Book & Wheel: Kate Connell & Oscar Melara
About
Kate Connell and Oscar Melara are visual artists who have been collaborating as Book & Wheel since 1996. They are both from San Francisco and their work focuses on Southeast San Francisco, where they have lived for thirty years. As past public servants, a librarian (Book) and a bus operator (Wheel), they work closely with libraries and bus systems, and present art on wheels. They make games, maps, books, murals and curate events and portfolios. Their current project, Chispa, is an art cart mounted with prints from the project: Southeast San Francisco Artists Portfolio. All of the prints in the portfolio and on the cart are available for trade (they trade their art for your art). Chispa is in its fifth and likely last year now. They have traded more than 800 works including drawings, origami, pyrographic art, poems, lyrics, recipes, maps and reading lists by folk aged 2 to 92.
Maintenance Actions
Drive or ride to the studio, sweep, dust Chispa, check tire pressure, charge battery for sound system. Touch up any scratches or gauges in the surface paint. Refill the drawers with prints to trade. Re cover with the tarp. Talk with the folx at the upcoming venue. Go to the site, check for drivable access for the cart and best location. Talk about promotion—flyers, social media, contacting neighborhood partners. Contact a preparator and communicate about upcoming event logistics. Hire movers if necessary (Atthowe for ICA SF). Coordinate with photographers, videographers to document the event. Check art supplies and replace depleted. Cut paper to size to fit through “mailbox” slot on cart. Make sure to have pencils from each neighborhood for trade. Begin PR campaign for upcoming event. Email friends and collaborators. Create post for Instagram and facebook. “Pulse the PR” beginning 10 days ahead—follow with successive posts. While attending neighborhood meetings, let folx know about upcoming events. Talk about event while getting books at the library, buying food in the nabe, attending neighborhood events, at school visits, with friends and neighbors. Day of the event set up the cart, mount the framed work, set up drawing/writing tables, umbrellas. Scout lunch. Support photographers, videographers. Event begins! Trade madly! After the event photograph all the trades, add to Trade Slideshow and post some on social media. Store trades. Pay preparator, artist assistant, documentarians. Review and organize photos from the event. Check back with organizers for feedback on the event. Share photos. Between events: Replace the prints on display at the local grocery store. Print out artist info for the store owner so he can talk about the project/prints with customers. Consider if new artists can be added to portfolio of trades. Review potential new artist list. Communicate with artist/s, ask for and process invoice for their fees. Work with the graphic artist to set up files for new prints. Send to the printer, check proof, communicate with printer after seeing proof. Move new prints to the studio and add to the cart. Solicit neighborhood partners to include Chispa in events. Begin to let folx know we'll be looking for someone/s to inherit the cart.
Photo documentation by Sibilla Savage