Spark Festival

• 2008, 2009, 2010
• Curatorial Project

• Description

  Between 2008-2010, I directed the Spark Festival for Electronic Music and Art, hosted at the University of Minnesota's West Bank Arts Quarter and the surrounding communities.  The Spark Festival was founded by composer Doug Geers in 2004; after two-years of co-direction (2008-09), I led the final festival year in 2010.

  Spark invited submissions of art, dance, theater, and music works incorporating new media, including electroacoustic concert music, experimental electronica, theatrical and dance works, installations, kinetic sculpture, artbots, video, and other non-traditional genres. Past Spark Festivals have featured a diverse array of guests, including Paul Demarinis, Richard Devine, Alvin Lucier, Morton Subotnick, DJ Spooky ,Wafaa Bilal, Kanta Horio, Scanner, Smith/Wymore Disappearing Acts, Phillipe Manoury, Paul Lansky, David Wessel, Pole, Fred Frith, and others.

  You can find the media archives for the Spark Festival through Internet Archives.

• Acknowledgements

  Many thanks to the vast Spark community in the Twin Cities that allowed us to pull it off. Special thanks to my close collaborators:

  Douglas Geers (2004-2009), founding Artistic Directors
  J. Anthony Allen, founding member and producer
  Phillip O'Toole, Technical Director
  James P Hunglemann, founding member and Nightlife Curator