Photo by Mark Anthony

I knew I had a unique perspective on the panel as a younger lady, but the more interesting contrast came from my experience as a nonprofit professional. There were a few questions about setting personal boundaries in the online arena. In the nonprofit world, people tend relate to their work more intimately which can make it easier to share things of genuine interest. Still some asked about a nonprofit “secret to success.” The panel agreed that by-and-large the social media strategies that work for nonprofits are the same as they are for individuals and businesses.

Aside from all the minutia and specifics, I was surprised at the number of people in the audience who were still struggling to “get their heads in the game.” To these kind people, Chris had the following to say:

Unlike Chris I tend to baby people and reassure them that they will get the hang of things eventually. Chris’s approach is much better. People need to quit making a science out of it and roll up their sleeves and start posting!  Another lesson that hit home was the importance  and power of video. The Spovangelist currently has an empty YouTube page. You can expect that to start filling up with film clips very soon.

“Check out my turnips! I grew these!”

The last take home message for me was being more fearless about the frivolous. Everyone has had to ask themselves “To post, or not to post?” Most people don’t want to hear about what you ate for dinner that night. So when it came to my prize turnips I was definitely leaning towards keeping these beauties to myself. Thanks to Chris for popping my turnip!

Photograph by Old Timey Dave

As time moved on and the scar tissue started to build where my previous boyfriend had so willingly ripped my heart out, I started to yearn for something more, but alas, where does one go to find love in the Lilac City? I needed to veer away from the security of the dark lit, drunken dens of seduction I had become fond of, take a step out into the sunlight and open my eyes to all the potential mating grounds Spokane has to offer.

With this in mind, I was flipping through The Inlander, when I came across an article about the community gardens program in Vinegar Flats. While the article was heart warming, the photo of the guy who ran it was hormone warming and it dawned on me – if I took care of the community, maybe it would take care of me.

I shot Farmer Joe an email explaining that I was new to town and was interested in volunteering at the garden. He suggested that I help him glean plums one evening. Now, I’m not normally one to glean anyone’s plums on a first date, but I was curious so I agreed to meet him.

To my relief I discovered “gleaning plums” was the agrarian equivalent of picking plums. We met later that week on a warm, sunny evening. The smell of ripe fruit was intoxicating, the warmth of the sun comforting; things were wonderful. After a couple of hours of working we retreated to The Lantern for a pint. We chatted about me living in West Virginia and he told me about all the wonderful non-bar related things to do in Spokane. I was impressed to say the least.

No, this ambitious journey of plum gleaning love did not end in the happily-ever-after way, but it did introduce me to all the awesome ways to meet people in Spokane. This town is littered with groups and clubs for every interest. If you’re serious about finding someone, wouldn’t you want something more in common than the cheap beer you both prefer?

Take it upon yourself to seek out groups in Spokane that share your interests. Meetup.com is a great resource. With the weather warming up there are plenty of opportunities to get involved outside through trail or community clean ups. If you’re not one for physical labor, just getting out to one of the beautiful parks around the area might be more your style. You never know who you’ll meet. Or kill two birds with one stone and head to Spokane’s new Main Market Co-op. While you peruse the aisles for yummy local foods, let your eyes feast upon potential soulmates as well.

I’ll be the one with a six-pack of PBR in my basket.

It was a shame that life seemed too full to be around the very people they shared most in common with, and so meetups at a bar became a regular ritual. At the very same time large numbers of environmental enthusiasts were gathering monthly for networking and causal conversation under the popular Greendrinks umbrella.

In a burst of uninspiration, the moniker Greener Drinks was born. Not meant to imply that the spin-off was “more green” than the mothership, “greener” was intended to denote a lack of worldly experience in terms of years.

The fledgling group was hoping to become an informal organization that could develop direct actions related to environmental outcomes that were fun and easy for large numbers of people to participate in directly. Then it was pointed out that unsuspecting bystanders were getting the two activities confused and so a name change was in order.

Enter Lilac Mob. After several rounds, dozens of emails and a Vimeo video, the name Lilac Mob was born. One direction for the group was to become a not entirely consumer-oriented version of Carrotmob in San Francisco.

Then one agriculturally-oriented organizer pointed out the existence of another group called Crop Mob.

Crop mob is primarily a group of young, landless, and wannabe farmers who come together to build and empower communities by working side by side.  Crop mob is also a group of experienced farmers and gardeners willing to share their knowledge with their peers and the next generation of agrarians. The membership is dynamic, changing and growing with each new mob event.

The direction of Spokane’s own Lilac Mob is uncertain, but the future is ultimately bright. If you would like to help contribute to the life of this group, the next meetup is tomorrow night at the Viking.

• RSVP on Facebook for the Lilac Mob meetup.

When Naaman and Jillian of Black Rabbit Magic first unveiled MONTH in partnership with the Kolva-Sullivan gallery, I was automatically on board. Spend 24 hours doing whatever the heck I want in an interactive art exhibit? Yes please!

The basic premise of MONTH is that creative people from all over Spokane will each reside in the gallery for 24 hours, doing whatever it is they do from 5pm until 5pm the next day. This live exhibit will run from March 5th through March 26th, and will end with a blow-out closing party. Considering that around 200 were there for the opening, I’ve got a feeling that this one will be a zinger.

We will install a bed (should you need to rest), a few art supplies (but you are welcome to bring your own), and some kind of nourishment (likely campbell’s soup). You are only asked to artistically contribute to the space (however you see appropriate considering your area of expertise) and to respect the building and its tenants.

Remember the Spokane Blog Bible? Come and get yours during Mariah @ MONTH! (There are only about 50 left, available while supplies last.)

What would you do with 24 uninterrupted expressive art hours? I plan to:

1. Compost the food waste that other artists have been saving for me.
2. Build a number of worm composting chambers, for sale, of course!
3. Do some kind of collage installation with leftover outreach materials from various campaigns and projects I’ve worked on.
4. Compose a blog post live from the gallery!
5. Dink around with making some Spokane themed miniatures out of polymer clay. Marmots, milk bottles, lilac bunches, Expo icons, bull dogs and crosses come to mind…
6. Have my xylophone on hand to play. Not that I ever get to practice it, mind you, but since I own it I should share it!

So come on down and be a part of my performance. We can talk about “the community” we can talk local politics. Whatever. I hope to see you there!

• RSVP to pay me a visit on Facebook here.

With the new layout, navigating to your favorite pages can be a bit of a hassle. One strategy to bypass the distraction is to bookmark me here:

http://www.facebook.com/thespovangelist

Design by Gaia Borgias Brown

As a (currently) lone blogger who works (nearly) full time, I often suffer from “blogstapation” – the inability to publish articles in a timely fashion. For every hundred posts out there on the internet, another hundred sit stacking up in my drafts que.

To alleviate this problem, I’ll be using the Spovangelist Facebook page as an informal beta testing ground. This just means I’ll be posting links to topics of potential interest and will gauge the response. If there are a lot of “likes” and comments, a blog post will follow. If there isn’t much activity, the topic will remain undrafted for good. Who knew Facebook could function as a laxative?

Conversely, I’ll use the Facebook page to remind fans to visit the “real” website with little addendums to published posts.  Right now it is at 676 fans and counting, needless to say I don’t have that many email subscribers. Unlike the vast majority of pages, the Spovangelist default view is set to display your links, uploads and comments in hopes that the page will become a true community forum.

Happy Facebooking!

Dear Spovangelist,

We came across your blog today and thought that you might want to know about a cycling jersey we are selling that is stirring up quite a buzz. The new jerseys at www.sharethedamnroad.com send a message to aggressive drivers.

If you decide you want to write a little something about us for your blog, let us know and we will reciprocate a link back to you!

Best regards,
Jonathan Ciaccio

While I am an avid commuter and have been nearly run over on a few occasions due to driver rage or inattention, I’m not sure if I would wear one of their pre-printed shirts around town.

While I dig the inverted “Thanks!” on the front of the jerseys, certain Spokanites can get touchy behind the wheel, and I feel like the “more flies with honey” truism is particularly true in our town. Why not take the non-violent communication route?

I totally appreciate the purpose of avoiding accidents, raising awareness and keeping people safe, and am therefore more excited about Share the Damn Road’s customizable shirt options. What do you think about the following:

“One More Parking Spot”

“One Less Disease On Your Dollar”

“Please Pass Me : )”

“<- These Two Lanes Are For You”

“Go Ahead, Check Out My Legs”

“Biking For The U.S.A.”

“Zipping Between Potholes Since 2007″

“Visualize Green Lights”

• 101 Reasons to Bike in Spokane

Yes, that is a Spovangelist worm!

Now the purpose of hauling one’s work across state lines is not simply to add more notches to the artist’s exhibit belt, it is also to reach out to new audiences, encounter new perspectives, and discover opportunities for collaboration, inspiration and partnership. Gabriel’s next foray outside Eastern Washington will be to participate in PSU’s Open Engagement conference in Portland this May.

The artists involved in Open Engagement challenge our traditional ideas of what art is and does. These artist’s projects mediate the contemporary frameworks of art as service, as social space, as activism, as interactions, and as relationships, and tackle subject matter ranging from urban planning, alternative pedagogy, play, fiction, sustainability, political conflict and the social role of the artist.

This free conference will include “A variety of transportation that draws on Portland’s bike culture and takes advantage of its excellent public transportation. Contributors will be housed in Portland homes, paired with a host based on common interests. Several meals during the conference will be provided that emphasize slow food, community cooking and underground cafes. Other meals will highlight Portland’s food cart culture. Nightlife and social activities will be integrated into local businesses, using local pubs and cafes as conference hubs.”

As if that weren’t enough, the conference will also feature presentations by three internationally renowned artists: Mark Dion, Amy Franceschini and Nils Norman.

Despite all of our technology and money, when we destroy a natural system it’s virtually impossible to get it back. In a sense we’re building a failure. -Mark Dion

First, imagine if the arts community in Spokane had the social infrastructure to pull something like this off. Second, imagine the impression that would be made if a couple dozen Spokane artists stormed the conference to represent the 509. People would be scratching their heads saying “I had no idea Spokane has such a dynamic art scene. I’ve got to go over there and check it out!”

As with many things, however, leaving Spokane is not a prerequisite for finding what creative people seek. Gabriel stumbled across Rimas Simaitis, his upcoming show partner, while bringing vegetables to the Youth Sustainability Council’s PARK(ing) Day display. Remis was busy making grass cut outs and web-like cradles in front of the Saranac Art Projects gallery on Main.

So come on down to the Saranac next Thursday to feed the chickens (yes, there will be live chickens in the gallery) and plant a seed in a bottle that you can take home. This will be worth braving the elements to learn a thing or two about urban farming, and to think about the ways in which our consumption impacts the ecosystems around us.

Police/Youth Department adjacent to a Public Market (see below).

Collage Urbanism:
A New Model for Encouraging Political Discourse

According to a recent survey, the residents of Spokane lack engagement with their municipal government. At the national level, the internet has played a significant role in engaging the public in political discourse, however it has not facilitated the equivalent for local municipalities. Spokane’s City Hall is an insular, isolated entity that restricts public participation. By relating entertainment, social networking, and retail activities to the political spectrum, the internet emulates the notion of collage on a metaphysical level.

To engage citizens with local government the notion of collage as understood through the internet is embraced, transforming the way in which we experience the political milieu of Spokane. Three Spokane specific urban morphologies: shopping, automobile dependence, and nature become the means in which Spokane residents not only experience public life but also Spokane’s political spectrum.

Council Chambers (red) in AMC, City Hall as deconstructed green atrium.

Making political discourse more accessible to the public, the creation of ‘situations’ as discussed by Guy Debord and the Situationist International reveal unseen connections, unexpected juxtapositions, and new possible arrangements of City Hall with the adjacent context. By means of the Dérive (a construct of Debord), shopping, the automobile, and nature are identified as unique to the experience of Spokane’s public life and used to create collage like compositions or ‘situations’ within five major nodes of the site to juxtapose, overlap, and challenge preconceived notions with how an individual can participate with local government and their representatives.

Winter/Summer in/out of River Park Square entry.

This is the internet equivalent of reading tea leaves. It is pretty clear there is a good degree of randomness in the formula, and the results are drawn from a given homepage as opposed to the entire website. So what can we divine from this mashup?

• We like people.
• Dark blonds have excellent appeal.
• We believe in local giving.
• You should go to Caterina, it might surprise you.
• Yes, there is something fashionable around Spokane!
• We’re excited about new worm bins in December.
• Our town has many young rich groups. (Hmm, really?)
• In this context we seem like a valley girl.

It all started when my neighbor down in Peaceful Valley showed me the bin he kept in his kitchen for table scraps. His students at West Valley City School were selling these bins as a fundraiser, so I purchased one along with a $20 can of worms. This was all fine and good until I accidentally froze the critters during a winter season move between apartments. Determined to set things right, I poached a pile of new worms from my mother’s compost and started over. To my surprise, the half-processed material I dumped next to my porch in a (failed) attempt to grow beans yielded a pumpkin vine,  a squash plant and several tomatoes that actually ended up producing fruit. This stuff is like the miracle whip of soils, it is so fecund it literally grows itself!

I heard it said that Spokane spends much more money per capita on gardening and yard supplies than most places. Now I haven’t done the research to corroborate this claim, but if you consider our love affair with lawns and our water usage compared to other cities, it seems plausible enough. Combine these “yard people” with winter, frugality, a burgeoning interest in growing food and treading lightly on the soil, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a worm bin explosion in Spokane.

The missing ingredients are information and encouragement to overcome the “Ew!” factor associated with worms. Taking my own advice, I set out to do just that by hosting a worm bin workshop during a Community Roots Market at Fresh Abundance.  Where I thought I’d be lucky if a few of my friends showed up, fifteen eager workshoppers sat around for over an hour while I improvised the curriculum and assembled a new bin. While DIY bins are easy to make, I had to go around to three different hardware stores to find the right components for my preferred design. Miller’s on 29th was the most helpful by far.

By Slide Sideways with a penchant for birthday designs.

Not wanting all those dark, loamy coffee grounds to go to waste, I’ve also set up a worm bin in the office. This took some care to convince my co-workers that our clients wouldn’t be grossed out by funky smells or fruit flies, but now that the bin has made it past the one month “equilibration phase” the population is well established and the worms are multiplying daily. After a while you start thinking of them like pets. It is comparable to the maintenance of a fish bowl with the intrigue of an ant terrarium. The result of all this poking around is a rich, dark substance with the consistency of a half-baked brownie and the texture to match. In the colloquial words of my father, this super soil can “work wonders and crap cucumbers.” In this case, quite literally.

The next worm bin workshop will be held on December 12th at 2015 N Division from 2-4pm. To RSVP or inquire about purchasing bins/worms, please contact: mariah[dot]mckay[at]gmail[dot]com.