Giving Thanks

Where Ya At Matt served up some delicious grits and beignets. © Christopher NelsonTwo weeks ago, the work of 12 writers, 12 designers, 6 chefs, 4 musical acts, and two filmmaking teams was presented at Town Hall Seattle.  The first edition of "Bilocal" took physical form as we fed mind and body of hundreds of attendees, addressing the question "What is community?"

If the Town Hall events were the branches, then the rest of the month was the roots: an exhibit at Tether Design Gallery featuring new artwork inspired by the 12 stories written for the project. Three feature articles in major print media about community. An hour-long talk show on KBCS featuring three of our writers, to discuss the same. Marty Riemer's podcast with Tom Douglas and the Bilocal director to talk (and laugh) about the challenges of community. Over $2000 (and counting) raised for the Lens, a community-based, investigative journalism organization in New Orleans.

Did we meet our goals of (1) generating a public conversation about community, and (2) creating new writing and other artwork on the theme, and (3) contributing a tangible public benefit?  Thanks to you, yes we did. Next week I head down to New Orleans to finalize plans for our New Orleans program in April. We are currently collecting stories from the general public about community, via our website. We are talking with two potential partners about publishing a book collecting work of the participants.

This season of thanks is a perfect moment to celebrate the contributions of so many who made this project a reality.  First, thanks to the artists and designers, who contributed their talent and time to the project. Thanks for your 100% commitment, good spirit, generosity with each other, and the many hours you have spent polishing and presenting your work.

Thanks to Jon Fine and Amazon Gives for believing in the program early on--without Amazon's support, this project literally would not have been possible. Thanks to Tully's Coffee and Nicole Dyhrman for their generous contribution, and to Poets & Writers for contributing to artist fees.

Thanks to our 36 donors on via Kickstarter: you helped us document the project and offset production costs. Thank you! Alice, Alli, Allison, Amy, Cathi, Chris, Colleen, Delva, Diane, Erin, Gayle, Grace, Gretchen, Jason, Jen, Jen, Joan, Johnny, Joshua (got us to the goal!), Karina, Lee (the first donor!), L'il Money, Lynn, Margo, Mark and Mark, Melissa, Michael, Mike, Mike, the appropriately-named Nola, Rebecca, Seth, Steve, Wendy, and Wesley.

Thanks to our fabulous and creative media sponsors Seattle Weekly, especially Christine Chilton, and KBCS 91.3 FM, especially Sabrina Roach.

Thanks to our fabulous and generous chefs: Tom Douglas, who jumped on board first. Thanks Tom, Robyn, Jessica, and everyone from Lola--your generosity and leadership (and food!) are inspiring. Thanks Renée Erickson (Boat Street Cafe, Walrus and the Carpenter) for your gift. That oyster stew was yummy! Thanks Matthew Lewis (Where Ya At Matt) for the drool-inducing grits and beignets, and for your generous spirit and donation. Matthew Dillon (Corson Building, Sitka and Spruce), thanks to you and Naomi for the fabulous smoked mussels; to Chef Robin Leventhal for the Po Boys (remind me to tell you a story about mayonnaise and my grandmother), and Mike, Derek, and Abraham from Delicatus--not one but two delicious sandwiches!

Barbara, Jessica, Kerri, and everyone at the Sorrento Hotel, thanks for the friendly rates and sterling service. Risa and Girlie Press, thanks for making the posters so swank and affordable. Mohawk Paper, the prints of the designers' work looked fabulous. Anthony and Marcela, thanks for giving us a break on that Abita! Elise, thanks for dropping in with the wonderful Honest Tea.

Christopher Nelson and Jef Jaisun, thanks for the photos!

Daniel R. Smith, thanks for taking the art exhibit from a rough idea to a reality, and thanks Stanley Hainesworth and the rest of the Tether team (Dan again!) for making such a gorgeous Bilocal identity and design. Wier Harman and Stesha Brandon, thanks for being program advisors and constructive critics, and for the respective partnerships with Town Hall and University Bookstore. Bruce Rutledge & everyone at Chin Music Press, thanks for the program advice and all the promotional help.  Lyall, Adam, Dave, and Ryan, thanks for all the support from the Northwest Film Forum. 

To our event crew and volunteers: talk about something not being possible without you! Gretchen DeGroot, you saved the day three times; Allison Durazzi, Sarah Mia, Lee Collenberg: that box office and entire front of house went without a hitch. Lauren LeClaire and Rachel Gaudry, thanks for stepping in! Mike Breeden, Andrea Cohen, Brenna, Camilla, thanks for ushering! Pete Oliver, thanks for carrying all those boxes!

Special shout-outs to Lee Collenberg, Jen Orr, Sarah Mia, and Jojo Greene--thanks for the Educational Invitational; our reading on New Oreleans was a major inspiration for the project. And Lee, your advice in NOLA and throughout the year was most helpful. Jen Orr, thank you for crashing gmail for us, i.e. your fantabulous promotional skillz.

And thanks Amy for rallying the Boathouse and the family clans, and for putting up with my Don Quixote moments. I think we got the windmill!