Spatula&Barcode Launch “Home Stretch”, a Summer Festival of Small Art Events

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nine hands on a log
photo by Shane Rounce

The arts collaborative Spatula&Barcode has launched Home Stretch, a “distributed festival” of small artistic acts taking place in Madison, WI between the summer solstice (21 June) and the autumn equinox (22 September). By appointment, participating artists will offer intimate performances and other arts experiences throughout the summer. All bookings are handled through the event website: /www.homestretch.art/.

“We felt that this summer would be a time of transition between COVID lockdowns and eventual  reopening,” says Laurie Beth Clark, co-founder, with Michael Peterson, of Spatula&Barcode. “We want to explore how forms of performance and other kinds of aesthetic sociality can help us re-learn how to be together.” 

Each participating artist has devised an event or experience for individuals or small groups. Offerings range from walking tours to site-specific dances, from a poignant musical canoe ride to an outdoor magic act. 

Artists participating at this time include Amber Palmer, Angela Johnson & Justin Bitner, Bird Ross, Cyra Polizzi, Derick Wycherly, James Ember, Jen Plants,  Laurie Beth Clark & Maya Barsacq & Meg Mitchell, Lesley Numbers, Marina Kelly & Bethany Alwa, , Michael Peterson, Nicole Gruter, Quanda Johnson, Solarpunk Surfclub, Teresa Audet, Victoria Hoff and Zoe Cohen. Additional acts will be added throughout the summer.

Participating artists have committed to meet or exceed city, county, state and CDC COVID-19 guidelines. While there are no public health orders currently in place, each work is clearly described so that the public can sign up for experiences based on their interests and their comfort level. Most works happen outside and don’t require masks, while at least one performance will be open only to vaccinated spectators.

The festival title refers less to the idea of the final part of a race, Peterson says: “it’s more about that artists are stretching their homes, and the public is stretching out of lockdown bit by bit. These art experiences are a chance to stretch our social and artistic muscles.”

Home Stretch is partially supported by grants from the Madison Arts Commission and the University of Wisconsin Division of the Arts. All events are free to attend, though some performers may pass a hat or request donations to specific causes. Information and registration is at https://www.homestretch.art/.

COVID FOODWAYS: Invitation to Participate

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How has the pandemic changed food for you? How have you adapted your foodways to meet these new conditions?

Spatula&Barcode invites you to participate in the COVID FOODWAYS project.

There are three ways to participate:

  1. FAST AND EASY

Post an image with a short description in any language of a change in the way you eat, cook, or shop since the start of the pandemic on your preferred social media, using the hashtag #covidfoodways. 

sign indicating that bulk sales have been suspended
  1. SURVEY

Complete the consumer survey.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/CovidFoodwaysSurvey.

(If you are a food producer, please consider completing the producer survey as well at https://tinyurl.com/CovidFoodwaysProducersSurvey.)

Hay versiones en español de ambas encuestas disponibles; contáctenos si las prefiere.

large outdoor cooking kettles
  1. IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION

Schedule an online conversation by contacting us at spatulaandbarcode@gmail.com if you are especially interested in this topic or have unique experiences with food in the pandemic. We’ll set up a remote interview that will contribute to an artwork or essay or film on this theme. 

También se puede participar en las entrevistas en español.

We are all affected by the pandemic and its impact on our food systems–please forward this email to anyone who might be interested!

For more background and context on COVID FOODWAYS visit this page.

PHYSICAL DISTANCE / SOCIAL SOLIDARITY masks available

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Spatula&Barcode is pleased to announce the availability of masks printed with the words:

PHYSICAL DISTANCE
SOCIAL SOLIDARITY

We are gifting these masks to honor friends, relatives, colleagues, and students who are working for social justice through protests, activism, labor, financial contributions, education, lived experience, etc. 

If you would like to have a mask, let us know your color preference and your mailing address. 

The masks are multi-layered machine-washable cotton with comfortable elastic bands that go around the head instead of the ears. They have an adjustable nose bridge for a secure fit and are gathered at the chin. They are hand screen printed with non-toxic waterbase inks by Screen Door Studio, a woman-owned print shop in Madison, WI, specializing in small custom screenprint jobs.

Masks with text: "Physical Distance/Social Solidarity" in red, purple, grey, black, and 4 shades of blue

Please include a sentence or two about what you have been doing so we can add it to our blog where we are documenting different ways to engage with anti-racist action during a pandemic. You can see what others are doing on this page.

If you would like to help to fund the next round of mask printing, you can do so via paypal (spatulaandbarcode@gmail.com).