SparkCon is a conference and showcase dedicated to connecting the local creative community in the Triangle area of North Carolina. In short it’s
A platform for local talent
to show their stuff
and have a say in our community.
By talent, we mean scientific as well as artistic, geeky and musical. It takes a “creative ecosystem” to have a vibrant scene. Sparkcon’s aim is to recognize and support all the people who work to make local talent shine: especially independent businesses and organizations focused on diversity.
A 100% volunteer effort that is organized as an “Open Source” effort, each Spark component of SparkCon is created by individuals who are deeply embedded in specific local scenes. Using a combination of networking and open call-for-participants, these organizers have aimed to create the most diverse and representative events to show off local talent. In so doing, many have found success at creating new and lasting connections across disparate creative scenes.
Our aim is to connect the creative community. We attempt this by:
1. Holding speaker and workshop sessions to extract relevant community ideas.
2. Showcasing local talent.
Our approach is a decentralized “starfish” model that allows experts embedded in different creative communities to dictate how to go about a proper showcase for thier field. SparkCon is an open source type model that is more about process than content.
In the end, SparkCon is dictated by those who show up and participate.
Here’s how to get involved:
1. Save the date: Sep 19-21 - and come enjoy it!
2. Participate: There will be many call-for-entries: from Music to Graffiti to StreetPainting. Kepp an eye out and submit your stuff.
3. Organize: add your spark to the community by helping us put SparkCon together.See our ORGANIZER site for details.
For more information, take a tour of this website
Connect with our MYSPACE PAGE Share your pics to our FLICKR GROUP or email us: contact-at-sparkcon.com
One Response to “What is it?”
Kristen Gallagher on May 15th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
HI, I happened on this site and browsed through… it seems very cool. I’m the Arts Coordinator for Voices Activated, a student activism and awareness group at my high school, Providence, in Charlotte, NC. Could I get a little more info on the convention? I’d like to see if this would be a good venue for us.
Producing Sponsors
A.H. Peele, Barefoot Press, Eight Gates Music, Lulu, Urban Design Center, City of Raleigh, Vintage21
Media Sponsors
The Arts Center, Arts Ramble, CenterFest Arts Festival, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Georges Rousse Project, Raleigh Chronicle, Raleigh Hatchet
Promotional Sponsors
Adstracts, American Film and Print Services, Cherry Huffman Archtects, Distill, Lucy Daniels, Paul Mosca & Jennifer Fusco, Shorts Printing, Tannis Root, Thomas Crowder, William Webb—Webb & Webb
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Thank you!
Spark Con’s inaugural year would not have happened without the endless energy and tireless support of a community of volunteers that included (with apologies to anyone we have missed!):
Sam Adams , Jen Arthur, Peter Aufrichtig, Ann Marie Baum, Ty Beddingfeld, Linda Belans, Marshall Brain, Suzy Buck, Angie Carter, Louis Cherry, Ashley Christensen, Carrie Colliton, Reid Conrad, Daniel Coop, Larry Cooper, Marie Cordella, Phebe Cornell, Meagan Coward, Sharon Crawford, Steve Crell, Thomas Crower, Bart Cusick, Linda Dallas, Rene Davenport , Dilsey Davis, Bruce Deboer, Natasha Desai, Maura Dillon, Miranda Downer, Duck and Dumpling Staff, Justin Elder, Erin Fish, Peter Farquhar, Paul Friedrich, Ping Fu, Bob Geary, Annelies Gentile, Raymond Goodman, Cheryl Gottschall, Willie Green-Aldridge, Angelica Garcia, Dianna Gazzia, Arthur Gordon, Michael Grant, Bill Gregory , Doug Grissom, Kathy Hart, Pam Hartley, Greg Hatem, Britt Hayes, Dean Hering, Andy Heyman, Claire Hester, Brian Hoffman, Humble Pie Staff, David Jones, Michelle Jones, Chloe Katz, Aly Khalifa, Beth Khalifa, Ben Kittner, Dean Klemushin, George Kroustalis , Roger Krupa, Michael Kurtz, Katrina Lamberto, Jim LeeMary, Lindsley, Longview Center Staff, Neal MacDonald, Alex Mengel, Chris McGee, Gretchen McLaren, John McLaughlin, The Hon. Charles Meeker, Janet Mobley, Robert Mooney, Kelly Myers, Azim Najafie, Lia Newman, Devon Orgeron, Marsha Orgeron, Isaac Panzarella, John Parker, Marta Pirzadeh, Steve Popson, Sarah Powers, Raleigh Times Staff, Iris RamirezReese, Carla Rea, Diane Reeves, Bryan Regan, Jill Rossi, Lynn Ruck, Kurt Schlatzer, Chico Scott, Becky Shankle, Gab Smith, Gordon Smith, Eric Sowers, April Stroth, Francesca Talenti, Bill Thelen, Lee Tripi, Greg Turmel, Carol Vargo, Lynnea Villanova, Keith Ward, Deborah Westmoreland, Reagan Wise, Dave Zahn, Inaki Zubizarreta
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by the numbers
SPARK CON By the Numbers
Did Spark Con reach it’s goal of “igniting the Triangle as the creative hub of the South?” The numbers tell the story…
36 organizers from Designbox, Artspace, Exploris, the Music Monitor Network and lots of community volunteers
20 event sponsors
4 key creative focus areas: the Arts, Independent Business, Inclusivity, and Technology
1 keynote address by Ping Fu, CEO of Geomagic and Inc’s “Entrepreneur of the Year”
13 inspiring speakers featuring an impressive line-up of some of the Triangle’s most creative minds including Linda Belans, Marshall Brain, Reid Conrad, Linda Dallas, Dilsey Davis, Arthur Gordon, Greg Hatem, Jim Lee, John McLaughlin, John Parker, Steve Popson, Iris Ramirez Reese, Bill Thelen
200 participants in 4 workshops exploring how to make the Triangle the Creative Hub of the South
15 original Spark Con posters featuring the work of local artists on display all over town
7 local films and 1 world premier of Sean Lennon’s “Friendly Fire”
11 music acts Lincoln Center including World Party and Little Brother
100 original fashions in FashionSpark, a fashion show featuring the work of 14 local designers and 80 models
92 local artists featured in ImageSlam at Moore Square Park
60 venues opening their doors for tours, activities, and services
3000 participants enjoying 3 days of nonstop activity
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Thriving Indy Biz
Given a blank slate and a simple question, four diverse groups of artists, independent busi-nesspeople, and technology professionals set about imagining the Triangle as a thriving creative scene. What follows are the wish lists, recommendations, and wildest dream ideas that emerged from the AllSpark, ArtSpark, IndySpark, and TechSpark workshops in September of 2006.
How to make a thriving Independent Business scene:
Barn-raise Ideas Into Actions
Empowering individuals to encourage entrepreneurial spirit was a hot topic in the IndySpark workshop. Talk veered to the highly effective barn-raising efforts common in Amish communities. Workshop participants grew wishful thinking about using a similar ap-proach to gather together local entrepreneurs to help new businesses get off the ground. Another sentiment centered around the need for better connection between the burgeoning local fi nancial institutions and the practical needs of local small businesses—a connection with the potential to ultimately add much to the area’s economic health.
Welcome a Mondial Market
A healthy independent business climate, partici-pants said, is one of different sensory infl uences, di-verse religions, and multi-lingual communication. Diversity like this opens the door for many differ-ent types of restaurants, stores, and professional services and allows entrepreneurs to expand the range of fl avors available to local consumers. One group welcomed the idea of a focused bazaar that would be a destination point for Triangle residents to get an international “fix.”
Capture Vibe and Spirit
Many people felt that the backdrop of a thriving scene for independent business is one where people are out and about—from nightlife to festivals to readings by authors—because, they surmised, it’s the gatherings of people that lead to an environ-ment rich with vitality. For instance, people should have more opportunities for “front porch” partici-pation like at Weaver Street Market, the friendly mixing of customers and staff at Irregardless, or book readings at Quail Ridge. This type of thing tends to happen in places that mirror spirited interaction with visual texture, interesting shop windows, and the sound of laughter.
Fuel Third Places
It was expressed that unlike work places and homes, it’s the coffee shops, thrift stores, galleries, and restaurants where we mingle that tie our com-munities together. An exciting cultural vibe is the natural offshoot of giving third places room to take root and grow. These places can then inspire deeper pursuits like community involvement, volunteer-ism, and, ultimately, economic stability.
Go E-mopolitan
A vital business community is one where people in-tegrate their passions with their businesses. Home grown businesses are infectious—from farmer’s markets to local brew pubs to university projects. While people like to celebrate big successes, root-ing for the underdog is more likely to captivate a community. Businesses don’t have to be big to be cool, just committed to a vision. It’s on that basis of integrity that communities can decide which busi-nesses deserve the most support.
Sprout It
The physical environment is one key to the Triangle’s vitality. Bike lanes, parks, greenways, beautiful landscapes, rickshaws, and mounted police all contribute to the feeling of a pedestrian space where “what you need is on the street.” The logic to preserve the natural environment also extends to protecting the built environment. His-torical re-use spurs independent business in many ways: from creative use of old spaces, to innovative architecture, to new cultural centers like American Tobacco in Durham and Seaboard in Raleigh. It also defi nes the authentic icons of our independent business climate.
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Thriving Inclusivity
Given a blank slate and a simple question, four diverse groups of artists, independent busi-nesspeople, and technology professionals set about imagining the Triangle as a thriving creative scene. What follows are the wish lists, recommendations, and wildest dream ideas that emerged from the AllSpark, ArtSpark, IndySpark, and TechSpark workshops in September of 2006.
How to make a thriving atmosphere of Inclusivity:
Savor a Sensory Smorgasbord
Workshop participants say they know they are in a diverse and inclusive scene when their senses are overcome with rich smells, foreign languages, inter-esting music, and people who look different from each other. It is like a kaleidoscope of different experiences and creates a rich and fl am-boyant atmosphere. Among the ideas fl ying around this session was a suggestion that public schools offer an international menu day.
Get Frickin’ Jazzed
An inclusive atmosphere creates a kind of safety net where people feel cozy enough to truly open them-selves up. Again and again the concept of feeling “free” was mentioned as a defi nition of this type of place: free to express yourself and be yourself, where all ideas are equal and the people around you are tolerant. This dynamic leads to a place where ideas and inspiration are more important than any particular individual. It was compared to the way people feel when they sing karaoke. The trick is to fi nd ways to create that in other parts of people’s lives.
Encourage Positivity
Encouragement seemed to be a big part of an inclusive scene. The focus should be on recognizing differences and working towards commonality. Simple cues like body language, smiles, and pats on the back do a lot to help people feel accepted by one another and gives them a sense of truly belonging to a community.
Funk the Quilt
More than just being accepting though, an inclusive scene pushes “cultural kinetics” and forces the transfer of energy between diverse groups. Multicultural events that incorporate otherwise disparate groups of people can do a lot to create links between different parts of the community: be it age, ethnicity or socioeconomic differences. One bold idea even recommended having the mayors of each Triangle city switch places with each other for a week.
Create the Open Road
To feel integrated, communities need to be shared physically. The very best way of tearing down the barriers of physical separation is to connect people with mass transit. Ideally, these lead people to public spaces where they can listen to live music, see sports teams, and visit art events in addition to connecting to everyday destinations like schools and coffee shops.
Weave the Common Thread
A community comes together where families come together. Common to both of these groups—com-munities and families—is the notion of unconditional loyalty to each other. And building consensus is a common technique for making decisions. Working together on simple projects—whether it’s a family building a tree house or a community connecting downtown artists with suburban patrons—can unify groups of people and create bonds of mutual respect.
Fill the Sponge
At the root of an inclusive scene is the quest for knowledge. Paying attention to different types of people helps individuals “fill the sponge” of their minds and gain perspective on their own lives. People have to be willing to know that they are heard as much as they are willing to hear others. If people can do this, they will shift the ground of the current paradigm, and create increasing confi dence in themselves as individuals and as a community.
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Thriving Technology
Given a blank slate and a simple question, four diverse groups of artists, independent busi-nesspeople, and technology professionals set about imagining the Triangle as a thriving creative scene. What follows are the wish lists, recommendations, and wildest dream ideas that emerged from the AllSpark, ArtSpark, IndySpark, and TechSpark workshops in September of 2006.
How to make a thriving Technology scene:
Go for Wow
The Triangle is known inter-nationally as an innovative place. That inventive spirit should be welcomed through widely accessible amenities like public art, public WIFI, diverse performances, and stunning architecture. In other words, to be truly creative in technological endeav-ors, people must be surrounded by creative outlets.
Create Energy Synergy
A strong desire to communicate with each other was an idea that emerged as important to the diverse group of participants. Freely associating in coffee shops, open air community spaces, and beautiful and innovative architecture support this type of communication as do programs that encourage the building of more communal and incubator spaces where new ideas are constantly fostered. The general consensus being that inclusive environments offering a feeling of comfort, inviting atmosphere, and safety provide a base for inspiration.
Jump in a Mind Pool
Great ideas are commonplace in the Triangle. Stunning insights and exciting R&D advance-ments in everything from science and computers to bioscience and medicine are pretty much an everyday occurrence here. However, in order to maintain and motivate a leading-edge technology scene, people need faster access to each other’s ideas and the Triangle’s leading minds need support to try out their emerging ideas. Community aware-ness of breakthroughs inspires others to try new things…in a never ending cycle.
Celebrate Failing Forward
Just because every idea doesn’t result in commercial success doesn’t mean that the knowledge gained from it isn’t reason for celebration. Bragging about experiments and sharing a willingness to try new endeavors were viewed by participants as impor-tant to supporting the Triangle’s innovative spirit. Nurturing the community’s “dream factories” and an inclusive creative process were recommended as strong community focus areas.
Discover the Creative Corridor
The open source movement was identifi ed as a leading model of how to create collaborative, engag-ing, and inexpensive methods towards excellence. Community is built through the sharing of ideas whether it’s from homes built by Habitat for Hu-manity or book readings at Quail Ridge Bookstore. Places that encourage this type of open exchange become cultural hubs. More venues for public expression—including everything from public speaking venues and graffi ti walls to music spaces and regularly facilitated creative sessions—were mentioned as key to generating and gathering ideas.
Spark Some Risk
No one was talking about hand-outs, but there was a general sense that in order to become the “creative hub of the South” a certain level of fund-ing of risk without immediate reward is necessary. Resources like this enable citizens to act on insights and dreams without being errantly shut down by infl exible rules, regulations, or institutions and, in a broader sense, creative capital isn’t squandered by a failure to take risks. Participants saw a direct correlation between a community that supports healthy risk and one that moves from good ideas directly into good economy.
Grow It Green
The natural environment is one of the Triangle’s greatest assets and key to the community’s overall health and well-being. Technologies that pre-serve the region’s green spaces and ensure a clean environment are crucial to the Triangle’s future as a creative hub. Not only were outdoor spaces, cycling and walking greenways, and a fully functioning mass transit system viewed as important, but the group hoped to see Triangle innovators lead the way in the development of green technologies. Green technologies were viewed as motivators for hard work and a sense of regional pride that can someday be passed on to the younger generation.
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Thriving Art Scene
Given a blank slate and a simple question, four diverse groups of artists, independent busi-nesspeople, and technology professionals set about imagining the Triangle as a thriving creative scene. What follows are the wish lists, recommendations, and wildest dream ideas that emerged from the AllSpark, ArtSpark, IndySpark, and TechSpark workshops in September of 2006.
How to make a thriving Arts scene:
Sensory Playground
Workshop participants described the feeling associated with a thriving arts scene as a “vibosphere.” Such an environ-ment, they said, is fi lled with galleries, festivals, free public performances, poetry slams, wild hair, wacky people, thinkers, and skateboarders as well as lots of lights, fi lm, and public creative spaces which encourages risk taking.
Make Art a Verb in the Triangle
Art happens in all kinds of places and at all kinds of times which means that in order for an art scene to become vital it needs accessible venues and promo-tion. Salons, galleries, museums, and street art are all seen as viable mediums for injecting different levels of art into the community. One way to gain support for a wide variety of venues and encourage new opportuni-ties is to establish and post a comprehensive list of weekly art events in a highly visible way—on a digital board on Fayetteville Street, for instance.
Give Art an Affordable Voice
Support of the arts is crucial to the fabric of com-munity. Seed money can go a long way in supporting some astounding creative expression. Free spaces that are otherwise unused can become central points of artistic expression. Artists in turn have the respon-sibility to let these places be as accessible as possible to everyone—from meeting ADA requirements to fully integrating with the community so that art can become part of a relevant social dialogue.
Cross-Pollinate Ideas
Artists were well-represented at Spark Con and most attending artists expressed a desire to work with non-artists. These artists were intrigued with the possibili-ties of incorporating thrilling new technologies into their artwork and they crave dialogue to help them learn how. There was much discussion about synthesis and how combining art with other aspects of the community creates a cross-fertilization that bridges diversity and inspires everyone. Anyone up for pairing up artists and techies in a speed-dating format?
Educate the Creative Arts Community
Public discussion about art achieves two purposes. It adds value so that art is not taken for granted. And, it pushes artists to go further with their work. Accord-ing to the workshop participants, art is increasingly seen as having a healing component that inspires people in other aspects of their lives. There was a prevailing sense among participants that newspaper art critics could upgrade the public discourse about artistic expression by adding educational compo-nents to their reviews.
Push the Internal Edges of Art
Art comes in many forms, and a community that loves art sees it not just in paintings and music but in all their senses—from food to the natural environ-ment. A thriving art scene allows us to experience expression with all fi ve of our senses, removing barriers so we can have surprises in life and creating active conversations and discussion across people of diverse backgrounds.
We Art Here
Collectives like Antfarm, Team Lump, and Artspace were called out as examples of places that give the arts a home. Not only do groups like this bring down costs for members but they also foster collaboration and competition among artists that allow them to take their visions further and further. In addition, these group formats help give their members stronger voices and become visible symbols of the arts.
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Comment 06
What Inspires a Creative Community?
By several accounts the Triangle has become one of the most creative places to live in the country. We boast exceptional talent on a wide field—from pharmaceutical patents to rock bands. But ask a local what the identity of the Triangle is, and you’ll find a creative person struggling for an answer. We believe it is a modest step to claim this area as the “Creative Hub the South.” To claim an identity requires us to adhere to it as well. Furthermore, it should inspire us to purposefully nurture and grow the Creative Hub we claim to be. How do we do that? SPARK CON. Ignite the Creative Hub of the South
Put lots of creative people together in one room, give them a common mission, and the ideas fly fast and furiously. All told, the four workshops held in September of 2006 filled 60 big pages of flipchart paper. But in the end, some core ideas and common themes emerged as essential for the Triangle to earn the distinction “Creative Hub of the South.” Here are the top ten recommendations from our community on how to do it:
1. Foster a vibrant urban core featuring a diverse mix of interests, ethnicity, and ages
2. Increase focus on green spaces that allows people to enjoy the environment
3. Develop safer pedestrian and bicycle activity to encourage people to explore
4. Create dynamic public spaces where arts and technology can intermingle
5. Support collectives as incubators of creativity
6. Develop an information hub to publicly promote all creative activities from new patents to gallery shows
7. Encourage programs to foster emerging talent of all types—from small shops and restaurants to artists and inventors
8. Regularly exhibit and celebrate home grown talent of all kinds in public projects
9. Improve public transit infrastructure to bring people to public squares, urban cores, and green spaces
10. Promote tolerance and gain insight from our many different backgrounds
See more detailed workshop recommendation from the community on:
“Creativity can be a new idea. It can be an old idea with new context. It can be a couple of ideas in a different synergy to what people thought before. I can tell you that it not only takes passion, it also takes perseverance to get things done. You can have a great idea, but unless you are willing to pursue it and make it happen, it often doesn’t happen.”
Mayor Charles Meeker, introducing Spark Con keynote speaker, Ping Fu
September 14, 2006
This is a TENTATIVE look at the 2008 event schedule.
Schedules are suggestions only and not fixed.
Many more components will be added as suggested.
Friday Sep 5 - Saturday Sep 6
Booth and digital media presence at Raleigh Wide Open to promote Spark Con
SPARK CON WEEKEND
Friday Sep 19
3pm: GroundSPARK
6 pm: Kickoff
7 pm: FashionSPARK @ Moore Square
9p: MusicSPARK events all around town
Saturday Sep 20 9a: GroundSPARK @ Moore Square
10a: SPARKBazaar, YogaSPARK @ Moore Square
10a: BugSPARK @ Museum of Natural Sciences
10a: IdeaSPARK unconference @ Urban Design Center
7p: ArtSPARK / DanceSPARK/ Performances @ Moore Square
9p: MusicSPARK events all around town
SPARK CON printed schedule, The Independent Weekly, September 19
There is a printed schedule of the different SPARK CON happenings for the upcoming weekend, on page 23 of this weeks Indy! Or download it here.
filmSPARK to Showcase the Triangle’s Latest Filmmakers, September 18 Read the Press Release.
As a Community Volunteer effort, our Spark Components are determined by those people in the public who have the energy, vision and heart to make it happen. As a result, each SparkCon’s lineup is dependent on what Organizers take it upon themselves to do. Our job at SparkCon is to help give Organizers the tools they need to make it happen. Here’s a running list of what Organizers want to do for 2008:
—CONFIRMED—
GroundSPARK / VAE Raleigh Street Painting Festival An entire block shut down to see the best chalk art we can create. See the work of more than 300 artists.
-Organized by Sarah Powers and the Visual Art Exchange
MusicSPARK
Highlight clubs doing their thing with local music.
- organized by Chico Scott who is seeking others to each take a single venue
FashionSPARK
Local designers on the runway
-Organized by Allison Beale
GrafSPARK
12 canvasses for our local grafitti artists to show off their skills -live!
-Organized by Victor Knight, Bart Cusick and Gab Smith
YogaSPARK An entire day of yoga teaching and learning
-Organized by Leah Peace
BugSPARK Annual Bugfest celebration to entice the public with the joys of creepy-crawlies.
-Organized by the Museum of Natural Sciences
SPARKBazaar
Local craftspeople, brands, a sampling form the Moore Square Farmer’s market, and even transportation by Raleigh Rickshaw!
- Organized by Ty Beddingfield
StorySPARK Local authors read their stuff!
-Organized by Billy Warden, Greg Behr, and the Raleigh Quarterly
—UNCONFIRMED—
GoSPARK Exploring new ways to move around- from bikes to busses.
-Looking for Organizers
ParadeSPARK
Build a float in 24 hrs? Skate down Fayetteville St with Roller Girls?
-Looking for Organizers
FilmSPARK
Local films and animated shorts from NCSU’s college of Design.
-Looking for Organizers
BodySPARK
Sharing the runway will be several body artists exhibiting the latest in tattoo and piercing.
-Looking for Organizers
ArtSPARK
Local visual artists will project their works on the Big Screen for the ArtSlam.
Open Art Exhibition (CAM style) for 1 piece of work each by local artists.
-Looking for Organizers
DanceSPARK
Spoken Word, performances and breakdancing. Featured artists to include Schizophrenic Octopus.
-Looking for Organizers
GourmetSPARK Kicking off SparkCon will include a sampling of local wines and foods.
-Organized by Michiel Doorn and also looking for others
IdeaSPARK
Unconference - style 1 hour workshops at the Urban Design Center on various Spark topics
-Looking for Organizers
YouthSPARK
A special effort designed to get tomorrow’s visionaries excited today.
-Looking for Organizers
HealthSPARK
An exhibition of various healing methods to empower your body.
-Looking for Organizers
GreenSPARK Taking the extra step to make our conference even more green.
-Organized by Michiel Doorn
TechSPARK Celebrating the brainier part of the creative ecosystem. -Looking for Organizers
IndySPARK Exploring the entrepreneurial side of the creative ecosystem. -Looking for Organizers
AllSPARK Inclusivity as a foundation for creative thought. -Looking for Organizers
GiveSPARK Charitable giving can be fun and creative too! -Looking for Organizers
StageSPARK Celebrating local performing arts. -Looking for Organizers
GameSPARK A treasure hunt? On bikes? -Looking for Organizers
About SparkCon SparkCon is a conference and showcase dedicated to connecting the local creative community. A 100% volunteer effort that is organized as an “Open Source” effort, each Spark component of SparkCon is created by individuals who are deeply embedded in specific local scenes. Using a combination of networking and open call-for-participants, these organizers have aimed to create the most diverse and representative events to show off local talent. In so doing, many have found success at creating new and lasting connections across disparate creative scenes.
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Who we are
Spark Con is made up of
1. Bobbleheads
2. Spark Organizers
3. Spark Support
4. Volunteers
However we’d like to pont out that the Bobbleheads ar the very smallest part of SparkCon. Last year we had 63 Spark Organizers and Spark Supporters , hundreds of local talent being showcased, hundreds of volunteers, and thousands of attendees. All of these people truly made SparkCon.
Our team for ‘08 is in progress of being determined. Become one yourself! Just email us with your interest: contact[at]sparkcon.com
—2007 Organization—
Bobbleheads:
Lia Newman
Gab Smith
Isaac Panzarella
Ty Beddingfield
Aly Khalifa
GroundSPARK
Sarah Powersand the Visual Art Exchange
youthSPARK
April Stroth, Angela Carter, Denise Fuhrer, Nicole Welch, Ian Finley, Kate Pellas
GrafSPARK
Victor Knight III, Bart Cusick
ChiliSPARK Domino Ireland
FilmSPARK
Josh Gibson, Shambhavi Kaul, Lia Newman
BazaarSPARK
Ty Beddingfield
HealthSPARK Maurice Werness, ND, Nina Be Werness M.A., M.Ed.
GourmetSPARK Michael Doorn
FashionSPARK
Bryan Hoffman - Producer, Allison Beale - CoProducer, Isaac Panzarella - Logistics, Natasha Desai - Stage Director,
Carla Rea - Make Up & Hair Coordinator, Keith Ward - DJ, David Zahn - VJ, Alex Mengel - Video Director
musicSPARK
Chico Scott, Lynnea Villanova
ideaSPARK
JP Reuer, Aly Khalifa
artSPARK
Lia Newman of ArtSpace, Tracy Spencer, Nicole Welch of CAM, Meghan Coward, Jessica Orr - Vintage 21
and NCAC
Branding
Beth Khalifa, Britt Hayes of Gamil Design
Photography
Cheryl Gottschall, Bryan Regan
Logistics
Isaac Panzarella
Volunteers
Gab Smith
Fundraising
Pam Hartley, Gretchen McLaren, Angela Carter, Paul Mosca, Lee Tripi
A platform for local talentto show their stuff and have a say in our community.
Here’s how to get involved:
1. Save the date: Sep 19-21 - and come enjoy it!
2. Participate: There will be many call-for-entries: from Music to Graffiti to StreetPainting. Keep an eye out and submit your stuff.
3. Organize: add your spark to the community by helping us put SparkCon together.See our ORGANIZER site for details.
HI, I happened on this site and browsed through… it seems very cool. I’m the Arts Coordinator for Voices Activated, a student activism and awareness group at my high school, Providence, in Charlotte, NC. Could I get a little more info on the convention? I’d like to see if this would be a good venue for us.