists to be part of Collective Conscious, a collaborative art exhibit which will be taking place on April 9th, 2010.

For more information, please come to our next meeting which will be held this Thursday, February 4th at 8:30pm at Java Lords.
If you are unable to make it to this meeting, there will be another from 2-4pm on Sunday, February 7th at the black box at 7 Stages Theatre in Little Five Points.

Artists of all mediums are invited to attend!

01-31-2010: And so it begins...

At today's meeting, the collective decided on a name for itself: Dōdekapus.
A dōdekapus is a creature made of twelve tentacles, each holding a tool that represents twelve different mediums of art, that when combined create a new organic creative creature.

We also decided that the name of our first show will be
Collective Conscious, and will be held on April 9th at the studio space at 431 Fair St, Atlanta, GA 30313.


What we're about...
Our vision is to establish a prominent and accessible local arts culture that sustains artists and fosters a strong connection with the community. Dōdekapus plans to build new bridges to the community to allow local artists to become more involved with their neighborhoods. Dōdekapus believes local involvement in the arts is an important aspect of developing a healthy local arts culture that is both stimulating and beneficial to the community. Collaboration between artists of different disciplines creates something which is greater than the sum of its parts. Through this creative process, Dōdekapus can produce and develop multi-media projects which both help artists develop individually as well as produce work that can be enjoyed locally.

























Pictures from today's meeting at 431 Fair St, where Collective Conscious will take place, taken by Patricia Lacrete.