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.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

MLAB @ Sculpture Center July 18!!!!

Clear your calendars, kids! MLAB will be at Sculpture Center in Queens, NY on July 18th as part of their current exhibition, The University of Trash. The July 18th program, which MLAB will be a part of is entitled

"The University of Trash presents:
Architectures of Crisis/ Architectures of Resistance"


We'll be sharing the bill with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (!!) and Teddy Cruz (!!!!!!)

click on the image to be take to the Sculpture Center website and schedule for the day!

Damon Rich, Block Buster, 2008. Animated neon sign. Photo: Lite Brite Neon.
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Monday, June 15, 2009

MLAB Radio Live!



MLAB Radio is Live! Please visit the MLAB Radio website to listen to moving, honest, real, and truly inspirational audio pieces by some of Syracuse's finest young adults.

MLAB spent four days at Nottingham High School in early June 2009 outfitted as a recording studio, where students worked in pairs to record their audio pieces inside the Mobile Literacy Arts Bus (MLAB). Participating students in Ms. Zizzi's and Ms. Benedetto's ninth grade English classes based their audio essays on the NPR's "This I Believe" contest.

Later this summer, MLAB Radio will go live on Redhouse Art Radio, so be sure to check back often for more MLAB Updates!

Below are some images from the MLAB Radio recording sessions:








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Thursday, June 4, 2009

MLAB ZINE VOLUMES 1 & 2 NOW ONLINE!


HELLO ALL!!

BALM: The MLAB Zine Volumes 1 & 2 are now available for download online!

Please go here to download!

Volume 2 has just been sent to press, and we are hoping to distribute hard copies to the Nottingham artists/writers once we get them in the next week or two!
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MLAB Radio at Nottingham

This week and next week, MLAB is back at Nottingham this time doing a RADIO workshop with ninth graders from Ms. Zizzi and Ms. Benedetto's second period English classes. We are recording "This I believe" essays to be uploaded to the Redhouse Art Radio Station. Please Check back for more info soon, when I will be uploading images and audio from our first ever MLAB Radio project!

Please visit RedhouseArtRadio.org for more info on Redhouse Art Radio and some really excellent arts programming!
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