Be a part of the conversation. Share your story. Share your passion. Share your expertise.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
5:30-8:30pm
Hancock Shaker Village
Pittsfield, MA
Free

Present, Attend or Volunteer:  CLICK HERE TO RSVP!

The BeCreative BarCamp is about creating conversation and opportunity. It’s about creating connections between people and their interests in a dynamic new way that we hope will catch on in the Berkshires. It’s about bringing out the creativity all around us and hearing new voices. It’s about what you make of it!

Visit berkshirecreative.org and learn more

A BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment; an open, participatory event, whose content is provided by participants via discussions, demos and interaction participants.

Similar to an UnConference.

A Bit of BarCamp History:

The first BarCamp was held in Palo Alto, California, from August 19-21, 2005, in the offices of Socialtext. It was organized in less than one week, from concept to event, with 200 attendees. Since then, BarCamps have been held in over 350 cities around the world, in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australasia and Asia.

The first BarCamps focused on early-stage web applications, and related open source technologies, social protocols, and open data formats. The format has also been used for a variety of other topics, including public transit, health care, and political organizing.

The name “BarCamp” is a playful allusion to the event’s origins, with reference to the hacker slang term, foobar which is a common placeholder name for something with an unknown value. BarCamp arose as a spin-off of Foo Camp, an annual invitation-only participant driven conference hosted by open source publishing luminary Tim O’Reilly.

BeCreative BarCamp

The BeCreative BarCamp is about creating conversation and opportunity. It’s about creating connections between people and their interests in a dynamic new way that we hope will catch on in the Berkshires. It’s about bringing out the creativity all around us and hearing new voices. It’s about what you want to make it.

Some good examples:

Pod Camp Western Mass

BarCamp Boston

BarCamp Austin

Their vision is “to become a center for reflection on leading a principled life. The values that the Shakers embraced – equality, pacifism, community, sustainability, responsible land stewardship, innovation, simplicity, and quality in work – resonate for us today. Our programs and business practices reflect these values. We utilize our site and our collections to help the public engage with contemporary thinking on these values while learning about historical Shaker expressions of these principles in their work, worship and community.”

HISTORY

The Shakers are a religious order which believed in pacifism, celibacy, and communal living. Worship could take the form of singing and ecstatic dance, which is why they were called the “Shaking Quakers,” or “Shakers.” The utopian sect is renowned today for its plain architecture and furniture.

In 1774, Mother Ann Lee led eight Shaker converts from Manchester, England, to America, seeking freedom to live, work, and worship. The Shakers believed in racial and gender equality, simplicity, and pacifism. One of the most intriguing religious movements in American history, the Shakers are considered by many to be the most successful of utopian societies that have flourished in this country. The Shakers have made important contributions to American culture including art, architecture, craftsmanship, music, government, agriculture, and commerce. Hancock Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark, brings the Shaker story to life and preserves it for future generations. Visit Hancock Shaker Village and be inspired by the principled living and extraordinary lives of the Shakers in America.

The Hancock community was started in 1783 with the consolidation of land donated by converted farmers. Land acquisition and conversion continued for decades, with the acreage peaking at 3,000 and the population rising to over 300. It was the third of nineteen major Shaker villages established between 1783 and 1836 in New York, New England, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana under the leadership of Joseph Meacham and Lucy Wright.

One of the most notable buildings is the “Round Stone Barn”, built in 1826. The Round Stone Barn was created in a circular form for several reasons, the primary one being that the shape was simply the most convenient. Inside the barn there are four rings. The inner most is also the smallest and is simply for ventilation. This ventilation is necessary to help draw the moisture out of the hay, and to prevent it overheating. The next ring out is where the hay was stored. It was tossed in from an upper balcony that was over the outer two rings. The third ring out was where the Shaker brothers would walk to distribute the hay in the second ring to the cows standing in the outermost, fourth ring. The barn could hold up to 70 cows at a time. Normally, they would go to the barn twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening to be milked. Once inside the barn they would be put into wooden stantions. From there they would eat complacently while the brothers milked them. The floor of the outermost ring is split level, with the inner part raised up 3 inches so that the milk buckets are not on the same level as the manure.

After reaching peak membership in the 1840s, the Shaker movement gradually dwindled, partially due to the urban migration that followed the Industrial Revolution. By the early twentieth century, the population of the village had fallen to around 50, most of which were children. Excess land was sold, and many buildings were destroyed.

Here’s your sneak peak of some of the presenters/presentations that will be part of the
upcoming October 26, 2011 BeCreative BarCamp.

Haven’t RSVP’d to be a part of BarCamp yet?

Don’t miss out, click here to RSVP to attend or volunteer!

How Manos Unidas will Change the Face of Berkshires and Beyond, Robert Austen, Manos Unidas Multiculural Educational Cooperative
This presentation will encompass ideas of years of experience as a consumer and how working and leading a Co-op can change thinking and ways of looking at work and the environment.

Business and Creativity – Sculpting Your Concept, Jim Benson, Mission Bar and Tapas
I have a foggy recollection of a quote about sculpture – the notion that the process of making a sculpture was simply uncovering what was already contained within the rock. That’s all I can tell you, but it has stuck with me since I heard it, as a child, presumably. Business can be like this I’ve found. My impression of business used to be that it was very dry, lots of talk about market analysis, and projections, financials, human resource demands, and so on.  And you had to have a marketing plan. What a bore.

Writing Booklets for Ebook Publishing, Claudia Gere, Claudia Gere & Co., LLC

Learn the formula for writing the one book every services business should publish.  Learn how to create and publish an Ebook.

The Business of Art, Scott Harrington, Pause Art Gallery/Studio
Round table discussion format on the latest trends and events in the art world.

Topia Arts Center’s Creative Space in Virtual Reaity: Global Nonprofit Four-Season 24/7 Programming Potential, Caryn Heilman, Topia Arts Center
Topia Arts Center’s Artistic Director will take people to Topia Arts Center’s new Virtual Creative Space on the Nonprofit Commons Island of Second Life and show excerpts of recent programs that can be viewed while sitting on a leaf chair and interacting with other Creative’s avatars in this 3D virtual reality.

Two Stories, One Thought, Bob Kasper, What If?
One of the worlds greatest chefs spends every day for 30 years preparing a classic, simple hollandaise sauce and is still working on understanding it. My college painting instructors, upon reviewing my charcoal sketch of a classic seated nude, has only one thing to say “I don’t believe you.” Both stories are all about creative truth.

Wanted: Civic Participation!, Susan Olshuff
WANTED: Civic participation! It’s not too soon to start learning about ways that you can have an impact in the big presidential and senatorial elections of 2012.  Learn what the strategy will be for Massachusetts. Come meet others who also want to be involved. (This presentation will be from the perspective of the Democratic Party.)

Living in your Body: Grounding, Clearing, and Elevating your Life Energy, Anne O’Neil, Your Soul Path
This session starts with a brief check-in with the audience as to if/how they felt they were affected by anyone else’s energy that day.  That would be an opening for a 3-minute discussion on the nature of energy and how we take it on and release it throughout our day.  The bulk of the presentation would be introducing the audience to a powerful grounding meditation that can be used whenever one feels ungrounded and/or overwhelmed.

It’s All About Community!  Our BerkshireGreen and Our BerkshireCalendar, Patricia Strauch, Our Berkshire Green/Our Berkshire Calendar
I will be presenting information on Our BerkshireGreen (print resource guide) and Our BerkshireCalendar (free community web calendar).  We offer many free community services, events, marketing opportunities, etc., and I want to spread the word.

Haven’t RSVP’d to be a part of BarCamp yet?

Don’t miss out, click here to RSVP to attend or volunteer!

Digital Media for the Creative Entrepreneur Roundtable Session, Stephanie Gravalese
In this session the attendees will be the ones presenting! Does tweeting connect you with your customers? Are Foursquare check ins bring you new business? Do these terms confuse you? We want to hear from you. Come with your favorite digital marketing strategy, your questions and share your insight with fellow creatives.

Ice Cream Mirage, Adams Gabriel
A brief presentation of Ice Cream Mirage, a project I’m currently working on occurring along Asia’s ancient trading route the Silk Road. I’ll show current documentation of my work in Korea and China in which I traveled with a 1920′s vintage Ice Cream Machine and made ice-cream-performance-art which blended Art and life into one beautiful mixture. I will also note phase II: the Tea Horse Route and National Museum of Nepal in Kathmandu.

Neither Fish Nor Fowl; Creating an Identity in the Berkshires Theaterscape, Andrew Flint, NEW STAGE Performing Arts Center
A brief discussion of past performance events that we have hosted or staged in order to provide context, and then discuss the ways in which our non-profit theater company and malleable performance space can uniquely provide for cutting-edge performances unlike anything else found in the Berkshires. We will discuss what we’ve learned over the past year, and how it has changed our creative direction.

QR Codes: Making Print Interactive, Julie Fruscio, Excelsior
Learn about QR Codes and the 7 best practices for using QR Codes to increase the impact of your marketing pieces. Capture the viewers’ interest at the very moment it is piqued.

The Battle of Egremont: A workshop presentation, Jeremy D. Goodwin
It’s an episode of Colonial history so dark that it is rarely referenced out loud. But within the conflict that tore a Berkshire town asunder are lessons about the ghosts at the heart of early American expansion, and even the ways we as individuals and communities make sense of trauma. This lively multimedia presentation includes photos of historic sites related to The Battle of Egremont as well as period artworks and other cultural artifacts.

The Business Of Art Scott Harrington, Scott Harrington Fine Arts
In this workshop participants will learn essential tips to making a small business successful. Topics include: utilize the web to sell your art (Fine Art America (website), 8 tips to align your business with IRS guidelines, and networking opportunities.

What’s an idea anyway?, Robert Kasper
In the absence of a clear definition this presentation of original thought outlines and defines ten shared characteristics of “The Idea”. Originally developed some years back when I was still acting as a Chief Creative Officer with 500 in creative staff, for several highly respected NYC advertising and design firms. The presentation proved to be an invaluable tool in leading creative and business staff alike. Have done presentation cross culturally in several ways; whiteboard, marker on pad, or by Mac, if projector and cables are at our disposal.

Arts potential for cultural change: A Vision for a Berkshire Cultural Center, Eva Schuster, Nextpaintings.com

Be the Authority and Attract More Customers, Claudia Gere, Claudia Gere & Co. LLC

How to get found in Search, SEO, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook, Kit Latham

How to write an effective press release, Lesley Ann Beck, Berkshire Living

Marketing on a Shoestring: AKA Guerilla Marketing, Helen Krancer, The Agency Without Walls, Inc.

New Americana, from Studio programs in New England, Margaret Bodell, The Public Art and Design Center

New Mojo for Meetings, Uli Nagel, TelosityOS

Stop procrastinating, start writing! Millie Calesky, Business & Life Coach, Speaker & Trainer

SEDF: The Good Purpose Art Gallery, Spectrum Playhouse and The Starving Artist Cafe, Dr. Michael McManmon

Whole Foods, Whole Life, Whole Happiness, Katherine Miller, Kosmic Kitchen

Women: This Is Our Time, Wren Bernstein

Click here to RSVP to attend or volunteer!

Over 60 participants attended the 14 presentations on topics that ranged from the Playful Stress Relief to producing low cost, yet high production value, audio and video podcasts to Holocratic Thinking and beyond.

BeCreative BarCamp is the only event of its kind in Berkshire County. It is an opportunity for members of the creative community to share information via short, informal, often tech supported presentations.

Special thanks to BeCreative BarCamp Supporter, Sponsor, and Host: Studio Two, Compuworks, and MCLA’s Gallery 51!

Were you part of BarCamp? Click here to take a 2 minute survery and let us know what you thought of the event!

Click here to see pictures of BarCamp on berkshirecreative.org.

Have you RSVP’d to be a part of BarCamp yet? Want to present? There are still a few slots left!

Click here to sign up, learn more and RSVP!

Playful Stress Relief Jeanne Bassis, PlayReflections

Through a fun and engaging blend of imagination, games, creative movement, music and relaxation, Jeanne will invite your inner child’s joyful spirit to come out to play!

New media and social media: An Alternative to Traditional Marketing Rich Bradway

A presentation on producing low cost, yet high production value, audio and video podcasts and how to leverag them via YouTube, iTunes, Facebook, Google AdWords, and TV/Radio advertising to promote your business.

Amy Cohen Banker Art and Design Amy Cohen Banker

A presentation of collaborative video works that have been exhibited worldwide including at the Hermitage Museum, Chelsea Art Museum, and Barcelona Modern Art  Museum and a discussion on how to collaborate on painting and multimedia works successfully.

What’s the Story? Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires

How to write a press release for iBerkshires (or other media) and get it noticed.

Meet Your Muse: Deciding to Write a Book Kimberley Debus, Melange Press

Kimberley will  review what makes a good book, the decision points prospective authors should consider and what is the process of publishing a book.

The Lyric Eye Laurie Freedman, Laurie Freedman Works

Short video clips and talk about Laurie’s work in  documenting dance/theater/artistic statements.

Marketing that cuts through noise: A look at PURLs Julianne Fruscio, Excelsior Printing

Julianne will present on how businesses may use  Personalized URL (PURL) Marketing and highly targeted landing pages to better connect with their audience.

3 Easiest Ways to Write a Book Claudia Gere, Claudia Gere & Co. LLC

According to Claudia, having a book is quickly becoming the new MBA, a way of establishing yourself as an expert. Claudia Gere will talk about three different ways, the easiest, to write a nonfiction book to give you options and incentive to start yours.

“Up with that I will not put”–Learning to ignore the most cherished and least useful superstitions about grammar Jeremy Goodwin

Many of us lug around with us the rules we learned in Elementary School about “correct” English. The problem is, those rules were outdated long before we even learned them. In this presentation we’ll learn to end sentences with prepositions and feel good about it.

Good Purpose Art Gallery, Studio and Performing Arts Center Dr. Michael McManmon, Student Educational Development Fund

Learn about The Good Purpose Art Gallery, Studio and Performing Arts Center being created in Lee, MA to promote students’ visual and performing arts talents who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Learning Differences.
The Good Purpose Art Gallery, Studio and Performing Arts Center is being established in collaboration with the College Internship Program (CIP) and the Student Educational Development Fund (SEDF)

The Slow Book Movement and The Digital Age of Reading I. Alexander Olchowski, Slow Book Movement

I. Alexander  will  share his experience as a self-published novelist, both in terms of the craft and the business, and will talk about ways to slow down in modern society, and how reading combined with walking can be a perfect antidote to our ever faster digital culture.

The Young and the Restless Amanda Rae Busch, Berkshire Young Professionals

A presentation on The Berkshire Young Professionals, a faction of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, whose mission is to educate and inspire the next generation to foster community.

Fair Use? Paul Rapp, esq,

The fair use doctrine of copyright law is one of the most beguiling in all of jurisprudence.  This presentation will describe current trends in fair use and discuss several current fair use controversies involving Jeff Koons and Shepard Fairey.

TelsosityOS – A (r)evolutionary Operating System for your Mind and your Business Uli, TelosityInc

Uli  will introduce the ‘holocratic’ way of thinking, planning and running your business – from predict and control towards sense and respond, from endlessly looking for ideal solutions to finding the next best step. And: how to move beyond the traditional models of command and control or ineffective consensus to ‘holarchies’, combining the best of democracy and hierarchy.

A chance for Berkshire Creatives to share their ideas, projects, resources, and innovations!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

5:30-8:30pm

MCLA Gallery 51,

51 Main Street, North Adams, MA

Free

(MAP)

Stay tuned for more information!

Click here to RSVP to Present, Attend or Volunteer!

______________________________________________________________

The BeCreative BarCamp is about creating conversation and opportunity. It’s about creating connections between people and their interests in a dynamic new way that we hope will catch on in the Berkshires. It’s about bringing out the creativity all around us and hearing new voices. It’s about what you make of it!

Visit berkshirecreative.org and learn more what’s happening in the Berkshire Creative Economy and how we are sparking innovative collaborations between artists, designers, cultural institutions and businesses to stimulate new job growth and economic opportunity in the region!