Dear Beautiful People;
I need business owners, crafters, artists, pickers, foodies, laborers, writers, healers and performers to host vendor booths! Don’t miss out on the fun and please spread the word!!
To encourage art to take an active roll in leading the shift of cultural value, and to create a critical space that is neither one place, nor another yet both places, The Heather Hart Experience presents Barter Town, a series of exchanges where participants bring their ideas, services, songs, stories, skills, unwanted goods, handmade art, appliances, anything they think may hold value and haggle for something that they want. The only rule is that no currency may be exchanged, i.e. everything is for barter.
Here are some photos from prior Barter Towns… Barter Town (Trading Post V: Juneteenth) in 2010, http://goo.gl/8HSiz and from Barter Town (Trading Post VII: Between the Bridges) in 2011, http://goo.gl/w5ScH and from last year’s Barter Town (Trading Post XI: The Magic Feathers) in 2013, http://goo.gl/iQww7A
Whether you want to provide a booth for face painting, trade dance lessons, make a film, host a sporting competition, a raffle, makeup, hair, swap some art, costume making, massage therapy, palm reading, language lessons, clothing, a nail salon, vouchers for services, promises, people’s court, or anything else, I welcome your ideas and proposals.
On Friday, November 21st The Heather Hart Experience will present Barter Town (Trading Post XVII: The Om Aha Blackbird), hosted at The Blue Lion in North Omaha by the Union for Contemporary Art with support from Bemis Center for Contemporary Art! We will be open for bartering 5pm to 8pm. Details to follow.
I am interested in not only creating site-specific liminal space for personal reclamation but also in questioning dominant narratives and creating alternatives to them. As inspiration, the story of Chief Blackbird emerged. Reportedly the first Omaha to question white encroachment on the lands that we live on now, he pioneered trading as a way to skillfully maintain space and peace for his people. This economy of the future is a reclamation of the space of commerce, communication and community. As usual, feel free to think about costuming and post-apocalyptic themes for your booth based on this theme.
Tables and chairs will be provided for your booth if you wish, but I encourage creativity and variety if you want to bring your own structure.
Barter Town will have the appearance of a street fair or block party, but remember, all “booths” would run on bartering only- no currency allowed (no I-owe-yous for money, although drawing an I-owe-you for service is encouraged). I hope you will consider creating a booth. Below is the proposal info that I need to have you complete and return to me by November 10th, 2014 so I can map a layout, create press with your name and request a modest honorarium for you.
Please feel free to contact me with questions and please forward this open call.
Best,
Heather Hart
http://www.heather-hart.
PROPOSAL FOR BARTER TOWN (Trading Post XVII: The Om Aha Blackbird)
Name :
Email :
Phone :
Affiliated organization:
Organization/Artist website:
“Booth” name:
Short Description:
Equipment needed:
(we can provide tables and chairs, but anything more will need to be negotiated or arranged between you and Heather. We will have some access to electricity but will also need to negotiate amplified sound- please ask me first. Please include info about equipment/setup/space requirements that you will need. We will provide as much as I can, but you may need to bring some stuff of your own).
