Location Based Social Media – Might it be the Next Tool for Town-Gown Relations?

One of the greatest challenges of any university or college is getting students off campus to explore their local community. Students are often overwhelmed by the relocation from home to campus. Many are living away from their parents for the first time. They face new academic and social pressures. Many of them have never lived in an urban environment. Let’s just say that there is a lot to absorb. We find that most students are ready to independently explore the local community during their Junior or Senior years. Yet, in the Freshmen Orientation Programs, we spend an extensive amount of energy introducing students to our local community so that when they’re ready to take the initiative, they have a great experience.

Lehigh University students are not shy or reserved. They are passionate, hard working and generous young adults. But they are also quite independent. They cherish their autonomy. They like taking initiative – on their terms. Location based social media may be an effective tool for students to explore the local community because it allows them to discover places on their own terms. They can share experiences with other; they own their experiences.

Tomorrow, I will see the final presentation of the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship (PSGE) ArtsLehigh team. This small band of highly intelligent and motivated teens have been working for five weeks on a project that uses location based social media to identify businesses and hot spots in South Bethlehem that they think will be of interest to Lehigh University students.  Since I’m aware of the many arts and cultural spots, I encouraged them to find what they thought would be relevant.

If one has been following trends on social media over the last three years, one would understand the capacity of these tools to help people connect.  I asked the PSGE students to take on this project because I needed fresh eyes to South Bethlehem and to Lehigh University. I’m excited to see what they discovered and their recommendations for moving forward.

As a reader of our enewsletter, if you are interested in reading the results I will provide a summary on the ArtsLehigh blog at the end of this week. Until then, if you want to know more about location based social media, please read this short summary. If the summary still makes things fuzzy, consider this scenario:

A Lehigh University student needs to buy some toothpaste. The student remembers during their Freshmen Orientation tour, a convenience store on Campus Square but forgets where that is. They ask their roommate. The roommate points them down the hill. For some reason, the student gets disoriented.  Student has a smart phone. Student logs onto a location based social media app that finds “convenience store near me.” Student finds the store. Up pop three restaurants within a block on the “nearby list”, but not in clear view of the street. Student finds lots of businesses on the nearby list; a laundromat, an independent coffee shop with free Wi-Fi – and tips from another user about that spot being a really great place to study…. Voila, information on terms relevant to the student. No doubt, the student will get to that coffee shop and discover not only is it a great place to study – but that the coffee shop presents local live music at night. And now their next social evening has a plan. See where this is going?

This week's hot topic: Dance in the Lehigh Valley

This week, we’re talking about Dance opportunities is the Lehigh Valley. But we’re talking about opportunities to move your body as well as your spirit. As it so happens, this Friday’s concert in the Sculpture Garden features the acoustic Quartet, Atlanta Crossing that plays and sings music of the New England, Cape Breton and Celtic Traditions. The band is accompanying the Lehigh Valley Contra Dance Group so there will be plenty of motivation to get up and learn a pattern dance with some friendly neighbors. As luck would have it, The Lehigh Valley Contra Dancers also host regular sessions for beginning levels to the more challenging Contras. They aren’t too far away from campus, just a hop, skip and an allemande left over the Lehigh River to the UUCLV church on New Street.

For those who may be interested in studio work, on June 15^th Laura Hausmann begins her 8 week summer dance sessions at Taylor gym on Tuesday nights For more information, please contact Laura via email.

You may also want to explore some of the many yoga centers in the Lehigh Valley. We have a few listed in the ArtsLehigh Directory: a quick guide to the arts at Lehigh University and in the Local Community.

The Lehigh Valley is now in full gear with music festivals; and if it’s hard to keep still while you hear a great beat – why hold back? Perhaps I’m just a push-over for the Fox TV show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”

And so the summer begins: Director's note (extracted from June 3rd newsletter)

In response to last week’s reader requests, we’ll be featuring some local finds you’re your summer explorations. As luck would have it, The Lehigh University Art Galleries just published a beautiful brochure on the campus sculptures.

This weekend has a lot in store. The SouthSide Initiative is hosting a potluck at the Maze Garden during First Friday. Stop by for a chat to catch up on their progress in community garden efforts. In addition to the First Friday event, Saturday brings the great South Side Sale. We hope you’ll visit, shop or maybe volunteer for a little time. Sign up here:  Please specify  the shift you would like to volunteer: All Day (6:30 AM-5 PM); 6:30-9:30 AM; 9:00 AM-12 Noon; 12 Noon-3 PM OR 3:00-5:00 PM.

Holy Infancy Church is also doing their annual street party on Friday night (5-10 PM) and Saturday (Noon-10 PM). For anyone interested in eating local ethnic food, you’ll satisfy your appetite on the corner of Webster and 4th Street. I’ve eaten some of the best Tacos of my life here. Don’t forget to try a Portuguese donut. They’re wickedly tasty. Finally, if you’re walking about South Bethlehem on Sunday afternoon, you might catch a large gathering of Kilt walkers. It’s not the invasion of the Scotts! It’s the Kilted Celtic Crawl fundraiser for the Celtic Classic festival.

Mindless pranks mean more than you think.

Walk along Memorial Walkway and pass the sculpture, “Woman Sitting on Bench.” You may notice the latest evidence of stupidity on our campus. Some readers will more than likely roll their eyes at these words. But the reason for this letter, is that I’m not only angered by the act, but also by our lack of response to it. This “prank” is an act of vandalism. The act shows disrespect, rudeness and ignorance; qualities of hubristic people. The pranksters probably thought it was funny. I’ll tell you why it’s not.

In order to repair the damage, all of the patina will need to be removed. Patina is a film or incrustation produced on the surface of old bronze and often esteemed as being of ornamental value. The patina of the Statue of Liberty is green. That green color is produced when a mixture of chlorides, sulphides, and carbonates applied to the surface of bronze oxidizes with air. In order to get the “Woman on Bench” back to its original form of white patina, the entire statue will need to be stripped, chemicals re-applied and cured – many hours of man power and expense will go into this process.

But it’s not just the repair forcing more work on the art handlers. It’s the lack of respect to the artist, George Segal. The “woman” was his daughter. Lehigh University raised funds to acquire this piece. The piece was chosen after the artist’s death. Our institution agreed to maintain this piece of art on our campus. This act of stupidity is akin to desecration.

Silagh White

Director, ArtsLehigh

Lehigh University's Community Parterships Advisory Group

I couldn't be more excited about working with some of my colleagues on issues that are important to all of us at the university: community partnerships.

Lehigh has a long history of community engagement. The Office of Community and Regional Affairs and the Office of University Communications and Public Affairs recently completed a report that describes current programs and partnerships between Lehigh and the local community that support the mission of community engagement. What is very exciting, is being able to work with Dale Kochard. He's all around LEHIGH! Just find him on a rainy day, walking the streets of Bethlehem in his brown Lehigh Cap; smile on his face and a jaunty step. Dale is one of the most positive forces on this planet!

All areas of the institution are represented; all colleges, student affairs, athletics, academic outreach, and the arts. Every member of this group holds community engagement in highest regard. We're conscious of actions that build on existing partnerships, or create new relationships.

Through many activities, ArtsLehigh is driven to raise awareness of the available arts and creative activities on campus that may interest local citizens. We also encourage our students, faculty and staff to take advantage of the many resources in our community for exploration, learning, and entertainment.

Keys to great partnerships, is understanding what makes it work for BOTH parties. We must attribute the relationship whether the partnership is between the institution and a corporation, foundation, private donor, or community agency. We attribute gifts by naming buildings. When our research is backed by grants from government or foundations, each grant earned is recognized. For community agencies, our service and academic expertise supports their mission. We must continue to hold ourselves accountable for equal attribution. And we do.

It's not just about what's good for Lehigh - but what's good for the community.

Call Arts Funding - GANG PREVENTION!!!

I attended an information session last night at our local middle school on "Our Children and Gangs." The information was presented by the Bethlehem Area School District and the Bethlehem 222 Anti-Gang Task Force.

One thing I heard; "We need to keep the kids engaged after school. We need to provide these kids a sense of belonging. We need to give them opportunities to develop self-confidence."

That makes sense. But what doesn't make sense - is that if these are the recommendations of anti-gang task force, why is the school district, and other government based funding decisions CUTTING THE ARTS???

How many more surveys and studies do we have to do that demonstrate this in the ARTS?

Maybe a cost analysis is needed. What is the cost difference between arts programs, and incarceration? When and how do we act on nurturing these kids, instead of expecting future crime?

I keep hearing about how we shouldn't be passing debt to our children and grand-children. What debt would it be if we burden our children with a gang problem?

Why do I care? I have kids. What I heard last night scares me to death.

I also provide and support arts programs in the schools. Lehigh University is working to provide more. One sensible solution is to set up mentoring programs with the university students who could teach dance, music, spoken word, visual arts, creative writing, etc. University students would share their passions (vocation or avocation) with local students; an excellent model of community service. This idea would still require funding to have adult/trained supervisors oversee the program; costs of supplies, artist fees if we could also partner with local arts organizations.

The ASPIRE program funded activities like this. And now that funding pool is gone.

What would really make sense - is if the federal, state, local governments, and our school boards would get funding priorities straight. Granted, I know there are challenges. But let us not all miss the forest for the trees.

Community Relations; an arts administrator’s art &; family

I saw some amazing things at the March 5th First Friday. This event was highly anticipated by the ArtsLehigh program, as it was the opening of a unique art installation in six storefronts along East Third Street.  The installation is one of a four-part series of art experiences dedicated to Women’s History month.

This blog post is not about the creation of the art – but of the installation. There is an “art” to this as well. Some administrators may find the work necessary to realize another person's artistic vision to be labor intensive. Perhaps it is challenging; or, downright TEDIOUS. I live for it! It’s almost like the role of a mid-wife. We encourage the curators and the artists. But on another level, we strive to assure community partner comfort with the experiments. This is a vital part to our institution’s evolving relationships with multiple constituents in our local community.

The local constituents referred to in this post are the merchants of central South Bethlehem. They were always open to the installation idea. But the artists had to find a balance between their work and the stores’ identity to their customers.  After the initial installation in one of the stores, the artist was only able to partially complete it. The store had a big, black shroud over the street-facing window. The store looked closed. It was a shroud of retail death. It worried us all. Hours before opening, the artist finished the installation with a beautiful cut away – which now makes the installation even more intriguing, and the merchant – very happy.
Here’s a little secret. The incomplete installation wasn’t a good signal to passers by. While the store looked closed, the merchant was patient. All the other merchants expressed concerns about it; and shared them with me directly.  It was the way they looked out for their neighbor that told me this is a real family on 3rd street.

There’s another family on west Fourth Street. See, First Friday goes up there, too. I stopped by HomeBase skate shop to check in with my friend Andy Po. He was in the middle of surprise for one of their loyal customers. When I saw the post on his website this morning – my heart grew even greater for this store and this community. I was so moved by my affection – I came back for a haircut at Eskandalo the next day.

The South Side merchant family is why I’m proud to wear my Bethlehem citizen badge. And the joy in my work is why I’m satisfied.

Gentle reader, if you want to know more about the art, I would direct you to the One Stone Collective website for the 3rd street installation. The installation runs until March 27th. And if you haven't yet voted for the Pepsi Refresh Project funding for the Bethlehem Skatepark - Please click here: bookmark it and vote every day. Our city's chance for $250,000 runs out March 31st.

Getting ready for another exciting semester - but here's a quick news recap

A few highlights that have happened in Bethlehem while students were away on break:

1.     1. Touchstone presented their 10^th annual production of the Christmas City. Audience members got to see who won the battle for Christmas Tree honors in “Angel vs. Star”

2.    2.  The First Annual Peeps Fest happened. Looper’s won the Peeps dessert prize for their “Peep Show Peepsadilla” A grilled quesadilla featuring peanut butter, chocolate chips and chipotle peppers along with the Green Xmas Tree Peeps.

3.     3. First Night Bethlehem rang in 2010 with music, reverie, fireworks and the annual Peep Drop.

4.     4. Bethlehem Skate Plaza broke ground. News story

Caught up? Good. Now brace yourself for another great semester.

The weekly edition of the ArtsLehigh eNewsletter is to help keep you informed on the arts and cultural experiences available to you on campus and in the local community. We hope that if this is a useful resource for you, that you share it with friends and colleagues.

If you want to take your art news gathering up a notch, join the ArtsLehigh Fanpage to get background information on upcoming events. We believe a little more information makes the experience better. For real time updates, follow us on Twitter.  We would love to post your views on the arts and culture at Lehigh University here. Send us your comments, or viewpoints. There’s plenty of room here.

We hope you are ready for some experiences that may entice, excite, enlighten or even transform you.  Welcome back.

Social media for an old Lounge Lizard

I just read an article from the Guardian that reviewed some of the top 30 art apps for iPhones. I got some of the free ones- because at heart, this is the juncture of a personal definition of art and tech geek fun.

Yes, the iPhone has revolutionized my life. But in a good way? Well – it’s great that I can check email, facebook, twitter, national and local news sources – ANYTIME I want to. But is social media the right tool for connecting people with art? My applied research is how not only to use the tool for promotion – but how does social media engage people? Does Facebook empower them? Does Twitter really make people feel like they have something valuable to say?

Lately, I’ve felt that Twitter and Facebook has become the lounge lizard space I used to identify when I was a college student… way back in my youth.

In the Lawrence U conservatory main lobby, there was a circle of chairs and a couple of couches where students hung out during practice breaks, or before classes. But the real lounge lizards were those of us who waited there for friends to come out of rehearsals. It would have made better sense to use the time practicing. Instead we found our conversations more valuable. We explored a galaxy of issues; from cafeteria dining experiences, to the latest embarrassing moment, to even world politics. I have so many fond memories of college friends and moments from the orange chairs with the rounded backs.

What are today’s college students going to remember? Will they be something they read on a glowing phone screen? I truly hope their memories will be of real faces, places, smells and textures of the world they’re in right now.

My business is to introduce new ideas to students. The ideas may take shape in an experience, art production, art making or in the creative environment around them. The ideas aren’t mine. My job is to help them find these ideas. And in order to do that, I’m most effective when I can get them to try something out of the ordinary. I think to when I was encouraged to try something new.

I was sitting on an orange chair with a rounded back. A friendly lounge lizard told me that English Stout was the best tasting beer in the world. Not long after that conversation, I realized he was right when I tasted my first Old Peculiar. And that experience opened up a world of culinary explorations. A life-long joy to discover new tastes of food and beverages from around the world. It’s great to match food with culture. I’ll admit it – I’m a humanist in the most basic sensory way.

And now it’s my turn to pay it forward. I now introduce new experiences for students, not knowing what will be a lifelong value for them. I hope that as we continue on our daily work, there will be a moment I helped to connect a value for someone.

Self-Reflection 101

What makes a good arts administrator? What makes a good artist? What do we admire in each? Are they different? Totally opposing forces?

What about the audience? Is it what we bring to the experience? or what we receive? Does art need to be administered? Do administrators need to be more artistic?

Perhaps the reason the writer questions, is because there is a self driven need to step back from the day to day grind of business, and reflect more on why we do our 'jobs'.

For at the end of it all, perhaps it's not so much about what we've done - but how we have all contributed to the continuum.