the Kansas - Oregon trail: October 2008

re:Active in Portland

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pushpins obsessively arranged.

to make a statement.

perhaps just the ad world version of those cubicle adorned, motivational posters with cats or wide open panoramic vistas meant to inspire hope.

or just internal punishment meted out on oneself for having OCD? but why can't I shake the picture in my head of Bart Simpson here, with a hipster moustachio and white, skinny jeans...

Some of the Caldera staff and volunteers taking a break.

because they are in charge of 70 teenagers for the weekend intensive in Portland.

guns and ammunition!

above us is a "nest". it is where we held our kickoff for the youth magazine.

groovy digs for some teenage angst.

please come again.

we will start in January. We probably won't teach in the nest, but it seems like an auspicious beginning. We'll see...

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Caldera Arts + re:Active

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Enter Caldera

... a space dedicated to artists in eastern Oregon, on the other side of the Cascades from us in Portland.

this is one of the "A-frames" that are home to the artists in residency during the winter and staff, etc. during the summer.

this is the view from the loft where we slept

the facility's main purpose is for artists' that are just coming into their voice

...to encourage and facilitate that voice.

it is truly an amazing place.

built by Dan Wieden (of Wieden and Kennedy fame) for that express purpose.

to encourage the artistic pursuits of the youth in underserved populations across the state

i sat in on one of the photography intensives that had them create an "alter ego" to shoot. Thinking conceptually and shooting in a two hour session. It was great. Can you see how it will fit in with re:Active? We are teaching the magazine class with these kids starting in January. Caldera is now our fiscal sponsor - meaning they take our donations and do the administration/accountancy of the funds.

Here some young people wander through the area that is starting to regrow after a massive fire that almost took out the building four years ago. They are collecting ambient sounds on video for a project.

On our walk Wendy saw a bear (lucky for us) and wrastled it to the ground handily.

no cell phone reception. no tv's.

just poetry and art and exploration. I am so amazed by this place. We are lucky to be a part of this community.

These are tee-pee stands that are dormant now, but filled with young people during the week-long intensives that are held here throughout the summer.

I look forward to those times ahead.

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get on the bus, gus...

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Dropping Violet off for school is one thing...

...but this is another thing altogether. Twice a week they get on this bus to go to the farm or to gymnastics. They sit so politely and wait. Happy as can be.

They are pretty adorable. When we walked away, her friend Liam here and her were holding hands with interlocked fingers waiting for the ride to begin. I couldn't get the camera out fast enough.

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