but who knows, maybe ur Labor Day is all about making some time to get ahead on ur personal projects! for all my US-based readers, I hope you are chilling and enjoying some time away from the grind to round out your summer. and if you’re not, you can at least escape for a moment with this lovely little clip:
resource roundup!
this twitter thread is has some interesting thoughts on teaching using P5.js along with example “real-world” projects. worth a look!
Bloomberg just put out this interactive exploration of the Periodic Table. if, like me, you haven’t really thought about chemistry and the elements since 11th grade, this is a really accessible and interesting array of articles. bookmark it and take some time to poke thru it!
here’s a nice lil tutorial from Adafruit on preparing images for e-ink displays with ImageMagick and Photoshop. if ur planning on hacking a Kindle, this might be a useful step for you!
Adafruit also has a Python on Microcontrollers newsletter that is worth checking out! you can sign up here for the Python newsletter or any of their other cool lists. I am obvi all about getting off of social media and spending more time on curated mailing lists and blogs.
here’s a big list of free tools for starting out in data visualization. it tends a bit towards stuff aimed at pretty straightforward purposes, so you might not have the flexibility or room for creativity you might have with other tools, but it’s a starting point for looking for trends or prototyping an idea.
are u old enough to miss Kid Pix? Electric Zine Maker by Nathalie Lawhead is in early beta but already looks like a fun lil thing with that same kind of wild energy. it’s freeware but as always consider donating to support all the work that goes into making joyful, silly things like this. you can learn more and download it here.
opportunities!
once again the stack of opportunities is getting pretty long for the fall! I’m condensing a few opportunities this week to make room for new ones!
Rhizome has a rolling open call for their 2019-2020 microgrants! their microgrants are kind of an ideal layup to put a little extra oomph into that project you’ve had on the back burner (I know from personal experience). for the first open call for their new research-driven program, the topic is Info-Wars, on political radicalization and the internet. you can learn more & apply here!
Pioneer Works will hold their first-ever open call from September 2-30 (sometime later today?????) for residencies for 2020-2021 for artists working in Visual Arts, Music, Technology, and/or Narrative Arts. the application portal opens next Monday, but you can learn more in the meantime here.
School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe is at it again with a 4-week course on designing spatial experiences for waiting and escape rooms:
To be alive is to be waiting for something. But what are we waiting for and why are we waiting for it? With the onslaught of new technologies, we find ourselves waiting even more, often for experiences (AR, VR, etc.), the likes of which are often less than ten minute encounters…. How can we begin to create meaningful designed experiences for waiting rooms that enhance the experience we are waiting for?
this looks fascinating and relevant for anyone working on interactive installations, VR, etc. you can learn more and apply here.
Artengine is hosting a Digital Economies Lab, as a year-long exploration of “the wonders and anguish of making art and culture in the 21st century.” how can artists make a place for themselves in the digital context of Canada or the world itself? if this sounds like a question that is up your alley & you can commit to being present in Ottawa for at least 3 workshop/development sessions (the program is open to both Canadian and US-based artists), you can learn more and apply here.
POWRPLNT has an open call for volunteer teaching artists. check it out and consider applying here!
as a part of Inter/setions 2019, Queen Mary University of London is hosting an Unuseless Music Design Hackathon from November 8-9, with applications due by September 8 – apply here!
House of Electronic Arts Basel and the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology of the Zurich University of the Arts have an open call for artists for a residency and production program. submissions are due by September 22, and you can learn more here.
the Sundance Institute has an open call for their 2020 New Frontier Story Lab. the deadline is Oct 1, so get going! more info here.
? upcoming events!
Weds, Sept 4! Platzi México! CDMX, México: Eventloop is back this Wednesday with presentations by Guillermo Siliceo, David Omar, and Paul Carleton. the David Omar talk in particular will touch on generative art (using P5.js!! see above!!!!). I hope to make it out to this one and hope to c u there! you can RSVP here.
Thurs, Sept 12! Datadog offices! Boston, MA USA: Out in Tech Boston is hosting a night on AI & Machine Learning:
What are the implications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for the LGBTQ+ communities? How do we make sure queer voices are heard in an increasingly data-driven world? How can we learn from existing research in computer and data science? How do we Queer the Future?
you can RSVP for this free event here on Eventbrite.
Sept 13-15! SSHH! New York, NY USA: Trumpcare IUD is an art installation where 500 IUD birth control devices shaped like Trump himself will be on view at SSHH, with a launch Friday night from 6-9pm, and gallery hours from 2-7pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Sept 9-13! School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe! Berlin, Germany: here’s a week-long workshop from School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe designed to get you working in VR with no prior experience necessary. all of the software that will be used is free, so you just need to bring a laptop. learn more and get tix (including a discounted rate for students) here.
Weds, Sept 11! Covent Garden! London, UK: LDC and INTERLACED are teaming up for a panel discussion on the crossovers between fashion and gaming for London Fashion Week. early bird tix are already sold out! but you can get regular admission on Eventbrite.
Sept 16-21! Berlin, Germany:Citizens of Evidence: Independent Investigations for Change is a conference of the Disruption Network Lab this September in Berlin. the conference itself is the 20-21, in conjunction with a workshop presented by School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe on using technology to investigate injustice. this looks really good, and I’m secretly trying to come up with excuses to attend. you can learn more here.
Sat, Sept 21! Triangle Arts Association! Brooklyn, NY USA: the Tech Learning Collective will be debuting a new workshop to teach you how to run your own server! it’s a 1-day intensive course particularly geared towards DIY spaces that might want to provide alternative infrastructures to their communities. tix are $150, with a discounted rate of $99 for queer and femme folks. you can learn more here.
just for lulz!
RATMAKER! make a rat! live ur best rat life!
*~housekeeping~*
if you have anything in the works that you are excited about (an event, a workshop, a new project), please send me all the details. the next newsletter will cover the week of September 9 to 15, but I’m happy to promote events further in the future as well and keep them on the calendar.
also, I am basically discontinuing the Facebook group! I just don’t have time/energy/any kind of desire to be on Facebook for the amount of time it takes to keep it active. so if you want to stay up to date, please subscribe & share the newsletter with friends & colleagues.
