About Me

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United States
I am a multidimensional, hands-on creative artist and poet with a San Diego based home studio. Having always been too curious and too creative, I have continually studied a variety of artistic disciplines and philosophies throughout my life with established teachers...unstable teachers, artists, schools and whatnot. This, paired with a lifelong investigation into spirituality, has given me a large creative toolkit from which to draw ;) and interest to (respectively) play with, break, challenge, modify, ignore and celebrate the rules related to the aforementioned studies. I am a strong believer in not messing with a child's innate curiosity and wonder, the value of family (however defined), individual creativity, community, and our environment. I continue to study and enjoy creative expressions-with the exception of acid jazz. Some common characteristics found within my work are: re-purposing everyday items and discard-able things, harmonizing opposites, playing with current beliefs and assumptions with a whimsical twist, and delicately blending spontaneity with discipline. The end results are simple, joyful expressions of wonder imbued with an invitation to discover more.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Stadium Libraries and Neighborhood Short Stack Stations




Incorporating a Stadium Library into a sports arena could enhance the public's use of the space as well as create an inviting and profitable atmosphere. Other amenities could offer their services including galleries, museums and cultural event space into the stadium’s environment.

Restaurants now in these facilities are open only during an event, but could be open year round and serve the public in a cultural mall type atmosphere.

A city’s government is responsible for its neighborhood libraries and may be the majority owner in their local stadium(s) or sports arena(s). The stadium within that town which that is built solely for a professional baseball team may be used as little as 40 times a year -- and during that time for only a few hours.  A basketball season is a little longer, but stadiums and arenas are not useful to the public except for those attending occasional sporting events and concerts. 

There is an abundance of untapped potential here, through these facilities, that could be a great asset to their community.

Many of the public libraries in communities all over the country are finding their funding continuing to dwindle and many local governments are closing branches due to economic hardship.

The cost for running the stadium’s library could be part of the sports team(s) contractual responsibility and perhaps offer a tax deduction as a nonprofit contribution to their home field neighborhood.

Another benefit is that there is a large parking lot in relationship to the building. The city could raise money and provide a community service through renting the parking lot out for farmers markets, street fairs and regular events for the public to enjoy.

For the neighborhoods that house a stadium the marriage is ideal - it offers a positive urban renewal opportunity that would bring jobs, educational resources and a core meeting place for the community to gather. All of this would be of great economic benefit to the city’s government as well as providing its citizens a harmonious balance between their cities commerce and the public's cultural welfare.

Moreover, a city could offer a tax break or some other benefit to its private industry for hosting a small library branch (or a Neighborhood Short Stack). These could be located within a lobby of a downtown commercial building or dedicate to a floor or two within a high rise; space within a business park or retail mall -- any leased or rental business property located in a convenient location for the public's use could be utilized.

These businesses could enter into an agreement with the city in regards to hours of operation, parking requirements and other necessary service agreements in exchange for exemptions.

A Neighborhood Short Stack could cater specifically to its local demographic while still being connected to the greater public library as a whole, all the while providing a valuable community space, unique for its area within the city.

Any community could blend their businesses with nonprofits services, and entertainment with cultural resources. The result being, not only success for the partners in regards to economics, but expanding a city's ability to provide greater public service to its community.

Creating Stadium Libraries and
Neighborhood Short Stacks could be a great place for a city to start.