Wade Aaron, Krista Caballero, Vasia Markides and Thomas Stevenson traveled to the California desert to assist in running High Desert Test Sites 2007 (HDTS). Set in and around Joshua Tree, California, HDTS is a recurring art event organized by artist Andrea Zittel that "provide alternative space for experimental works by both emerging and established artists."
SMFA's involvement in HDTS was organized by graduate faculty member Barbara Gallucci, and was made possible by several Bartlett Travel Grants awarded to cover travel costs. During their time in California, the SMFA graduate students performed assorted physical and administrative tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the event including: providing fabrication/installation assistance to participating artists, operating Lisa-Anne Auerbach's "Unicycle Shop" project, assembling various infrastructure items such as information tents and outdoor projection screens, troubleshooting projection and sound equipment, running the information tent, and digging in the desert sand.
SMFA's help during the event was greatly appreciated by the HDTS organizers, who nicknamed the SMFA students "The Pilgrims" and thanked them publicly on the event Web site:
"Among (but not limited to) those we would like to thank are: The Pilgrims: who came out all the way from Boston for a long week working in the sun (and dark) to help pull it off."
"Wade Aaron (whose engineering skills repeatedly saved the dayhe fixed Andrea's swamp cooler and saved us hours of trying to figure out how the HQ tent went together)."
"Krista Caballero (on day one she couldn't give up trying to ride the unicycle, inspiring others to fearlessly attempt one wheeling ... on day two she could barely walk)."
"Vasia Markides (our resident First Aid expert. Though we had tons of band-aids, iodine, and gauze, the unicycle shop never saw a drop of blood ... the only injury was her own splinter!)."
"Thomas Stevenson (who miraculously fixed the scratchy sound of the Polish Western film on Saturday night by pouring beer on the ground wire)."
|
|
|
|
