Mobile Artist Tools for GRRL commissioned!

Springboard for the Arts and Ready Go teamed up with the Great River Regional Library (GRRL) to commission two new Mobile Artist Tools that will be added to the Ready Go roster and work with GRRL branch libraries. Through an RFQ process we received 13 responses and asked 5 artists/artist teams to create full proposals with a $300 stipend. We are pleased to announce that the panel of Springboard staff, Ready Go artist and Great River Regional Library staff selected two artists/artist teams to create new Mobile Artist Tools- The Art Book Club and Terrell X’s Collaboratory Outdoor Music Lab!

Led by Monica Cavanaugh Rojas and Nicole Rojas-Oltmanns, the Art Book Club cart will allow participants to deeply engage with books through a variety of art and literacy experiences. For each book experience, we will offer an art and literacy project, discussion questions, book suggestions, and a resource zine all of which can be utilized whether participants have read the book or not.

Monica Cavanaugh Rojas is a bilingual queer Latina who hopes to engage communities through writing and artistic practices involving magical realism, joy, and play. Learn more about Monica’s work at www.monicacavanaughrojas.com

Learn more about Nicole’s work is a queer writer, artist, educator, adventurer, and radical homemaker of Norewegian descent who seeks to create joy through play and curiosity. Learn more about Nicole’s work at www.nicolerojasoltmanns.com

Carnage The Executioner A.K.A. Terrell X (he/him), started his musical journey in 1984 – at age 10. Since then, he has spent the last 30 years professionally making music, motivational speaking, performing as a one-man band, traveling the world, and educating all ages of people from various socio-economic backgrounds. For his Mobile Tool, Terrell will create The Collaboratory Outdoor Music Deck.  Simply put, this phenomenon, inspired by 1984 Transformers Hero Optimus Prime’s mysterious trailer, will be a live performance stage on wheels. It will support the weight of a sound system and multiple instrumentalists — as it will be ready to park anywhere with the purpose of enabling the facilitation of music instruction courses, promoting collaboration and building community.

Learn more about his work at www.carnagetheexecutioner.com

Each artist will be awarded $5000 to bring their projects to life, which will be added to the Ready Go Mobile Artist Tools roster and work with GRRL branch libraries throughout Minnesota later this year. Stay tuned for updates from the artists as these projects come to life, and where to find them in action, at www.readygoart.com!

Timeline:
Now-July 31: Mobile Tool fabrication and testing- in collaboration with Ready Go and GRRL.
August and September: 3 official launch events with Great River Regional Libraries+listing on the Ready Go tool roster.

Springboard for the Arts’ Ready Go is a collection of artist-created, mobile tools that are purpose-built to pique curiosity, prompt interaction and facilitate engagement. The Mobile Artist Tools are available for hire by libraries, non-profits, cities and businesses seeking new and creative ways to interact with their patrons, communities, employees and customers.

This program is made possible by the MN Legacy Amendment.