By: Mitra
Art Events, Goals, Mitra's Art, Santa Barbara, , , , ,

Lucidity inspires a Penny University connection…

Lucidity Festival 2012 – My first 3 day vending experience – in the back-country of Santa Barbara. I really enjoyed getting involved behind the scenes (as a vendor and marketing collaborator). The full experience bounced around all ends of my emotional spectrum.

Image
My set-up... in reality
Image
The rain - oh the rain!

These festivals are so full of creative expression and amazing displays that it’s impossible to list everything. Some of the new experiences for me included:

  • – The lightning, thunder, rain and hail storm provided by mother nature at Live Oak campground.
  • – Healing Sanctuary dome meditation with didgeridoo, singing bowl, incense, and crystals.
  • – Beautiful vendor display by Fire Groove, the glow forest and fire dancers
  • – Music and Kava from the Russian art car of Rebel-foods.com
  • – The ‘All one Ark’ mobile spa and the music art car next to them… great logo, flower lanterns, and black light 2nd level.
  • – The bamboo, cloth, and branch weaving construction designs on the temple, nest, and main Lucid stage.

I put together a little mobi site for the festival with an index of performers, vendors, and art installations. It got lots of attention over the week leading up to the event. There were also 2 other mobile apps created for the event. The media team did something right – because the event sold out of 3 day tickets and the campground was full of people! I’m not sure what the official list is… but I believe it’s something like: 1 official website, 1 mobi, 2 apps, 1 facebook product page, 8 facebook event pages, 4 facebook group pages, 1 twitter account… posters, videos, radio… here is a local article and some other posts I have found:
http://www.independent.com/news/2012/apr/09/lucidity-festival-live-oak/
http://thesagepress.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/lucidity-weekend/

My vending experience was educational. I have had this dream of a mobile studio ever since college. Over the years it has slowly developed…. and this 3 day event helped me add a few new ideas to the existing concept. The key elements:

  • An exhibit! Something to observe and provoke conversation
  • Interactive attraction, something large that attracts people from a distance (Flower photo stop, or music)
  • Performance (live painting) something to watch and entertain people.
  • Defined space/location, protected from sun or rain etc. (The 10×10 tent or art car)
  • Stuff for sale, something affordable people need, like coffee, wine, or snack food (and the art!)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

– Provide coffee, tea, and other traditional drinks for the ‘penny university’ concept: Penny University is a term originating from the 18th-century coffeehouses in London, England. Instead of paying for drinks, people were charged a penny to enter a coffeehouse. Once inside, the patron had access to coffee, the company of others, various discussions, pamphlets, bulletins, newspapers, and the latest news and gossip. Reporters called “runners” went around to the coffeehouses announcing the latest news, perhaps not too unlike what we might hear on the TV or the radio today. This environment attracted an eclectic group of people who met and mingled with each other at these coffeehouses. In a society that placed such a high importance on class and economic status, the coffeehouses were unique because the patrons were people from all levels of society. Anyone who had a penny could come inside. Students from the universities also frequented the coffeehouses, sometimes even spending more time at the shops than at school. (Festivals are for networking, marketing, and inspiration)
– Yes, an art car/ trailer is required! (the tent set-up it too vulnerable to weather – of course I would like to collect and display art cars like some women collect shoes)
– Projection, lights, and music are awesome! (required functionality for the art car entertainment!)

I also designed the logo / banner art for a mobile food vendor at Lucidity, Kaptian’s Firehouse BBQ. I think he sold out every day! The food vendors were popular –  the yummy food from Sol Foods was a life saver!

Great event and priceless experience! Thrilliam has posted some great photos on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThrilliamPro