Birthday card sent to my father in Sarpsborg, Norway, from my grandfather, Gunnar Thorsen, and fellow Norwegian soldiers (in German concentration camp) for my father’s 12th birthday Aug 8, 1942.
GUNNAR THORSEN
1897-1970
After graduation from school my Dad decided to join the army. Thereafter he ended up in the Norwegian Air Force where he quickly climbed to lieutenant. First he was stationed at Kjeller Airfield outside Oslo.
Not many knew that Gunnar was such a tough guy but there were many times he scared people by his authoritarian exterior. But he was always good to his family. He was my hero, even though sometimes he scared me too with his tough attitude.
– Roar Thorsen
Father, son, grandson Christmas 1958Gunnar (dad’s dad), my mom with my brother, Ruth (dad’s mom), Stina (mom’s mom), Axel (mom’s dad)Gunnar and his grandson 1958Ruth and her grandson
The profound beauty of the Catacomb of Veils is not only the design, the volunteers, the commitment, the structure itself- it is the TEMPORARY aspect of the project andof Burning Man itself.
It is there and then it is gone.
Burning Man 2016 takes place August 28 – September 5, 2016 in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Participants join in the effort to co-create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to art and community. [source]
Every year Black Rock City (the festival’s temporary town) becomes Nevada’s third biggest city. Littering or leaving garbage (‘MOOP’) behind is Burner sacrilege. Hundreds of volunteers spend the month after Burning Man meticulously combing the sand for MOOP (Matter Out Of Place). [source]
This is my favorite part of doing wheatpasting and street art- the TEMPORARY, THE EVOLUTION, THE RELEASE: once pasted, the piece evolves and deteriorates…
Emily wheatpasting my portrait of “Thane” at 119 East Cordova, Vancouver Feb 13, 2013
Nature and the elements and the interaction by the community has become essential to my creative process.
So the temporary aspect of Burning Man resonates as does the burn for I also LOVE to burn my art (which was easier when I lived on the Sunshine Coast)-
For me, it is about tears and grief, air and perspective, anger and earth, fire and release, allowing past and present and future to breathe.
Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. – Maya Angelou
So I celebrate the incredible artistry and vision and hard work of Catacomb of Veilsand its metaphoric POWER of BUILDING, WELCOMING COMMUNITY, INTERACTING and RELEASING! And thus forever TRANSFORMING the participants…
I like to think of it as an opportunity for introspection and reflection, but ultimately the community will get to determine how it is. If it’s for ritual purposes, or for an introspective reflection, or a personal journey. It’s kind of not for me to decide… – Dan Sullivan
Catacomb of Veils will be the largest art piece at Burning Man 2016 and one of the largest burned sculptures in the history of the event. Everyone participating in the creation of Catacomb is all-volunteer with a commitment to the transformative power of temporary art. – [SOURCE]
My daughter is a volunteer on the team creating this incredible Burning Man 2016installation and I love seeing how empowered she is as she participates in the ultimate creative, physical and collaborative experience.
Anna Thorsen at Pier 70, San Francisco (Photo by Afonso Salcedo)
Being a part of the first build week for the @catacombofveils was UNREAL – I could not be more grateful. I can now add “table saw”, “nail gun” and “wood stretching” to the resume. @dansullivan__ & Team are legends. – Anna Thorsen
Photo: Catacomb of Veils
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Scott Prusso, Anna Thorsen, Joseph Killian, Dan Sullivan, Jeffrey Lang. Photo by Afonso Salcedo) Photo: Catacomb of Veils
Collaborators aren’t born, they’re made. Or, to be more precise, built, a day at a time, through practice, through attention, through discipline, through passion and commitment. – Twyla Tharp
Anna Thorsen, Joseph Killian Pier 70, San Francisco PHOTO BY AFONSO SALCEDO Joseph Kilian at Pier 70, San Francisco. Photo: Catacomb of Veils
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The first requirement of collaboration is commitment… It helps to have a champion. – Twyla Tharp
Project visionary and designer, architect Dan Sullivan, at Pier 70, San Francisco. PHOTO BY BETH GOULD PHOTO BY AFONSO SALCEDO
This project is a GORGEOUS example of collaborative practice, and at its heart: community. The team of volunteers cannot avoid being transformed through the process.
Image: Esteem Hearts (from team training workshop, Toronto June 2016)
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O’Ryan taught us how to build a horse!- Anna ThorsenIn the end all collaborations are love stories. ― Twyla Tharp, The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working Together
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What does a day at the Catacomb of Veils build site feel like?From our crack-of-dawn arrival at Pier70 and morning wood delivery, to pouring ourselves into creating art for our community…. the dedication, the love, the generosity. We give our time and design expertise, but your donations make this happen. Every tax-deductible donation goes 100% to the materials, construction, transportation, insurance, and build-site rental for Catacomb. This is our COMMUNAL EFFORT together — and *you* are central to making this happen.– Catacomb of Veils
Catacomb of Veils will be the largest art piece at Burning Man 2016 and one of the largest burned sculptures in the history of the event. Everyone participating in the creation of Catacomb is all-volunteer with a commitment to the transformative power of temporary art. – SOURCE
Part 2 of 4: THE INSPIRATION
As I mentioned in Part 1: The Project–Catacomb of Veils speaks to my passion for the creative process- from the inspiration, to the idea, to the planning, to the development, to the implementation, to the product to the celebration to the release.
Graham Wallas, in The Art of Thought, outlined the 4 stages the creative process:
Preparation: the problem is investigated in all directions as the thinker readies the mental soil for the sowing of the seeds.
Incubation: no direct effort is exerted upon the problem at hand.
Illumination: connections between the seemingly unconnected.
Verification: testing the validity of the idea and reducing the idea itself to an exact form. [SOURCE]
And personally, research and inspiration (inspiration preceding and evolving out of research)are integral parts of each stage. Inspiration is about ALLOWING the tangents. Going along for the ride with eyes open wide. Catacomb of Veils takes inspiration from the landscape itself. And it inspires our own further research, helps us make connections, pulls out the past, brings us to the present, facilitates contemplation of the future, holds space to grieve, immerses us in magic and allows us to let go through temporary nature.
For example, let’s take a look at the word Catacombs.
What are they? Will investigating them enrich our understanding of the creative process of the Catacomb of Veils project? Enrich our connection to it? Where does your mind go as you get inspired by this project?
Catacombs of Paris:
For me, this project is:
• approach,
• ascend,
• enter,
• descend,
• embrace,
• acknowledge,
• emerge,
• release.
Next up:
Part 3 of 4: THE TEAM
Part 4 of 4: THE SCOPE
YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS PROJECT VIA:
INDIEGOGO:
JULY 14, 2016 FUNDRAISER:
FACEBOOK:
Katarina Thorsen, 2016, chinamarker and embroidery on paper
Something extraordinary is underway in San Francisco: Catacombs of Veils.
Catacomb of Veils will be the largest art piece at Burning Man 2016 and one of the largest burned sculptures in the history of the event. Everyone participating in the creation of Catacomb is all-volunteer with a commitment to the transformative power of temporary art. – SOURCE
Be still me beating heart! My daughter is a volunteer on the team creating this incredible Burning Man 2016installation.
Anna Thorsen with project visionary and designer, Dan Sullivan, at Pier 70, San Francisco. PHOTO BY AFONSO SALCEDO
I am LOVING watching it unfold. This fascinating project and its EXTRAORDINARY TEAM sings to my passion for the CREATIVE PROCESS! I can feel some drawings coming out inspired by this project so I’ve decided to take a deeper look in 4 parts.
Today’s post is an overview:
Part 1 of 4: THE PROJECT
At 220′ across and covering almost 19,000 square feet of playa area, Catacomb of Veils will be the largest art piece at Burning Man 2016 and one of the largest burned sculptures in the history of the event… Catacomb rises like a rocky outcropping off the desert floor, and as the dust swirls up and around, it evokes Black Rock Point itself. It is a ruin of a previous society– a remnant of our collective search for moments of quiet, introspection and reflection. It is a journey of discovery and a descent into a subterranean world. – SOURCE
A path winds up to the Narthex at the Eastern Pyramid of the Catacomb and from this vantage point the community begins its descent inward. Ancient relics of a collective history adorn the walls as shafts of light illuminate effigies and offerings. These are moments in our primeval memory, inviting us further downward and inward into ourselves. The journey culminates in an inner sanctum– a Sanctum of Veils– a confluence of concealment, revelation and sublime beauty. – SOURCE
Next up:
Part 2 of 4: THE INSPIRATION
Part 3 of 4: THE TEAM
Part 4 of 4: THE SCOPE
YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS PROJECT VIA:
INDIEGOGO:
JULY 14, 2016 FUNDRAISER:
FACEBOOK:
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“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Crow with Skull street art, Katarina Thorsen 2016 (chinamarker)
Kamala and Sunkosi of the KYT Foundation (china marker on newsprint)
Kamala Yonzon and her daughter Sunkosi treated me to a beautiful Nepalese dinner at Café Kathmandu last night and we chatted about life and creativity and family. I am so blessed to connect on a deeper level with these two extraordinary women.
The Kamala Yonzon Tahrayli Foundation is a Vancouver, B.C.-based non-profit established to bring flowing water to a remote Nepali village in the Kabre Palanchowk District; Healay Chaubas.
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Kamala’s dream to bring water to her village has been in progress since her father’s passing 5 years ago. Now with the devastating earthquake, the dream has become an urgent quest. 80% of the buildings in Kamala’s village have been ruined and the residents now sleep in the fields.
Photo courtesy of Kamala YonzonPhoto courtesy of Kamala Yonzon
As the residents begin the difficult task of rebuilding, this is the optimum time to bring in a water pipeline as infrastructure is reevaluated.
My youth programming continues to maintain a connection to the KYT Foundation.
Next goals, besides a social media/awareness push, is a fundraising dinner hosted by Kamala, a re-creation of the distance walked by villagers to get water from the nearest river and interactive art installation and a school-wide celebration.
Help us reach the $5000 goal! ❤️
The Nepalese national flower: rhododendron (chinamarker and acrylic on newsprint)
North Vancouver teen finds her passion through arts-based program and launches campaign to raise funds to bring water tank and pipeline to remote village in Nepal:
It is such an honor to be facilitating The Inside Out Project at Mountainside Secondary, North Vancouver, with my colleague Ian Powell.
The heart of the Inside Out Project is to awaken the passion within the participants- to encourage the students to own their journey– and to support them as they project-plan and as they enter their futures.
Can art change the world? Maybe… we should change the question: Can art change people’s lives? – JR
Caddy’s passion:
Caddy Pattison, a Mountainside student who has struggled with school avoidance and her own challenges, awakened to her passion during the Inside Out Project– to make a positive global impact and to create awareness about conditions children and youth experience around the world.
Caddy is specifically inspired to raise awareness about children who need to walk miles for water daily, impeding their ability to attend school.
Serendipitously, when Caddy told me her idea, I knew of a local/global cause that fits the bill.
The cause:
I connected Caddy with my friend, Kamala Yonzon, of the KYTFOUNDATION.
The Kamala Yonzon Tahrayli Foundation is a Vancouver, B.C.-based non-profit established to bring flowing water to a remote Nepali village in the Kabre Palanchowk District; Healay Chaubas.
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Caddy’s mission:
Caddy’s mission is to help Kamala raise the $20,000 needed to build the tank and pipeline for her village. This will open the opportunity for children to attend school, for the building of a local hospital, to create employment etc.
My name is Caddy Pattison and I’m starting my year of empowerment and change by raising awareness for the remote Nepal village in the Kabre Palanchowk District; Healay Chaubas.
This community walks over an hour, several times a day, for a jug of water from the river. That means whenever they want to cook, clean, bathe, or simply get a drink they’re walking miles to do so. It is mostly the children and women of the community that are doing the walking and missing out on an education. With this campaign, I am looking to raise $20,000 for a water pipeline leading from the river to the village. There is also going to be a substantial walk in June to put ourselves in their shoes. Once the pipeline is started, it will create room for employment, education, and empowerment in the community.
We have the advantage in North America of having an endless water supply, free education, and millions of chances for employment. Take a moment to please like and share this page with your family and friends to raise awareness for this good cause. Donations will begin in May, but if you are eager to help, you can donate at http://kytfoundation.org/ . This is a honest, and tangible foundation. 100% of the proceeds will be going to building the pipeline. We are currently looking for sponsors for promotion.
Thank you for taking the time to read and your consideration. – Caddy Pattison
Caddy’s action plan:
Caddy is now in process of achieving this goal. She has met with Kamala, created a plan of action, a blog, a facebook page.
Caddy meeting with Kamala and Kamala’s daughter, Suna.
Caddy’s blog:
Caddy’s Facebook page:
Caddy has presented to the school district:
Congratulations Caddy Pattison on an incredible presentation on Feb 10, 2015 in front of 150 teachers #SD44 on your #walkforwater project benefitting KYT FOUNDATION and thank you Parmida Afsahi for documenting the event and to my colleague Ian Powell.
And has presented to the legislature in Victoria:
Sr. MSS student Caddy Pattison at the Victoria Legislature telling her story and experiences at MSS to the Premier and MLA’s on this Bully Free Pink Shirt Day!! Caddy spoke eloquently about mental health, finding support at school, and wrap around services.Caddy and Mountainside principal, Jeremy Church, on their way to Victoria.
And Caddy attends school!
Caddy has struggled with school avoidance and lack of engagement. Mountainside has provided her with the safe haven she needs to heal and develop to her full potential. And her Walk for Water Nepal project is teaching her life skills and academic skills in a way that has true longevity and positive impact on both Caddy and the community.
So what’s next?
Several events have been planned to lead up to the main fundraising event on Indiegogo Life in May.
Pre-launch events such as:
• Awareness and activty day with Braemar Elementary School
• A North Vancouver walk event
• An instagram hashtag selfie campaign
• A re-creation of the length of the walk and the weight of the water the children in the village have to endure on a daily basis.
So why this one cause, this one girl?
Caddy illustrates the future of education– passion-based learning. To truly engage students we must engage their passion and we must share our own. Profound life skills are organically learned. The student and teacher, the school and the community at large are profoundly and positively impacted.
When instruction is driven not just by data but by the passions of the students behind the data there is no child left behind scratching their head wondering what they’re going to do with their lives. – Lisa Nielsen
So what can you do to help?
Caddy’s cause needs $. That is indeed the goal- for Caddy to present Kamala with a cheque for $20,000 by June 2015. On one hand, that is alot of $. But is it? Not in this internet age.
• So start saving your pennies for the May campaign.
• Stay tuned here for the events mentioned above.
• If you are in the media, interview Caddy.
• If you are on social media: Share Caddy’s story. Share Kamala’s story.
• If you are inspired by this story, find your own passion. Share it with us!
My personal mission is to awaken creative expression through local and global art initiatives.
One initiative partners me with Operation Sock Monkey to create a life skills and entrepreneurship handbook. Our goal is to implement local pilot projects in the Fall and to bring the work to New York City and San Francisco youth programs in Spring 2015 and then to South Africa September 2015.
At Intersections Media we love Art Mondays! Besides filmmaking, a significant part of Intersections is dipping our hands into the visual art/creative processand into art history by creating art work that interprets the masters and that creates community dialogue. On Mondays we cover the art component and attack the canvas. We are in the process of creating a new piece of art with the current intake inspired by Keith Haring:
Source: The Brooklyn Museum
Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s by expressing concepts of birth, death, sexuality, and war.Haring’s work was often heavily political and his imagery has become a widely recognized visual language of the 20th century. (source)
The current canvas was covered in gesso last week and last Monday we started the painting process! Stay tuned for the finished piece next week.
Photo by Alison Donnelly
I don’t think art is propaganda; it should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further. It celebrates humanity instead of manipulating it. – Keith Haring
We need art supplies for Intersections so that we can create more art! NOW THAT WE HAVE REACHED OUR GOAL, LET’S QUADRUPLE IT! This will help us facilitate further and expand this important work!
My students and I started this mural in the art therapy room at Keith Lynn Alternative Secondary in North Vancouver in 2009… and on July 5, 2011, I dragged it to Kirkstone Park, North Vancouver…
It is time to develop the new product line and solidify our company branding to expand our international presence and we need your help!
Today we launch a 45-day Indiegogo Campaign to raise $5000 in order to fine tune the brand and create our next apparel collection. We had an incredible first year of developing the company, but we now find ourselves at a crossroads.
[One] While I’m confident my novel is publishable, any writing greatly benefits from (nay : requires) professional editing. I’m raising funds to participate in an editing program in which I’m paired with an established (re : published) Canadian author, who will provide detailed editing notes geared toward publication. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to improve my craft. Oh, and get published!
[Two] Illustrations! I want to commission graphic artist Kat Thorsen to illustrate my novel. I don’t know about you, but I really miss illustrations in adult fiction, and I’d like to see it make a comeback! Kat is a talented Canadian artist and her illustrations will complement my novel perfectly.
“What is the use of a book without pictures?” wondered Lewis Carroll’s Alice, and anyone raised on illustrated classics like “Charlotte’s Web” or “The Phantom Tollbooth” might secretly feel that she has a point. Writers may still demur, reasonably concluding that they are only accountable for, in Henry James’ words, their “would-be-delicate and to-be-read-on-its-own-account prose.” But the interplay between art and text is rich with possibilities that few fiction writers have even begun to explore. Illustrations are fun. Giving up on them sacrifices real pleasures for a needlessly narrow conception of literary purity.
[One] While I’m confident my novel is publishable, any writing greatly benefits from (nay : requires) professional editing. I’m raising funds to participate in an editing program in which I’m paired with an established (re : published) Canadian author, who will provide detailed editing notes geared toward publication. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to improve my craft. Oh, and get published!
[Two] Illustrations! I want to commission graphic artist Kat Thorsen to illustrate my novel. I don’t know about you, but I really miss illustrations in adult fiction, and I’d like to see it make a comeback! Kat is a talented Canadian artist and her illustrations will complement my novel perfectly.
[One] While I’m confident my novel is publishable, any writing greatly benefits from (nay : requires) professional editing. I’m raising funds to participate in an editing program in which I’m paired with an established (re : published) Canadian author, who will provide detailed editing notes geared toward publication. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to improve my craft. Oh, and get published!
[Two] Illustrations! I want to commission graphic artist Kat Thorsen to illustrate my novel. I don’t know about you, but I really miss illustrations in adult fiction, and I’d like to see it make a comeback! Kat is a talented Canadian artist and her illustrations will complement my novel perfectly.
[One] While I’m confident my novel is publishable, any writing greatly benefits from (nay : requires) professional editing. I’m raising funds to participate in an editing program in which I’m paired with an established (re : published) Canadian author, who will provide detailed editing notes geared toward publication. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to improve my craft. Oh, and get published!
[Two] Illustrations! I want to commission graphic artist Kat Thorsen to illustrate my novel. I don’t know about you, but I really miss illustrations in adult fiction, and I’d like to see it make a comeback! Kat is a talented Canadian artist and her illustrations will complement my novel perfectly.
WE WELCOME YOUR SUPPORT! STAY TUNED FOR SAMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS AND UPDATES!
He is one feeling. He is one feeling his fingers. He is one feeling a familiar feeling…
[Preserving is also the embryo’s existence, as it converts safely from from an embryo into a fetalbeing. The eight centimetre mass consisting of one third head and two thirds body, fingertips with fingertips, beating heart, functioning kidneys, lanugo, and not a care in the world, floats languidly inside yet anonymous womb.] – Matt Roy
PRE-ORDER now available for BY POST STREET, my unisex t-shirt & music project with creative director/designer Anna Thorsen. Order COLLABORATION 1 through Indiegogo from now until March 1. Check it –>
60% Bamboo Rayon, 28% Cotton, 6% Spandex
“K”“A”“R”
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Funders will have access to a variety of rewards depending on the level of contribution. These rewards range from postcard sets, to a signed t-shirts, to original individualized portraits.
See below!
Video by Julian Bowers
—
Design. Discover. Deejay.
by post street is a creative and collaborative source for fashion, house, hip hop and art.
—
WHAT WE ARE
by post street is a limited edition t-shirt & music company created by Anna & Kat Thorsen.
by post street is a creative and collaborative source for fashion, house, hip hop and art.
Collections will be released monthly and feature two fashion figures and one DJ. Each collection will be produced in limited runs, available for 30 days (or until sold out) and paired with an exclusive podcast by the “DJ of the month” (available to download for free).
All of the above and an exclusive invite to the launch party [travel and accommodation not included]
Your contribution will allow us to:
Create our first limited edition t-shirt run featuring two fashion figures and the “DJ of the month.” The unisex t-shirts, designed by Anna and featuring exclusive art by Kat Thorsen, are made from 100% organic cotton.
Provide exclusive access to first official podcast created by the “DJ of the month” Riccardo Bhifrom Milan, Italy.
Create a cutting edge website to house sales, podcasts and to provide a continuous creative source of fashion, art and music.
Plan, promote and execute the launch event that utilizes interactive art and a DJ performance to launch “Collection 1.”
THE IMPACT
No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. – H.E. Luccock
By becoming a funder you will allow the world to experience:
• The new collaborative wave that combines art, music, fashion and social media.
• The buzz of anticipating and collecting the monthly limited edition t-shirts.
• The discovery and celebration of leading DJ talent from around the globe.
• The power of interactive art events.
• The positive impact on our non-profit partner. (by post street will be donating 3% of profits from t-shirt sales to a non-profit organization.) STAY TUNED FOR OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK!
• the satisfaction of purchasing a product that is completey produced and manufactured locally.
THE FUTURE
It doesn’t stop at “Collection 1”:
by post street anticipates extending services to organizations to provide theme-specific limited edition t-shirt runs for promotional campaigns and fundraisers.
Anna Thorsen: former entertainment promoter and visual merchandiser, Anna is now the editor-in-chief of the multi-city lifestyle website, The Social Life. She brings over 10 years of experience within the fashion/entertainment industries into her new role as Creative Director for by post street. the-sociallife.com
Kat Thorsen, artist, art therapist and author is renowned for her art blog, portraits, therapeutic art classes, craftivism, street art and popular interactive art events. Kat is the resident artist for by post street. katthorsen.wordpress.com
Funders will have access to a variety of rewards depending on the level of contribution. These rewards range from postcard sets, to a signed t-shirts, to original individualized portraits.
See below!
Video by Julian Bowers
—
Design. Discover. Deejay.
by post street is a creative and collaborative source for fashion, house, hip hop and art.
—
WHAT WE ARE
by post street is a limited edition t-shirt & music company created by Anna & Kat Thorsen.
by post street is a creative and collaborative source for fashion, house, hip hop and art.
Collections will be released monthly and feature two fashion figures and one DJ. Each collection will be produced in limited runs, available for 30 days (or until sold out) and paired with an exclusive podcast by the “DJ of the month” (available to download for free).
All of the above and an exclusive invite to the launch party [travel and accommodation not included]
Prototypes
Your contribution will allow us to:
Create our first limited edition t-shirt run featuring two fashion figures and the “DJ of the month.” The unisex t-shirts, designed by Anna and featuring exclusive art by Kat Thorsen, are made from 100% organic cotton.
Provide exclusive access to first official podcast created by the “DJ of the month” Riccardo Bhifrom Milan, Italy.
Create a cutting edge website to house sales, podcasts and to provide a continuous creative source of fashion, art and music.
Plan, promote and execute the launch event that utilizes interactive art and a DJ performance to launch “Collection 1.”
THE IMPACT
No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. – H.E. Luccock
By becoming a funder you will allow the world to experience:
• The new collaborative wave that combines art, music, fashion and social media.
• The buzz of anticipating and collecting the monthly limited edition t-shirts.
• The discovery and celebration of leading DJ talent from around the globe.
• The power of interactive art events.
• The positive impact on our non-profit partner. (by post street will be donating 3% of profits from t-shirt sales to a non-profit organization.) STAY TUNED FOR OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK!
• the satisfaction of purchasing a product that is completey produced and manufactured locally.
THE FUTURE
It doesn’t stop at “Collection 1”:
by post street anticipates extending services to organizations to provide theme-specific limited edition t-shirt runs for promotional campaigns and fundraisers.
Anna Thorsen: former entertainment promoter and visual merchandiser, Anna is now the editor-in-chief of the multi-city lifestyle website, The Social Life. She brings over 10 years of experience within the fashion/entertainment industries into her new role as Creative Director for by post street. the-sociallife.com
Kat Thorsen, artist, art therapist and author is renowned for her art blog, portraits, therapeutic art classes, craftivism, street art and popular interactive art events. Kat is the resident artist for by post street. katthorsen.wordpress.com
by post street is a creative and collaborative source for fashion, house, hip hop and art.
—
WHAT WE ARE
by post street is a limited edition t-shirt & music company created by Anna & Kat Thorsen.
by post street is a creative and collaborative source for fashion, house, hip hop and art.
Collections will be released monthly and feature two fashion figures and one DJ. Each collection will be produced in limited runs, available for 30 days (or until sold out) and paired with an exclusive podcast by the “DJ of the month” (available to download for free).
Funders will have access to a variety of rewards depending on the level of contribution. These rewards range from postcard sets, to a signed t-shirts, to original individualized portraits.
Your contribution will allow us to:
Create our first limited edition t-shirt run featuring two fashion figures and the “DJ of the month.” The unisex t-shirts, designed by Anna and featuring exclusive art by Kat Thorsen, are made from 100% organic cotton.
Provide exclusive access to first official podcast created by the “DJ of the month” Riccardo Bhifrom Milan, Italy.
Create a cutting edge website to house sales, podcasts and to provide a continuous creative source of fashion, art and music.
Plan, promote and execute the launch event that utilizes interactive art and a DJ performance to launch “Collection 1.”
THE IMPACT
No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. – H.E. Luccock
By becoming a funder you will allow the world to experience:
• The new collaborative wave that combines art, music, fashion and social media.
• The buzz of anticipating and collecting the monthly limited edition t-shirts.
• The discovery and celebration of leading DJ talent from around the globe.
• The power of interactive art events.
• The positive impact on our non-profit partner. (by post street will be donating 3% of profits from t-shirt sales to a non-profit organization.) STAY TUNED FOR OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK!
• the satisfaction of purchasing a product that is completey produced and manufactured locally.
THE FUTURE
It doesn’t stop at “Collection 1”:
by post street anticipates extending services to organizations to provide theme-specific limited edition t-shirt runs for promotional campaigns and fundraisers.
Anna Thorsen: former entertainment promoter and visual merchandiser, Anna is now the editor-in-chief of the multi-city lifestyle website, The Social Life. She brings over 10 years of experience within the fashion/entertainment industries into her new role as Creative Director for by post street. the-sociallife.com
Kat Thorsen, artist, art therapist and author is renowned for her art blog, portraits, therapeutic art classes, craftivism, street art and popular interactive art events. Kat is the resident artist for by post street. katthorsen.wordpress.com
by post street is a limited edition t-shirt & music company created by Anna & Kat Thorsen.
by post street is a creative and collaborative source for fashion, house, hip hop and art.
Collections will be released monthly and feature two fashion figures and one DJ. Each collection will be produced in limited runs, available for 30 days (or until sold out) and paired with an exclusive podcast by the “DJ of the month” (available to download for free).
This project was born out of our mutual desire to take the bold, scary, courageous (and perhaps outrageous) step to abundance and living our dreams!
—
In the end all collaborations are love stories.
― Twyla Tharp, The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working Together
Funders will have access to a variety of rewards depending on the level of contribution. These rewards range from postcard sets, to a signed t-shirts, to original individualized portraits.
Your contribution will allow us to:
Create our first limited edition t-shirt run featuring two fashion figures and the “DJ of the month.” The unisex t-shirts, designed by Anna and featuring exclusive art by Kat Thorsen, are made from 100% organic cotton.
Provide exclusive access to first official podcast created by the “DJ of the month” Riccardo Bhifrom Milan, Italy.
Create a cutting edge website to house sales, podcasts and to provide a continuous creative source of fashion, art and music.
Plan, promote and execute the launch event that utilizes interactive art and a DJ performance to launch “Collection 1.”
THE IMPACT
No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. – H.E. Luccock
By becoming a funder you will allow the world to experience:
• The new collaborative wave that combines art, music, fashion and social media.
• The buzz of anticipating and collecting the monthly limited edition t-shirts.
• The discovery and celebration of leading DJ talent from around the globe.
• The power of interactive art events.
• The positive impact on our non-profit partner. (by post street will be donating 3% of profits from t-shirt sales to a non-profit organization.) STAY TUNED FOR OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK!
• the satisfaction of purchasing a product that is completey produced and manufactured locally.
THE FUTURE
It doesn’t stop at “Collection 1”:
by post street anticipates extending services to organizations to provide theme-specific limited edition t-shirt runs for promotional campaigns and fundraisers.
My collaborative street art wall, Vancouver BC. Photo by Carolyn Spencer
Anna Thorsen: former entertainment promoter and visual merchandiser, Anna is now the editor-in-chief of the multi-city lifestyle website, The Social Life. She brings over 10 years of experience within the fashion/entertainment industries into her new role as Creative Director for by post street. the-sociallife.com
Kat Thorsen, artist, art therapist and author is renowned for her art blog, portraits, therapeutic art classes, craftivism, street art and popular interactive art events. Kat is the resident artist for by post street. katthorsen.wordpress.com
We are setting out to create a mini documentary series to get the inside scoop on 100 girls’ and women’s lives from around the world.
The documentary takes the same topics of body, mind and spirit and shows the world the truth of women’s trials and triumphs through the telling of life from their various perspectives.
The questions posed will be the same but the answers, based on their environments, cultures and families, will be very different. They will experience challenges and successes in different ways.
We want to show how women are all connected, and can support each other despite these differences.
India 30 days and counting… ya! We have over 20 girls to work with in Bangalore and in Mumbai some exciting interviews … and Lunapads.com for all! Still time to join the journey www.indiegogo.com/globalsorority
– Loretta Cella
My portrait of Jocelyn Louise in support of the Passion Foundation and Global Sorority
On Sunday, Dad got a chance to watch the documentary his grandson, Julian, made. He was very moved.
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Unfortunately, Dad’s health has taken a turn for the worse as he battles bladder cancer. We spent Monday in the ER and here is Dad’s essay (he asked me to record the events):
When it came, the wreck left me alive. It flung me on the coast with a warning that what I had to look forward to now was no longer the maximum but the minimum with which I could begin my life afresh… I began to forget what life could not offer and to appreciate what it could…
– Frigyes Karinthy
Thank you family and friends for all your kind words on Monday on Facebook, on Twitter, on phone, in person!
Our dear friend, Darcy, spent the day with us.
Dad is back in his room and it’s all about making the moments the best and most comfortable they can be.
I am now going collect all the material into the manuscript! Our mindmap is the guide!
My father inspired a friend to accept help by showing how his life is rich in a residential care facility.Roar inspires youth-at-risk with his art and with his youthful humor!The staff are KEY to making Dad’s life as happy as it is. I could not be more grateful. He gives back by lending an ear, providing snacks, and being his feisty inspiring self.“Stay connected.” by Roar Thorsen
“My grandma is suffering from early Alzheimers. I write her letters and she writes back. Her letters end up being so poetic because she repeats herself a lot. I’ve been transcribing them as poetry. Might send them to some Lit mags.
I think we forget the huge cache of knowledge and experience the old folks have, and it gets trapped inside their aged and deteriorating bodies. It’s important to keep them talking as long as possible.”
“In honour of my Dad who is also an elderly stroke victim and artist and is slowly drifting away from me too. Though he fades he never stops laughing and smiling, a constant inspiration.”
“Fantastic project and inspirational. Makes me wanna start an art project with my dad .. just because!”
WE NEED HELP TO BRING THE BOOK TO THE NEXT STAGE!
Please consider supporting our project. Much love, Katarina and Roar
Ingram Content Group has announced a new standard color pricing model for print-on-demand technology that has reduced costs by roughly two-thirds, making color POD an economical publishing option for the first time. Achieved through advancements in inkjet technology, the price drop means that a greater range of book content can be printed in color and done faster around the world…
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We will be utilizing this latest technology to produce a full-color paperback of Drawn Together!
Dad organizing his pens!We spent the afternoon cleaning his workspace. I scrubbed spilled coffee off the walls, scooped up old wrappers, lost pen caps, dried up grapes and scrubbed the sticky floor! We had a good laugh! Creativity is messy!
WE NEED HELP TO BRING THE BOOK TO THE NEXT STAGE!
Please consider supporting our project. Much love, Katarina and Roar
Creating something that will outlive you. A permanent mark. A lasting impression. – Peter B.
Creating something that can definitely withstand the test of time. – Evelyn W.
Epic love. – Lindsey H.
My mom use to send hand written cards to everyone. She did not text or email. She would call and follow up with a beautiful card. She had a drawer full of cards she collected Since she has passed away I carry on her Legacy and send cards and hand written letters to people I meet and care about. It creates a beautiful energy and emotion when I send it. It reminds me of the beautiful love and spirit my mom had. – Paula C.
Legacy? Hmm. To be immortalized in stone. Sounds about right to me. – Dustin W.
The endurance of values, qualities and ideas. – Jen N.
A memory that one person shares or passes on to another, creating an image for the other to always remember the memories creator by. – Mike B.
What a great question!… Legacy is a kind of medicine… the more endearing it is the more it will endure… – Andrew I.
The imprint of our life that we leave for others…..how we are remembered, cherished and carried forward for others to embrace or heal from. – Cheryl B
Legacy
is the illusion people create for himself/herself and/or others that they are victorious in the eternal fight against a meaningless existence during our brief stay on earth.
But if the illusion is strong enough, practiced by people, something greater and beyond yourself,
It might just transform into reality.
Becoming something more than you could ever imagine in your lifetime.
Melting into the cycle, and though you wear away, your essence remains.
– Justine T.
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I’ve wondering about the word legacy these days as I work on the book with Dad. Is leaving a legacy the drive behind the work we do as artists? Is the drive to leave a mark our strive for immortality?
A page from Dad’s journal
What does legacy mean to you?
Write or draw about it. Share it.
Excerpt from Lynda Barry’s PICTURE THIS
My Dad and I certainly aren’t about leaving a financial legacy. Haha! What both of us bring in each month is less that what goes out. You know how it is. Our life is not glamorous. But we live so richly, so fully. Our family, our art, our connection… that is the wealth. So much wealth.
My journal page this morning.
My visit with Dad last night was magical. Laughing till it hurt. Excited about the future. Excited about the moment. And now all our work is really congealing, ripening. I sense the work we do is taking a life of its own and will reach people in a new and profound way. It’s exciting and invigorating. It’s an adventure larger than the two of us.
And if the legacy is this simple book, inspiring one person, that is a great legacy indeed.
Please consider supporting our project. Much love, Katarina and Roar
Creating, collaborating, commenting, contributing, conversing, communicating, caregiving, community-building, committing, crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, campaigning… some of the great C words.
As many of you know, I have been working with my father, Roar Thorsen, on our book for several years now. Joyously, we have shared a corner of the cafeteria at Lions Gate Hospital, building a collection of his work and dreaming of producing a book. As my Dad shrinks in physical size, his esteem grows taller and taller through working on his art.
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Well the time has come.
The next step is for us to reach out to our online community to ask for help. One minute before midnight, last Friday night, we launched our Indiegogo campaign!
Please share our story! Your financial contribution is greatly appreciated!
Roar and Katarina, April 2012Roar, 1956, Sarpsborg, Norway
