The Skinny

I continue to follow Creative Santa Fe's Imagined Futures initiative with greatinterest. Two weeks ago I mentioned thisproject along with the announcement of CyndiConn's new job there as ProgramDirector. --- Since then, CSF has redesignedits website to accommodate this bold project.

They just held a press conference last Tuesday, March 21st (though Icouldn’t make it) to announce the venture. CSF plans a series of lectures, panel discussions and conferencing to “provideopportunities to investigate how culture influences the evolution of cities ascomplex, rapidly changing social, cultural, and physical systems.” Whew! This could be big. It appears that the City Different’sadministration may be really serious about infusing some much needed supportfor artists through the development of advocacy. This will include projects and spaces toallow cultural workers to make a living in The City outside of the highlycompetitive gallery dungeon. Or will it? Not enough information yet. I willcontinue to watch with a hopeful and inspired yet skeptical eye. Granted, IFis in its infancy and may be creating the means for us to work together tomake Santa Fe’scultural and artistic legacy mean a real livelihood for all of us within ourown community. Go Cyndi! Just a reminder,though: Be inclusive of all cultural workers, not just thechi-chi 1%. Let’s not make this another class-oriented battleground. Go to www.creativesantafe.org and see whatall hubbub is about.

Branded again …

Philadelphia’s marketing “expert”Gary Stauer will be in AlbuquerqueMarch 28^th to discuss the city’s “branding assets and marketing potential.” The Duke City’sDowntown Arts & Cultural District Steering Committee is sponsoring theevent as a means toward economic development and cultural growth. I’m all in favor of such enterprises yetcontinue to be disturbingly amused at how urban officials continue to presenthuman communities as products to be marketed. This usually requires a great deal of image-making throughexaggerations, slogans, omissions, and outright lies. MaybeABQ should consider the consequences of such strategies as “Santa Fe Style” or Taos’ “Life at a HigherLevel” if it wants to maintain its current cost of living. Apparently this corporate-style strategy isdriven by the committee’s goal to “ensure eventual recognition as a topcultural district in the nation.” Goodluck.

Countdown to Zeroscape …

Former Los Alamos National Lab staff member and model forthe lab-friendly Fuller Lodge’s Oppenheimer statue Michael Gamble has releaseda new book of fiction entitled Zeroscape. Gamble (as in the nuclear gamble, no?) has become an advocate ofalternatives to the lab and nuclear technologies. He’s recorded a 30-minuteTV special with Diane Kinderwater of Issuesand Answers for KCHF-TV Channel 11 in which he discusses LANL, living in Santa Fe, his views onnuclear weaponry, the commercial nuclear power industry, renewable energyalternatives and of course, the book. Ifyou have TV cable access, I strongly encourageyou, dear reader, to tune in Saturday, March 24 @ 7:30 pm, Sunday, April1 @ 2:00 pm, and Wednesday April 11 @ 6:30 pm. Or you can search for some other clips Gamblehas produced on YouTube.

Until next week …