Pop-Up Gallery for BICAS

Stuart Robinson and I are so thrilled that BICAS approved our plan for a pop-up gallery on the UA Mall! Pop-up galleries are a fun, low-cost way to spread the word about BICAS to the UA community.

Advertising can seem like an expensive, unattainable luxury to non-profits; however, with a touch of creativity, a non-profit like BICAS can spread the word about its programming, while also building a relationship with the campus community. During this current economic downturn, creativity is highly valued as a necessary skill. Specifically, Susan Monagan, Susan Christopherson, and Suzanne Loker write about the links that can be made between university campuses and non-profits in their study, Creative Economy Practitioner’s Toolkit: Taking Advantage of Campus and Community Resources (Part 1). This study spoke to the core of what Stuart and I wish to accomplish. “Planning a festival or special event is a terrific entry point for a community trying to get started with creative-economy initiatives. Festivals and special events can be designed to be very flexible, provide opportunities for inclusion and satisfy multiple agendas. These events provide communities (and visitors) with evidence of successful collaboration and cooperation, accomplishment, capacity, diversity and liveliness” (par. 25).

For those who are unfamiliar with the pop-up concept, let me explain. The economy has caused many businesses to go under, leaving many vacant shops and buildings everywhere, especially in large cities. Particularly in cities like San Francisco and New York, artists and collectives have contacted building owners and negotiated the space for short periods of time for very low rent. For nights or even weeks at a time, galleries “pop-up” in these spaces, making a fun, lively, communal space for the community to engage with.

Stuart and I wish to take this concept and apply it to BICAS and the U of A. By hosting a pop-up gallery on the UA Mall showcasing the art of BICAS artist’s, we hope to spread the word about this wonderful non-profit to the students, teachers, and administrators on campus.

I have been working on the promotional materials for the pop-up show. As of now, Stuart and I are planning on hosting the event on November 16^th. If this changes, I will notify you all. In addition, I have posted the current version of the event postcard.