MLAB MISSION STATEMENT


The Mobile Literacy Arts Bus (MLAB) is an artist-run, renovated recreational vehicle that exists as a flexible space open to community members’ proposals for alternative educational and cultural programming.

MLAB is the collaborative effort of the 2007-2008 Social Sculpture class at Syracuse University, comprised of 10 art and architecture students and lead by artist and Director of Community Initiatives in the Visual Arts of Syracuse University, Marion Wilson. Our mission was to transform a used, 1984 Recreational Vehicle Bus into a Mobile Literacy and Arts Bus for use by the Syracuse City School District and the greater Syracuse Community. MLAB serves as a physical manifestation of Syracuse University’s Scholarship in Action initiative, by pairing University resources with community needs in an attempt to address the staggering drop out rates in the Syracuse City School District High Schools. Through the School of Education at Syracuse University, incredible curricula that bridge photography, poetry and literacy currently exist within the public schools-- however due to a crisis of space, the schools don't always have the space or resources to house it. MLAB is this space. The bus serves as a mobile classroom, digital photo lab, gallery space, and community center. As a team, we did it all: demolition, design, and construction.

MLAB is made possible from the generous support of the School of Education at Syracuse University and Entitiative.

Monday, October 8, 2007

I love the re-used scrap wood idea - maybe for the floor too. Only thing is as cushions they don't look too comfortable or inviting. Could they be combined somehow with upholstering of any artistic,sculptural,more playful colorful sort. Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 12:00 anyone and everybody is invited to meet with Stephanie Miner, new faculty at COMART to talk with us about upholstering. I know Sam, Roslyn and I are going.

Also, this weekend I was in NYC and took great shots of lighting possibilities on the Bowery, and, got a great idea about floor and wall treatment at PS 1 Contemporary Arts Center (which is a huge old urban school re-furbished into a contemporary arts space). I think we should use buffed sanded cheap or reused wood on the floor and then just stain it off white and buff it again. The galleries were a really beautiful use of re-cycled materials and different shades of white. Yun you would have loved it. They also used thick sheets of masonite painted with black chalkboard paint propped on a really thin shelf to announce the shows and draw a map of the galleries in the lobby. I took a foto.

Also took fotos of the new New Museum going up on the Bowery - very few windows but beautiful surface.
Marion
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