12 Mar 2014

Introducing The Los Angeles Seminary for Embodied and Civic Arts and open call for summer session applications

Introducing a radical seminary for communal retreat, embodied arts activity, and project development to inseminate Los Angeles with new forms of civic culture.

Almost 15 years ago my geodesic dome-topped place in the Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles became the home of Sundown Salon gatherings catalyzing a nascent community of artists on the east side of the city and beyond. In 2006 it transformed into the eclectic programs of Sundown Schoolhouse which eventually left it's home to become an itinerant evolving educational environment hosted by museums and art institutions. In 2014 the initiation of The Los Angeles Seminary for Embodied and Civic Arts and the open call for applications for the first session is announced.

This summer around 10 to 14 of us gather for 12 hours a day, one day a week, for 12 weeks at my home/campus - featuring a resource library, subterranean lounge, workshop garage, wild food gardens, a communal kitchen, picnic tables, lots of little nooks and two geodesic domes - turning inward for an exploration of the embodied arts, turning to each other as a community of fellow artists interested in responding to the world around us, turning outward to pay attention to the city we live in, and ultimately 'inseminating' Los Angeles with our civic arts.

A 'seminary' is a piece of ground where seeds are sown for later transplantation. It is an environment in which something is propagated, from which something originates. The Los Angeles Seminary for Embodied and Civic Arts takes back this secular and potentially radical meaning. We also take back the word 'radical' - going back to the roots. We take back the word 'sensual' - treating all of the senses as a source of pleasure but also intelligence. We take back the word 'embodied' - to give a body to a spirit. We take back the word 'civic' - the activities of people in relation to their local area.

We spend the first few hours of each day in non-verbal moving and stretching; taking turns cooking breakfasts and lunches for each other from the garden and farmer's market; inviting a few luminary experts, artists, and heroes each week to host, feed, and engage over long outdoor lunches of focused dialog; the shared meal, often considered a recreational 'break,' is in fact the focus of our day; followed by leisurely afternoons together and apart; giving the group the time it needs for everything from solitary retreat, reflection, play and work to communal activities, discussions, presentations, and performances; my dream moments would find us spread around, alone and in small groups, engrossed in our activities, and ringing a bell to come together as needed.

Arguing, baking, bathing, building, canning, carving, cleaning, collecting, composting, constructing, conversing, cooking, crafting, crocheting, cultivating, dancing, debating, digging, discussing, drawing, dyeing, eating, exercising, gardening, harvesting, hiking, installing, knitting, listening, marching, moving, napping, occupying, painting, parading, performing, playing, planning, planting, pontificating, protesting, reading, retreating, running, sculpting, sewing, singing, sitting, sketching, skill-sharing, sowing, speechifying, stretching, sunning, talking, walking, washing, weaving, weeding, whittling, writing...

Perhaps we start the summer - and in turn each day - focused inward, then out to the group, then beyond to the city, and inevitably considering the global implications. Gradually we discover what we want to feel, touch, hear, taste, smell, see, make. Eventually we develop projects, events, initiatives, installations, performances, propositions, schemes for the city. We take them to our local artist-run partners Human Resources, KCHUNG Radio, Los Angeles Museum of Art, Machine Project, Public Fiction, Thank You For Coming, or directly to the streets, sidewalks, buildings, trees, lots, fields, hills, river, shores, skies of LA.
- Fritz Haeg

Schedule:
+ The session runs for twelve weeks from June 1 to August 24, 2014.
+ We gather from 7:30am to 7:30pm on a day of the week to be determined by the group.
+ The home/campus is open for free use by the group a second day of the week.
+ Occasional gatherings, book clubs, yoga classes are scheduled for the rest of the week.

Fees:
+ Payment is in time or money, in any combination.
+ The session is valued at $2750, including meals.
+ The time equivalent is 150 hours of support.
+ Helpful roles include administrator, archivist, book editor, builder, documentarian, gardener...
+ Some of these costs might be underwritten by local donors.
+ The group is responsible for project materials, tools and equipment.

People:
+ The program is organized and administered independently by Fritz Haeg with later help from the group.
+ We have lunch visits by 30 to 40 artists, experts, heroes and local partners, some selected by the group.

Apply:
Applications for the summer 2014 session should include:
+ complete contact information
+ curriculum vitae
+ links to online work
+ email and phone contacts for a few references
+ brief statement about why you are interested
Approximately 9 to 13 spots will be filled after personal interviews on a rolling basis.
Email info-at-sundownschoolhouse-dot-org with applications or questions.

Refer to the website for the latest details: fritzhaeg.com/schoolhouse/seasons/2014-summer.html

* The Schoolhouse is really a house and does not have regular public hours or a published address.