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

The rest of the stripping and the stairs

I just wanted to let you all know that I spent about 3 hours Sunday morning stripping the carpet from the passenger side out of the RV and cleaning it up a bit. Marco hasn't yet gotten back to me on when he can remove the driver's side chair... but I could probably work on the steps in the meantime too. I'm planning on talking to Steve Ginsburg in the woodshop regarding the steps and if I can use any scraps he has it may help us out with not needing to buy the materials for those. Brian McLane has not yet responded to my last email but on a positive note I did get a good chunk of my stack of postcards of the bus filled out so I'll bring those Thursday.

1 comment:

cazhog said...

If my work schedule permits I was hoping to work on the RV this Wednesday afternoon. I was planning on cutting out rotted sections of the floor and taking some measurements for pipe caps.
David