dorkbot-sea

March 2010 Dorkbot: Kit Night

2010-02-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

March 2010 Dorkbot: Kit Night

Learn a bit about soldering and constructing circuit boards, burn your fingers, and end up with a cool new toy to take home!

Meeting Details:

WHAT: March 2010 Dorkbot: Kit Night
WHEN:Weds, March 3rd, 7:00 - 10:00pm
WHERE: University of Washington, Seattle campus, Art Building, Room 327 [gmaps]
ADMISSION: Free if you bring your own kit, otherwise $18-$25 - see details below and please register so we know how many people to expect
EQUIPMENT: You can order parts from us or bring your own. If you order from us you will still need to bring batteries. If you have soldering tools please bring them; if you don't then we'll have some you can use.

Our March meeting will be a hands-on kit night. If you've never done any electronics work before, we'll teach you basic soldering and you can borrow tools. If you already know what you are doing, join us for social time and the satisfaction of helping beginners along.

We have identified three kits, and will put in group orders for them. If you are a beginner we strongly recommend you stick to one of these so there will be other people working on the same thing as you.

Tiny Cylon: The original Cylons are from TV's Battlestar Galactica. They are humanoid robots with a scanning red visor where their eyes should be. If you are unfamiliar, try Google or YouTube.
This is a tinyCylon because it's, well, tiny and because it is based on Atmel's ATtiny family of microcontrollers. The tinyCylon is a small, electronic device which simulates the red scanner. Add some chrome and you're halfway there!
Where some people look at this little invention and see a Cylon, other people see KITT's scanner from TV's Knight Rider. A lot depends on how old you were when these TV shows were first aired.
$18
Batteries not included - bring 3 x AAA batteries.
Drawdio: Drawdio is an electronic pencil that lets you make music while you draw! It's great project for beginners: An easy soldering kit with instant gratification. Essentially, its a very simple musical synthesizer that uses the conductive properties of pencil graphite to create different sounds. The result is a fun toy that lets you draw musical instruments on any piece of paper.
$25
Batteries not included - bring 1 AAA battery.
Game Of Life: In 1970, John Conway came up with a 1-player game called Game of Life. The Game of Life is a mathematical game that simulates 'colonies' that grow or die based on how crowded or lonely they are and is known for the way it creates a beautiful organic display out of randomness.
This kit is simple electronic project that plays Conway's Game of Life. Make one kit and keep it on your desk, or attach multiple kit modules together to create a large display.
$25
Batteries not included - bring 2 x AA batteries.

If you would like us to supply your kit, you must place an order by February 15^th at this page: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/98147.

A portion of the admission price will go towards buying a pool of soldering irons and associated tools for dorkbot to use for this and future kit nights. If you are bringing your own kit there is no charge, but please make a reservation from the orders page (at no charge) so we know how many are coming, and consider making a donation at the event to help us out. Until we have official dorkbot tools, please bring your own (most importantly a soldering iron), and extras to share if you have them. If you don't have tools don't be afraid to come out, we will be rounding up loaners for the evening.

We wish to give huge thanks to the UW's Division of Design, in the School of Art, for their support and providing the space for our meetings. We are especially grateful to department chair Professor Karen Cheng for this generous offer and facilitating it.

The Art Building is on the main UW campus. Parking is available in campus lots for $6, or you can usually find metered spaces on nearby streets in the University district. Lots of buses stop quite close, and there are bike racks outside the Art Building. Be aware that there is no cafe open in the Art Building in the evening. The closest place to eat, on campus, is the food court at the HUB student union building. Eat first, or bring a brown bag, but sorry, no alcohol is allowed in the meeting room. There are also plenty of places to eat on University Avenue, just off campus.

Here is a campus map showing the Art Building: http://www.washington.edu/maps/?l=ART. There will be signs and maybe even live human beings at each entrance directing you to the room, which is on the third floor.

February 2010 Dorkbot: FabLab

2010-01-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

February 2010 Dorkbot: FabLab

Presentations about 3D fabrication technologies

Meeting Details:

WHAT: February 2010 Dorkbot: FabLab: Presentations about 3D fabrication technologies
WHEN:Weds, Feb 3rd, 7:00 - 10:00pm
WHERE: University of Washington, Seattle campus, Art Building, Room 327
ADMISSION: Free, all ages and species!

For the February meeting of dorkbot-sea, we will have two presentations on the theme of fabrication — making things, 3D printing technologies, new trends in manufacturing, etc.

Speakers will be:

Dominic Muren: teaches Industrial Design and Design Studies at the University of Washington. His research focus is on novel methods of manufacture using flexible machinery and local materials to make modular, hackable products for richer, more resilient economies. He is editor of Humblefacture.com, a blog exploring the development of this new mode of manufacturing.
Willow Brugh: director of Jigsaw Renaissance, a Seattle maker space. She also organizes and moderates the Seattle H+ Discussion Group, is a participant at Hackerbot Labs, and just put in her application to UW's law school.
Matt Westervelt: owner, Metrix Create:Space, a new makerspace on Capitol Hill. Ten years ago, he started the SeattleWireless.NET project, and co-created the FreeNetworks movement, both in an attempt to make IP networks less top down and distribute ownership throughout the communities that use them. Now he is focusing on more physical aspects of collaboration, and providing a space where you don't DIY, you Do it with Others.

Please join us for the evening, which is open and free to all, our first in the new decade.

Coming up!

2010-01-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

Coming up from Dorkbot Seattle

New Venue! We think we've lined up a new venue that we can stick with for a while. Watch this space for details. We're also finalizing details for the next few months' meetings, all on Wednesdays:

February 3^rd: Fab Lab: An evening of speakers about and hopefully a demonstration of the DIY fabrication technologies that have recently become accessible to all dorks, even those on tight budgets.
March 3^rd: Kit Night: Learn about soldering and basic electronics with a choice of simple kits and some experienced electronics tinkerers to help you out.
April 7^th: Education: Speakers sharing experience about running educational events.
May 5^th: DIY Biology: Technology hacking is old school! Learn about the possibilities now open for hacking biotech and genomics.
After that: send your suggestions to dorkbotsea@dorkbot.org

Watch this space for more details as we get venues and speakers confirmed, join one of our mailing lists, or connect with us on twitter (@dorkbotsea) or facebook.

Vermillion January Art Show

2009-12-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

Vermillion January Art Show

Winter Lights: Explorations in Self-Illuminated Art
Open Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 through Feb 7, 2010
Vermillion Art Gallery and Wine Bar, 1508 11th Ave in Capitol Hill

Join us for our opening night party, 5 - 8pm, Jan 14th at Vermillion!

As winter nights become long and dark, we rely on electricty to lighten our spirits. This show reflects the human fascination with manipulating light and electricity to shape sensory experience. Works from eight artists and art groups will both delight the senses through self-illumination, and intrigue the mind through their exploration of technology as a creative medium. You'll find projects ranging from small animated light sculptures, to large scale, interactive computer vision and laser displays.

Featuring
Curtis Erlinger : Shedding Light
Eric McNeill : Post-temporal
Randy Moss : Untitled
The UberGeek Project : A Storm in the H.E.Ai.D.
Josh Kopel and Robert Gallup : Slow Light
Simon Winder : Chaos Theremin, Dekatronic Gooberzuber, 8675309
Shelly Farnham : Seeing, Hearing, Speaking Light
Jeff Larson : There Will Be Silicon

Please join us for a panel of the artists on Wed, Jan 20th, 7:30 - 8:30pm, at Vermillion.

Curated by Shelly Farnham, Eric McNeill, and friends of Dorkbot. Shelly and Eric have been dorkbotsea organizers since 2005.

December 2009: Dorkbot is 9!

2009-12-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Vermillion January Art Show

Winter Lights: Explorations in Self-Illuminated Art

Open Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 through Feb 7, 2010

Vermillion Art Gallery and Wine Bar, 1508 11th Ave in Capitol Hill

Join us for our opening night party, 5 - 8pm, Jan 14th at Vermillion!

Featuring

Curtis Erlinger : Shedding Light

Eric McNeill : Post-temporal

Randy Moss : Untitled

The UberGeek Project : A Storm in the H.E.Ai.D.

Josh Kopel and Robert Gallup : Slow Light

Simon Winder : Chaos Theremin, Dekatronic Gooberzuber, 8675309

Shelly Farnham : Seeing, Hearing, Speaking Light

Jeff Larson : There Will Be Silicon

Please join us for a panel of the artists on Wed, Jan 20th, 7:30 - 8:30pm, at Vermillion.

Curated by Shelly Farnham, Eric McNeill, and friends of Dorkbot. Shelly Farnham and Eric McNeill have been on the Dorkbot-Seattle committee since 2005. Dorkbot-Seattle showcases innovative trends in contemporary art by bringing together artists and technologists who work with electricity in a significant way either in their art or in its creation.

November 2009 Dorkbot: Projects from Burning Man 2009

2009-10-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

November 2009 Dorkbot: Projects from Burning Man 2009

This year at Burning Man a few really great large scale, collaborative projects came out of Seattle! Come hear about the Groovik s Cube (multi-user controllable LEDs), Steve the Robot H.E.Ai.D. (interactive music and lasers), and Incunabulum (fire sculpture).

Meeting Details:

WHAT: November 2009 Dorkbot: Projects from Burning Man 2009
WHEN:Weds, Nov 4th, 6:30 - 9:00pm (talks start at 7:00 promptly)
WHERE: Waid's: 1212 E Jefferson St, Seattle, WA 98122, by Seattle U http://waidshouse.com/
ADMISSION: Free! Over 21 only. But bring $$ for food/drinks from Waid's kitchen.

Special thanks to Waid's for providing such a great venue! Show your support by drinking their drinks and eating their food. Happy hour until 7. See you on Wednesday, November 4th!

The Groovik's Cube, presented by Barry Brummit Earlier this year, I led a team of ~70 engineers and other motivated luminaries on a mad 6 month rush to design, produce, and install Groovik's Cube (a 40' tall, user-controllable Rubik's Cube: http://theblight.net/09/bm/73PICT120394.jpg) which, rather than being mechanical, is illuminated & animated from within by 324 (or 1.8KW of) LEDs. I'd like to share with you not just the design & enabling technologies (Arduinos, GumStix, and custom high-current LED drivers), but also the engineering and management practices (social contracts, redundancy, etc.) that helped a fledgling team complete this complex project on an incredibly compressed timeline.

Plus, I'll show some really pretty pictures from our exceeded-all-expectations installation in Black Rock City, aka Burning Man.

Dr. Barry Brumitt is a Software Engineer & Tech Lead with Google, Inc with a peripatetic background in robotics, physics, computer engineering, AI, ubiquitous computing & software development.

Steve the Robot H.E.Ai.D., presented by Peter Brown and Christopher OverstreetSteve is a 35 foot, interactive, collaborative installation that allowed people to create sound and music together. Steve is a sensing, reactive playspace; using video sensors to collect people’s motion and interactively generate music and lasers. This is a H.uman E.nergized Artifical i.ntelligence D.evice. Learn more about Steve here: http://dbltht.org/ubergeek. For this presentation Peter and Chris, two of the developers on the team, will discuss the technology that made Steve a reality.

Incunabulum, presented by Tabasco and Kay Morrison In`cu·nab"u·lum is a literal microcosm. The universe as we know it - formed into the shell of an egg, cradled by the hand of man. The Iron Monkeys built this 15' art piece over the course of the summer of 2009, and trucked it to Burning Man to display for a week.

We will share the process of physically building the piece, including the brainstorming, construction and implementation of the propane flame system which lit the piece every night.

July 11: FrayedWire

2009-06-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

Next event: FRAYED WIRE

Instead of our usual first-Wednesday meeting, our next event will be on July 11th

Dorkbot and friends are hosting FrayedWire, a full day gathering of people at the intersection of art and technology

Day Camp, 9:00-5:30 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center:
Presentations, workshops, open lab, and discussion sessions Opening talk by Ward Cunningham, famous for inventing the wiki, and closing talk by Trimpin, world reknown kinetic music sculptor and inventor best known for his guitar scuplture at the EMP. See full schedule at http://Frayedwire.com/program

Evening Reception, 7:00pm-midnight at 911 Media Arts Center:
Bar, music, and People Doing Strange Things with Electricity IV Art exhibit & artists' short talks

Registration: Registration: 50$, at http://FrayedWire.com
This is a non-profit event, the fee covers event costs Too rich for you? Volunteer and we'll give you a ticket: email shellyhivemind at gmaildotcom
Bring: Some robot vomit to share and tools for the Open Lab. Best wearable accessory gets a LilyPad Kit prize!
Special thanks to 911 Media Arts Center and Youngstown Cultural Arts Center for all their support, to Ignition Northwest for sponsoring our coffee service, and to Seattle Lumens for donating workshop materials! See you Saturday July 11th!

June 27: PDSTWE4 Opening Night Party

2009-06-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

June 27: PDSTWE4 Opening Night Party

Our fourth People Doing Strange Things With Electricity show opens on Saturday June 27th, and runs till Friday, July 24th.

Opening Night Details:

WHAT: Opening night party
WHEN: Sat, June 27th, 7pm - midnight
WHERE: 911 Media Arts, 402 9th Ave N, Seattle WA 98109
ADMISSION: $5-$10 suggest donation. Over 21 only (sorry).

Show Details:

WHAT: Our fourth group show
WHEN: Sat, June 27th - Fri, July 24th, Tuesdays-Saturdays noon-6pm
WHERE: 911 Media Arts, 402 9th Ave N, Seattle WA 98109
ADMISSION: FREE, all ages and species.

June 2009 Dorkbot: "Office Hours" at Charlie's in Capitol Hill

2009-06-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

June 2009 Dorkbot: Office Hours

This month we won't be having our regularly scheduled first Wednesday Dorkbot. Instead, Join us at Charlie's On Broadway in Capitol Hill. We'll hang out, drink beer, and discuss! More details below.

Come by if you are an artist in the upcoming PDST show with questions, if you want to learn more about Frayed Wire, or you just want to have a beer with people like you.

Meeting Details:

WHAT:June 2009 Dorkbot: "Office Hours" at Charlie's in Capitol Hill
WHEN:Weds, June 3rd, 7:30 - 9:30pm
WHERE: Charlie's On Broadway, 217 Broadway E (between John St & Olive Way) Seattle, WA 98102 (broadwaycharlies.com) map
ADMISSION: Free! Over 21 only.

May 2009 Dorkbot: Movie Night Social: Steampunk/Cyberpunk and Other Cool Punks

2009-05-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

May 2009 Dorkbot: Movie Night Social: Steampunk/Cyberpunk and Other Cool Punks

The vote is in! For Movie Night Social, people want to learn more about retro-future fashion and architecture!. More details below.

This Wednesday we'll hang out, eat popcorn, drink beer, and amuse ourselves with short video documentaries highlighting trends in retro-futuristic fashion, architecture, and landscapes!

Please email shellyhivemind@gmail.com if you have something cool (video, demo, etc.) to share.

As ever, thanks to 911 Media Arts Center for providing a venue for our Dorkbot meetings!

Documentary/video shorts:

Steampunk by G4 Underground (8 min)

MTV: Steampunk Infiltrates the Mainstream: (4 min)

http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/280093/its-airships-pirates-and-goggles.jhtml#id=1595811

Maker Profile: Jake Von Slatt steampunk artist (10 min)

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01/maker_profile_steampunk_on_make_tel.html

A Steampunk Second Life Documentary (A Machinima) (5 min)

http://blog.koinup.com/2009/01/steampunk-second-life-documentary.html

Steampunk Goggles (How to Make, 3 min)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cqXKwKJQBM

NeverWashaul

http://neverwashaul.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5806216

Angelspit/KranKhaus Cyberpunk Sound Mod (3 min)

http://www.youtube.com/user/krankhaus

Cyberpunk (1 hour documentary, but we'll watch just 1st 15 min, includes interview with William Gibson and Timothy Leary)

http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/cyberpunk-documentary/8639377

Doll Face: Vanity in a Post Human Age (4:13)

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/category/movie/style/internet-short/

Kenji Siratori & Golden Age-Heterogaia (4 min)

http://tr.youtube.com/watch?v=M83hHX4POc4

Cyberpunk v1.0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFZvbcWFH_g

Wearable technology fashion show (3.24)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoyNqCsksdg

Cyberpunk review:

http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/category/cyberpunk-art/

Cyberpunk Flickr Group:

http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=cyberpunk&m=pool&w=46416845%40N00&s=int

Cyberpunk flickr

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=cyberpunk&w=46416845%40N00&s=int

Meeting Details:

WHAT:May 2009 Dorkbot: Movie Night Social: Steampunk/Cyberpunk and Other Cool Things
WHEN:Weds, May 6th, 7:00 - 9:30pm (videos start at 7:30 promptly)
WHERE: 911 Media, 402 9th Ave N. http://www.911media.org/
ADMISSION: Free! All ages welcome. Bring a couple of bucks to support 911 Media! We'll have a donation jar out by the beer. ;)

2009-03-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

April 2009 Dorkbot: Geeking out on Green

For April's Dorkbot meeting, we have three really great presentations illustrating "Geeking out on Green". Nicole Kistler will talk about her art piece All Terian, a self-propelled living screen powered by solar energy, Dan Albert and Myer Harrell will describe their award winning design for an Eco Labatory, and Jordan Schwartz will describe some of his creative adventures geeking out on sundials and beekeeping. More details below.

Nicole Kistler: The All-Terrain (7:30 - 8:00)
Nicole Kistler is a multi-disciplinary artist whose large-scale installations, events, and performances engage the public and build community. Trained in landscape architecture, with nine years experience in that field, she finds art allows people to engage in discussion while suspending tightly held beliefs – to be amazed, surprised, and inspired. The All-Terrain is a self-propelled living screen powered by solar energy. It is a lushly planted, living, breathing amenity that is extremely versatile for a rugged urban environment. The All-Terrain plays off the image of the Monster Truck/giant SUV and makes fun of it by making it green. The All-Terrain makes some of the same claims as these vehicles as well, “bringing you closer to nature,” “going anywhere,” and “providing maximum comfort.” The All-Terrain celebrates green technology and provides a public opportunity to see these living systems close up, while making the discussion fun and accessible. The All-Terrain also helps the audience image the public right-of-way as a different kind of space. The All-Terrain, is a traveling landscape element, like a hedge on wheels. It can quickly transform a streetscape almost instantly from car-dominated to one with amenities to enhance the pedestrian experience.

Dan Albert and Myer Harrell , with Weber Thompson (www.weberthompson.com): The Eco-Laboratory (8:00 - 8:30)
Weber Thompson’s Eco-Laboratory, a conceptual high-rise project designed by a team of four young designers at the firm, won the 2008 Natural Talent Design Competition hosted by the Emerging Green Builders at Greenbuild, the USGBC’s annual International Conference and Expo in Boston. Set in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood the design asserted that “there is no silver bullet for sustainability, no one solution for net-zero consumptive environments.” Programmatically the building includes dwelling units, a work and training program, urban agriculture, and public education facilities. It mitigates the impact of the activities and demands on site. The designers thought of harvesting in the broadest sense of the word, looking for all opportunities to create symbiotic relationships. The project was designed to grow its own food, generate electricity, clean its air and water, and provide a place and purpose for the less fortunate in society. These systems bring home, work, shopping, gathering, food production, energy production, and waste disposal under one roof.

Jordan Schwartz: Adventures in Earthly Technologies: Sundials and Beekeeping (8:30 - 9:00)
FJordan Schwartz, technologist, CEO of Pathable, and intrepid beekeeping blogger (see http://www.hive-mind.com/bee/blog/), will be talking about his creative endeavors geeking out on sundials and beekeeping.

Meeting Details:

WHAT:April 2009 Dorkbot: Geeking out on Green
WHEN:Weds, April 1st, 7:00 - 9:30pm (presentations start at 7:30 promptly)
WHERE: 911 Media, 402 9th Ave N. http://www.911media.org/
ADMISSION: Free! All ages welcome. Bring a couple of bucks to support 911 Media! We'll have a donation jar out by the beer. ;)

March 2009 Dorkbot: Visions of the Body, Geocaching, and Communication Procotols Part II

2009-02-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

March 2009 Dorkbot: Visions of the Body, Geocaching, and Communication Procotols Part II

For March's Dorkbot meeting, we have two presentations: Stephanie Andrews, experimental media artist and professor at DXARTS, will present "The Accretion Project" exploring visions of the body; Susie J. Lee and Yoko Ott will describe a class experience exploring geocaching and art that was exhibited at the Frye's education wing. More details below.

Stephanie Andrews: The Accretion Project (7:30-8:00)
The accretion project is a creative investigation that continues to accumulate form as it explores the growing pains in the co-evolution of human manifestation and the global digital environment. The extruded figures have been modeled from digital recordings: sequences of motion captured dance choreography describing a loose narrative. These nodules of sculptural cinema are gathered from a creative interpretation of the body's energetic journey in relating with digital space; discovery, attraction, the conflict of integration, and finally mutual absorption and expansion. The images are extrusions of the human body in motion, the surfaces echoing the material of a shell.

Stephanie Andrews is an experimental media artist and Assistant Professor in the DXARTS program at the University of Washington. She utilizes a variety of methodologies in her works, such as 3D computer graphics, stereoscopic and photographic imaging, video, neon, and computer-controlled pneumatics. Learn more at: http://www.washington.edu/dxarts/profile_home.php?who=andrews

Susie J. Lee and Yoko Ott: Geocaching and Art in the Public Realm (8:00-8:30)
This past summer seven artists were invited to conceive a project for teens enrolled in the studio art class "Geocaching and Art in the Public Realm." Taught by Susie J. Lee, the class was inspired by the exhibition Napoleon on the Nile: Soldiers, Artists, and the Rediscovery of Egypt. Modeled after the popular high-tech treasure hunt adventure game Geocaching, artist-conceived caches were left throughout Seattle for students to discover with GPS devices. Upon discovery, students were presented with concepts addressing such things as psychogeography, site-specificity, fiction and rehistoricization, and globalism. All participatory, and sometimes performative in nature, every project engaged the teens with their surroundings and required them to use their observational and critical skills to document what transpired at that place and time. (Learn more at: http://fryemuseum.org/exhibition/3049/)

In this talk, Susie Lee and Yoko Ott will "(1) Give an overview of our approach and methodology to contextualize locative arts within the framework of geo-caching, mental mapping, and art historical touchstones (conceptual art, land art, etc.) (2) Present the individual artist projects proposed for the students, and (3) Provide images of the exhibition and our assessment of the project. If time allows, we may discuss how we envisioned a larger iteration as a city-wide artist project."

Communication Protocols Part II: A Discussion (8:40 - 9:30)
For this year's People Doing "Strange Things" with Elecricity 4 we are inviting artists to create and collaborate on works that explore the theme "Emergent Communication." Artists are encouraged (but not required) to work in groups to build pieces that communicate with each other (and potentially the viewers and environment) in novel ways, to create a larger system that's greater and more complex than its individual parts.

At our last Dorkbot meeting we explored potential communication protocols to incorporate into the art exhibit. During the second half of this Dorkbot meeting, after the presentations, we will wrap up this discussion to help define protocols that artists may incorporate into their proposals for the exhibit.

Please note the deadline for the proposals is being extended to March 14th. You may find more details at: http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotsea/events/pdstwe4/callforartists.shtml

Meeting Details:

WHAT:March 2009 Dorkbot: Visions of the Body, Geocaching, and Communication Procotols Part II
WHEN:Weds, Mar 4th, 7:00 - 9:30pm (presentations start at 7:30 promptly)
WHERE: 911 Media, 402 9th Ave N. http://www.911media.org/
ADMISSION: Free! All ages welcome. Bring a couple of bucks to support 911 Media! We'll have a donation jar out by the beer. ;)

February 2008 Dorkbot: Brainstorming Emergent Communication Procotols

2009-01-28T22:36:00.000-08:00

February 2008 Dorkbot: Brainstorming Emergent Communication Procotols

This meeting will be devoted towards answering questions and brainstorming for the upcoming 2009 Seattle Dorkbot "Strange Things" art show.

Please see call for proposals (due march 7^th)

This year we are inviting artists to create and collaborate on works that explore the theme "Emergent Communication." Artists are encouraged (but not required) to work in groups to build pieces that communicate with each other (and potentially the viewers and environment) in novel ways, to create a larger system that's greater and more complex than its individual parts.

At this Dorkbot meeting we will be exploring potential communication protocols to incorporate into the art exhibit. We will have a brief presentation about what is a communication protocol with a few examples, and then break out into brainstorming teams to come up with ideas for communication protocols. If you have ideas, or even examples, of communication protocols you believe may work, bring them!

If you want to be involved in any way in the Dorkbot art show (as artist or volunteer), want ideas for doing a project, are interested in finding collaboration partners, or want to help shape the "emergent communication" theme, this is the Dorkbot meeting for you!

Meeting Details:

WHAT: JFebruary 2008 Dorkbot: Brainstorming Emergent Communication Procotols
WHEN: Weds, Feb 4th, 7:00 - 9:30pm (come early to chat, sessions will start at 7:30 sharp)
WHERE: 911 Media, 402 9th Ave N. 98109
ADMISSION: Free! All ages and species welcome. Bring a couple of bucks to support 911 Media! We'll have a donation jar out by the beer. ;)

January 2008 Dorkbot: Electronics for artists!

2008-12-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

January 2008 Dorkbot: Electronics for artists!

We have a few great presentations lined up for January's Dorkbot meeting!

Josh Kopel: "Out of Control" a quick review of the micro-controller and DIY electronics explosion that was 2008.
2008 might well be called the year of Arduino, as the little micro-controller from Italy invaded the DIY scene and showed up just about everywhere. Beyond just the Arduino, 2008 also saw a vast increase of interest in micro-controllers and unique interfaces for use in the arts. Join us for a rapid, no-doubt incomplete, but hopefully entertaining review of the trends and topics that made 2008 so exciting.

Tina Aufiero: Computers, wireless cameras, electronics, and swans.
Tina will talk about using computers, a wireless camera, and some electronics to marry the abstract concepts and representational forms in her works, which includes "project_swancam".

We know Tina as the Education Director at 911 Media Arts Center. She received her MFA at NYU. Her art work focuses on the observation of swans. The swan as a subject, object, metaphor, is a vehicle to make work that speaks to love, solitude, being, self and other. Learn more at: http://a.parsons.edu/~aufierot/blog/

Hugo Solis Garcia: Juum, a framework for multimedia production and composition
In his talk, Hugo will talk about Juum, a framework for multimedia production and composition that he has been developing during the last year. This piece of software allows him to integrate all his requirements into one single tool that follows his creative process. With this program he has produced all his artistic works over the last year and an interesting feedback loop has emerged. The tool has evolved because of the artistic requirements and the art pieces have been influenced by the program. This constant iteration between technique and creativity constitute now a layer in his artistic journey. The talk will be supported by previous works, and samples of his work and research.

Meeting Details:

WHAT: January 2008 Dorkbot: Electronics for artists!
WHEN: Weds, Jan 7th, 7:00 - 9:30pm (come early to chat, presentations will start at 7:30 sharp)
WHERE: 911 Media, 402 9th Ave N. http://www.911media.org/
ADMISSION: Free! All ages welcome. Bring a couple of bucks to support 911 Media! We'll have a donation jar out by the beer. ;)

December Dorkbot: Dorkbot + Santarchy = Evil Toys

2008-11-23T19:53:00.000-08:00

December Dorkbot: Santa's Evil Toys Workshop and Holiday Party!

Haven't you always wanted to take all those noisy, furry, half-broken toys in your closet, tear them apart and put them together as something just a little bit evil? Well, now's your chance!

Dorkbot and Santarchy are combining forces to host an evil toys workshop. If you bring electric toys that make noise, we'll show you how to circuit bend them to make eerie sounds. Don't forget your batteries! If you don't want to deal with electronics, that's ok, you can re assemble your furry toys too.

What to bring: toys (furry and/or electronic) and appropriate batteries, tools and supplies. We'll have some tools on hand: glue guns, soldering irons, etc., but it's always safest to bring a few of your own, especially in this case scissors and sewing utensils.

As always, special thanks to our hosts at 911 Media Art Center!! Your Friendly Dorkbot Overlords, and Santarchy Folk

Meeting Details:

WHAT: December 2008: Santa's Evil Toys Workshop and Holiday Party
WHEN: Weds, December 3rd, 7:00pm - 10:00pm
WHERE: 911 Media, 402 9th Ave N.
http://www.911media.org/
ADMISSION: Free! But bring a few bucks for the eggnog and rum jar, it will be donated to 911 Media Arts Center

November Dorkbot: Kit Night and tools fundraiser

2008-10-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

Next meeting: Kit Night (and tools fundraiser)

On Wednesday, November 5^th at 7:30 PM at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

Josh Kopel and Eric McNeil will be leading us in a kit workshop!

Learn a bit about soldering and constructing circuit boards, burn your fingers, and end up with a cool new toy to take home, while at the same time benefiting our hosts and friends at 911 Media Arts Center. Your ticket purchase gets you kit materials with a little extra thrown in for us to buy soldering irons etc. for 911 Media Arts Center workshop classes.

Please register in advance for this meeting, so that we can order the right number of kits. Each kit costs $30, and we have details about the kits you can choose, and online registration via Brown Paper Tickets.

Last meeting: Projects from the UW

On Wednesday, May 7^th at 7:30 PM at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

Eunsu Kang, instructor of DXARTS 400 class at UW, will introduce media arts projects from students in her class, exhibited through last weekend at the DXARTS "In-Progress" show at the Sand Point Gallery. Projects include video installation, 3D processed sculpture, spatial sound art, site-specific sound art, multichannel audiovisual installation, stereo image sculpture, interactive audiovisual installation and more by by Julie Bruk, Anna Czoski, Mollie Fabric, Robert Gay, Kjell Hansen, Mijong Jang, Daren Keck, Amber Manuguid, Mike McCrea, Toby Mckes, Erik Parr, Nathan Wade and Alexis Egbert.

Nathan Wade and Anna Czoskia, artists of the show will talk about their piece and relevant researches in DXARTS. Jon Malkin, PhD student in Electrical Engineering will talk on the Vocal Joystick.

October meeting will be late

2008-09-28T22:55:00.001-07:00

October meeting will be late

We are working on an October meeting, but it will not be on the first Wednesday. Watch this space for updates.

May Dorkbot: Projects from the UW

2008-05-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

Next meeting: Projects from the UW

On Wednesday, May 7^th at 7:30 PM at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

Nathan Wade and Anna Czoskia, artists of the show will talk about their piece and relevant researches in DXARTS. Jon Malkin, PhD student in Electrical Engineering will talk on the Vocal Joystick.

Last meeting: April Foods and Dorkbot Community Meeting

On Wednesday, April 2^nd at 7 PM (April Foodery from 7 - 8, Meeting 8 - 9) at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

April Foods Day Potluck!
This is your chance to bring whatever food, drink, or snack that does something strange with electricity, illustrates your favorite physics phenomenon, explodes, best illustrates your sense of humor, or just plain looks really cool or tastes really yummy! (Don't be surprised if some of our April Foods Day dishes are...well...inedible. We may end up having to order a pizza). Let me know if you want some show and tell time to explain your special treat (shellyhivemind@gmail.com).

Dorkbot Community Meeting
We need your feedback! Please join us for a special Dorkbot community meeting. Your friendly Dorkbot overlord committee needs to hear from you on a number of issues to help our planning over the next meeting:

What kinds of Dorkbot meetings do you want? More presentations, workshops, discussions, movies, social hours?
What particular topics would you like to see covered in the next year of Dorkbot presentations? Who would like to hear speak?
What tools for community, collaboration, and awareness would you like to see made available to Dorkbot folks, if at all?
What collobaration spaces/worshops do you already use, and what do you think you need, but don't have access to?
How would you like to participate in the next year?
What is "dorkbot" and "dorkbot art" anyways?

We will have an hour to talk about these and other dorkbot topics

April: April Foods + Community Meeting

2008-04-01T22:03:00.001-07:00

Next meeting: April Foods and Dorkbot Community Meeting

On Wednesday, April 2^nd at 7 PM (April Foodery from 7 - 8, Meeting 8 - 9) at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

What kinds of Dorkbot meetings do you want? More presentations, workshops, discussions, movies, social hours?
What particular topics would you like to see covered in the next year of Dorkbot presentations? Who would like to hear speak?
What tools for community, collaboration, and awareness would you like to see made available to Dorkbot folks, if at all?
What collobaration spaces/worshops do you already use, and what do you think you need, but don't have access to?
How would you like to participate in the next year?
What is "dorkbot" and "dorkbot art" anyways?

We will have an hour to talk about these and other dorkbot topics

Last meeting: AudioDork

On Wednesday, March 5^th at 7³⁰ PM (get there at 7 for drinks and socialising) at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

photo by eldan

We have machines that go PING!, machines that record the other machines going PING!, and machines to turn that PING! into all manner of wonderful sounds. But how do we turn all these possibilities into something beautiful? This month, Dorkbot will hear from three speakers with experience and insight into the art of sound, from composing with operating system sounds through capturing the sound environment of a place to creating sound environments for people to experience.

Click here for more information.

March: AudioDork (updated!)

2008-02-28T22:59:00.000-08:00

Next meeting: AudioDork

On Wednesday, March 5^th at 7³⁰ PM (get there at 7 for drinks and socialising) at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

photo by eldan

Click here for more information.

Last meeting: Movie Night + Social

photo by
Paul Simons

On Wednesday, February 6^th at 7³⁰ PM at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

We'll be watching "Works of Art by Theo Jansen" (learn more at strandbeest.com) and some clips from Graffitti Research Lab's visit to the sundance film festival.

If you have a short movie (DVD/YouTube/etc) you'd like to show, just email us at dorkbotsea [@] dorkbot [.] org

March: AudioDork

2008-02-20T23:15:00.000-08:00

Next meeting: AudioDork

On Wednesday, March 5^th at 7³⁰ PM (get there at 7 for drinks and socialising) at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

We'll have three speakers about sound art: Jim Owen, a composer of music for laptop and orchestra, Doug Haire, the curator of KEXP's Sonarchy experimental music show, and Mike McCracken, the creator of "Audible Avatar".

Last meeting: Movie Night + Social

photo by
Paul Simons

On Wednesday, February 6^th at 7³⁰ PM at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

We'll be watching "Works of Art by Theo Jansen" (learn more at strandbeest.com) and some clips from Graffitti Research Lab's visit to the sundance film festival.

If you have a short movie (DVD/YouTube/etc) you'd like to show, just email us at dorkbotsea [@] dorkbot [.] org

February movie night

2008-01-31T17:09:00.000-08:00

Next meeting: Movie Night + Social

photo by
Paul Simons

On Wednesday, February 6^th at 7³⁰ PM at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

We'll be watching "Works of Art by Theo Jansen" (learn more at strandbeest.com) and some clips from Graffitti Research Lab's visit to the sundance film festival.

If you have a short movie (DVD/YouTube/etc) you'd like to show, just email us at dorkbotsea [@] dorkbot [.] org

Last meeting: Strange Things closing party and artist discussion

On Wednesday, January 16^th at 7 PM at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

Hear from the artists! From 8:00 - 9:00ish artists gave short presentations in the theatre about how they created their pieces.

Before and after, we'll have time to mingle with a little less crowding than the opening night. Bring questions! Artists love being asked about their work.

"Strange Things" closing party

2008-01-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

Next meeting: Strange Things closing party and artist discussion

On Wednesday, January 16^th at 7 PM at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109)

Hear from the artists! From 8:00 - 9:00ish artists will be giving short presentations in the theatre about how they created their pieces.

Before and after, we'll have time to mingle with a little less crowding than the opening night. Bring questions! Artists love being asked about their work.

Final week: Strange Things

The Strange Things (people doing strange things with electricity 3) show closes January 18^th. Don't miss it!

The show is at 911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N, 98109), which is open from 1pm to 6pm on Saturday, and 12-6 Monday - Friday.

Last meeting: Probing the Membrane between the Real and Unreal

photo: John Cramer

On Wednesday, November 14^th at 7:30 PM at K&L Gates, 925 4^th Ave, Suite 2900, 98104

MMPORGS and online worlds, synthetic life, telerobotics and telepistomology, Photoshop, phishing, loop quantum gravity, chimera, virtual voice technology, identity theft, etc., etc. As science and technology extend our senses and capabilities, they also challenge our notions of reality. This month Dorkbot probes the membrane between the real and unreal with three provocative presentations.

Strange Things show

2007-12-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

Next event: Strange Things

Our next events will be the Strange Things (people doing strange things with electricity 3) show and opening party. This year, as well as our usual theme of works that use electricity in some way, we are emphasising a theme of interactivity: installations that interact with their surroundings, observers and each other. We have a fabulous set of artists exhibiting and we're very excited about the show.

The opening night will be Saturday, December 8^th from 7pm till 2am, and the show will run till January 18^th. It's all at our usual venue—911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N)—and please check the calendar to make sure it's open the day you want to visit.

Last meeting: Probing the Membrane between the Real and Unreal

photo: John Cramer

On Wednesday, November 14^th at 7:30 PM at K&L Gates, 925 4^th Ave, Suite 2900, 98104

Strange Things show

2007-11-15T22:06:00.001-08:00

Next event: Strange Things

The opening night will be Saturday, December 8^th from 7pm till 2am, and the show will run till January 11^th. It's all at our usual venue—911 Media Arts (402 9^th Ave N)—and please check the calendar to make sure it's open the day you want to visit.

Last meeting: Probing the Membrane between the Real and Unreal

photo: John Cramer

On Wednesday, November 14^th at 7:30 PM at K&L Gates, 925 4^th Ave, Suite 2900, 98104