smt handbook

8/6/2019 SMT Handbook

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TheSchoolofMakingThinking

Handbook

anexperimentalsummerschoolintheCatskillstoexplorehowthinkingandartmakingcancross

pollinate


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TableofContents

SMT?

WhatisSMT? 4

WhatisthepointofSMT? 5

WhatisaprojectatSMT? 6

Why

collaboration? 7

HowwillcollaborationworkatSMT? 8

PracticalStuff 11

SessionDates 12

Facility 13

Transportation 14

Food 15

Laundry 16

Showering 17

Weekends 18

SuggestedWhattoBring 19


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SMT?


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WhatisSMT?

SMTisTheSchoolofMakingThinking anexperimentalsummerschoolintheCatskillstoexplorehow

thinkingandartmakingcancrosspollinate. EveryoneatSMTisbothteacherandstudent. Everyoneat

SMTisbothartistandthinker. Eachpersonisexploringthisconnectionbetweenartmakingandthinking

collectivelyandthroughanindividualprojectinamedium(orahandfulofmediums)oftheirchoice.


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WhatisthepointofSMT?

ThepointofSMTistocomeawaywithabroader/richerunderstandingofthinkingandart

making. Thisinvolvesthinkingabout:whatdefinesaparticularmedium,whatisartmaking,

whatisthinking,howdoesthinkingwork,howcanitfittogetherwithartmaking,etc

The

point

of

SMT

is

to

come

away

with

a

broader/richer

understanding

of

various

problems

and

solutionsspecifictoeachproject. Thisinvolvesquestionsspecifictoeachprojectforexample:

whatiscommunication,whatisdreaming,howcandreamingbewritten,howcanwefoster

intellectualcommunicationinvariousphilosophicalstyles,etc.

ThepointofSMTistoletsteepallthisinformation/experience andeventuallyrealize

methods/uses/understandings ofthinkingthatfitonespersonalartpractice.

ThepointofSMTistoseehowcommunityandcollaborationcanhelpachievethesegoals.


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Whycollaboration?

Collaborationservesto:

helpanindividualrealizetheirspecificproject(examples:characterstudies,trialsofphilosophical

communication,dreamexercises,actinginamovie,etc)

helpanindividualexplorethequestions/problemsspecifictotheirproject(examples:whataredreams?

whatiscommunication?)

helpthecollectiveunderstandconnectionsbetweenspecificprojects/questions/problems

helpthecollectiveunderstandbigideas(Whatismaking?Whatisthinking?)andhowthisconnectsto

theirproject

helpbuildcommunity(provideecstaticrelease,emotionalbonding,etc)


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HowwillcollaborationworkatSMT?

Thefollowingaresomegeneralideaswecameupwithforcollaboration. Allareopentorevision(some

morethanothers). Manyothercollaborativestructurewillbecreatedaswego. Wewouldalsoloveto

hearfromyouotherideasyoumayhave.

Time Helps

realize

individuals

project

Helps

explore

questions

embedded

within

individuals

project

Helps

connect

project

questions

toeach

other

Helps

connect

projects

tobigger

ideas

General

Communit

ImaginingOthersProjectsin

Writing

Once x x

SMTPhilosophyClass 2times x x x

IdeaMappingtheProjects 3times x x

OptionalDayStructure Constant x

4HoursofCollaboration/week Constant x

CollectiveJournal/Blog Constant x x x

ReadingsPacket x

OpenStudio(optionally

interactive)

Variable x x

TeachWhateverYouWant Variable x

FluxusPerformances Variable x


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ImagineOtherPeoplesProjectsinWriting(100minutes)

Theideaofthiscollaborationistoexplorealternativewaysofenvisioningeveryonesproject. Each

persongivesa5minuteshortdescriptionoftheirproject,theirideas,theirquestions. Aftereachperson

talkswespend5minuteswritingdownon1pagehowwecarryovertheirprojectifweweretakecontrol

ofit(usingourartmethod,ourstyle,ourtechniques). Eachpersonreceivestheimaginingsspecificto

theirprojectattheendoftheactivity.

SMTPhilosophyClass(23hour)

Iwillrunaclassaboutonceaweek.Thisclasswillbea23houractivitythatfocusesonthebig

ideas/concepts ofmakingandthinking. Theremaybetalking;theremaybewalking;theremaybe

experientialstuff.

IdeaMappingtheProjects(3060minutes)

M

newsprintpaper. Alltheconceptsareplacedinabigroomonthefloorwidelyspacedout. Taped

aroundeachconceptare9sheetsofcomputerpaperwhichhavewrittenonthemtheotherconce

akealistofkeywords/concepts thatpertaintoeachproject. Eachconceptiswrittenonbigpieceof

pts.

Step1 Allofuswalkaroundtheroomfor10minuteswritingdownoneachbigpieceofpaper

Step2 Allofuswalkaroundtheroomfor10minutesandwriteinwordsonthesmallerpapersthat

tep

3

Collect

the

smaller

cards

and

give

each

person

a

stack

of

paper

with

their

concept

(this

is

used

as

ptionalDayStructure

definitionsorthoughtsabouttheconcepts.

connecteachconcepttotheotherconcepts.

Sastudytohelpindividualsthinkabouttheirprojectandhowitrelatestootherpeoples). Iftimeallows

wecandiscussourfindingswiththegroup.

O

rovideanoptionalscheduleforagivendaythatpeoplecanfollowiftheychoseto.

HoursofCollaboration/week

P

4

veryoneisstronglyrecommendedtocollaborateforatleast4hoursaweek. ThisiscollaborationonEyourowntermsandismeanttobeusedinwhateverwayyouthinkmostbeneficialtoyourproject.

Groupsforthesecollaborationswilldeveloporganicallyandmaybequitesmall.


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ollectiveBlog/JournalC

ewilltrytodevelopspaceonourSMTwebsiteforindividualblogpages(orifthisdoesntworkoutwe

eadingsPacket

W

willhaveasingle,physicaljournalthatweallwritein). Youareencouragedtowritedownproblems,

struggles,thoughts,questions,etc. Thereisanadvantagetohavingprivatetimetocomposethoughts

andreflectonexperiences. Theproductsofthesereflectionswillbe(ifyouchose)displayedtoall. This

willalsobeawayofbringingtheoutsideworldintoourpractice.

R

Wearecompilingawonderfullistofrelatedreadings. Thesewillbebigconceptstuff. Achancetoread

penStudio(interactiveornot)

otherpeoplewhohavethoughtaboutcommunity,artmaking,thinkingandhowtheyareintertwined(or

not). Inacommunitywherelanguageformsacriticalbindingelementitishelpfultohaveaheadstart

fromothersbeforeuswhohavethoughtthroughsomeoftheseissues.

O

nceaweekwewillhaveastronglyencouragedopenstudiotimewherethoseyouwouldliketocan

u

eachwhateveryouwant

O

comeinandobserveyouinourpractice. Forthosewhowouldliketocapitalizeonthisopportunityyo

areencouragedtocomposesomesortofinteractivegettoknowmypracticekindofactivity.

T

ouareencouragedtoteachwhateveryouwant! Thesethingscanbecompletelyunrelatedtomaking

luxusPerformances

Y

andthinking. Wewillhave12timeslotsaweekforthisandroomtosignuponacalendar.

F

heFluxusartmovementisamazing. Wewillbetakingadvantageofourgroupsettingtocollaboratively T

performsomeoftheirart.


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PracticalStuff


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SessionDates

SessionA

ThursdayJune2ThursdayJune16

SessionB

ThursdayJune16ThursdayJune30


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Facility

TheSchoolofMakingThinkingwilltakeplaceona10acrefacilityinDelancey,NY. Thisfacilityis

composedofa4bedroomhouseandanoutfittedbarn. Thehouseisfullyfurnished,hasalargeliving

roomwithvaultedceilings,contains2bathroomsandhasawasher/dryer. The6500ft.barnhasbeen

remodeledandrefurnishedwithartistloftspace,livingquartersandworkarea. Thepropertyitselfhas7

acresofmeadowanda1000ft.streamfrontage. Therearemanylocalorganicfarmsinthearea. Oneof

ourneighborsinahorseridingranch.


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Transportation

TheSchoolofMakingThinkingislocatedin

Delancey,NY.

3hoursfromNewYorkCity,2hoursfrom

Albanyand1hourfromBinghamton.

Ifyouarenotplanningonrentingacar

and/ordon'townavehiclethebestway(ifnottheonly)waytogettoSMTisviaNewYorkCity.

Car

Ifyouownavehicle(orareplanningonrentingone)thatisexcellent.

Plugthisaddressintoyourelectronicmappingthingieandyouareonyourway.

1399ArbuckleHollowrd.,Delancy,NY13752

Bus

TheTrailwaysBusCompanyoperatesabusfromNYCtoDelhi,NY.

Delhiisonlya10minutedrivefromDelanceyandwewouldbehappytopickyouupordropyouoffin

Delhi.

Checkhereforabusschedule:

www.trailwaysny.com/html/english/fares_pdf/onedelny.pdf

Train

Inaddition,wemaybeofferingpickupfromthePortJervisMTAMetroNorthstationonthefirstandlast

dayofthesession. Moreinfoonthistofollow.


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Food

FoodatSMTisincluded. Weprovide3mealsaday. Breakfastandlunchwillbesoloendeavors. Dinner

willbecommunal. Wewillhaveacooking/cleaningschedulethatrotates. Eachdinnerwillmostlikely

bepreparedby2people. Pleaseletusknowasapifyouhaveanydietaryrestrictions. Wewerealso

thinkingofmakingoneoftheweekenddays(Sunday?)acommunalbrunch(insteadofdinner). Also,we

arepartneringwithalocalorganicfarmforaCSAsharewhichmeansweeklywewillbegettinglocal

organicfood.

http://www.luckydogorganic.com/
http://www.luckydogorganic.com/http://www.luckydogorganic.com/http://www.luckydogorganic.com/


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Laundry

WehaveawasheranddryeratSMT.

Duetosustainabilityconcernsand

highcapacityuseonourhousehold

weencouragepeopletolimittheir

washer/dryerusetoaminimum.


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Showers

Wewillonlyhave1

indoorshoweratSMT.

Wewillalsohavean

outdoorshower. Dueto

ourlargecapacityand

notwantingtoputstress

onthehouse'shotwater

systemweencourage

peopletousetheindoor

showerlessfrequently

andtotakeshowersthat

arequickerthanusual.


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Weekends

Weencouragegueststovisiton

weekends(FriSunday).

Wewillhaveabout4guestbedspots

perweekend. Beyondthatguestswill

needtobringatent.

Priceforaweekendstayis$10/night

fortentand$15/nightforabed.

PleasetellyourfriendstoemailSMT

assoonastheyknowwhenthey

wouldliketovisit([email protected]).


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Whattobring?

Clothing

(TheweatherinDelancey,NYforJuneisan

averagehighof75andaveragelowof51)

Swimsuit

Artsuppliesneededtocompleteyour

project(wewonthavemuchsoaskusifyou

areunsureofwhattobring)

Flashlight(fornighthikes,ormerelywalkingbetweenbarnandhouseinthenight)

Insectrepellent

Computer(notnecessaryorrecommended),butwewillhavewifiandinternet(plusweare

bringingafewlaptopswhichyouwillbewelcometouseoccasionally)

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