Co-operation and Collaboration can take place in many ways.
The best way to illustrate is by examples:
LexArtSci, in co-operation with Diane Apostolicus and her newly formed cookie company, Catskills Bake Works, turned our What’s Cooking skoolie into a baked goodies truck. This served as an incredible meeting point for the community and a place for people to stop and have a look around (who otherwise would likely just have zoomed on by). This simple arrangement brought attention to our revitalization project, created a valuable small business, and put incredibly delicious cookies in people’s mouths. Win-win-win.
One guest, going through massive personal life changes, simply needed a break from the daily routine. This particular guest booked a short farmhouse stay with us and ended up staying for three months. This guest became a collaborator and reorganized workspaces and living spaces and generously donated time and energy to making the space more efficient and comfortable for others.
Roman Goyenko, a computer programmer, avid maker and and his family of outdoorspeople, have committed resources to revitalization and in doing so have become co-operators, sharing business opportunities with LexArtSci. LexArtSci directs profits into revitalization efforts and supporting artists-in-residence and community programming.
Another individual found LexArtSci through our social media calls and specifically wanted to renovate a space for the benefit of social media following. This guest has become a collaborator, advocating for community revitalization, and finding LexArtSci to be a wonderful conduit for this individual’s talents and as a backdrop and whiteboard for social media content.
Sam Bargetz and Gabi Moritz, architects, came into the project as friends and dreamed up, designed and built, with their own hands and with assistance and love from the community, what is today the Diamond Notch Mini A-Frame. This locally-crafted, passive house level insulated structure is owned by the couple and is operated in partnership with LexArtSci. Income and expenses are shared equally by the parties, and LexArtSci directs its profits to the revitalization efforts and to support artists-in-residents and community programming. The Diamond Notch has implications for affordable housing, single resident housing, artist accommodations, portable and passive house design. This is a wonderful of co-operation.
In collaboration with Prattsville Art Center and Four-D Projects, three groups of artists used the Lexington House in the winter of 2020/2021 as a canvas for the production of digital, performance, and photographic art works.
Lokasparsa Dance Projects’ Clyde Forth created a covid-time choreography and film work called “Still, Together” featuring Mosquito Point Road House’s Kris Seto and others, in collaboration with LexArtSci.
Muse, a Korean fashion label, collaborated with the Diamond Notch and LexArtSci to shoot a fall clothing catalog. This is an example of a collaboration within a co-operation. This can get as funky as it wants to.
We look forward to discussing your ideas for co-operation and collaboration.