Caroline Collective » Matthew Wettergreen

Bite Me Houston Holiday Party

Matthew Wettergreen — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:13 +0000

We’re happy to announce that Bite Me Houston, of Vodka Throwdown fame, will be hosting the Bite Me Houston Holiday Party at Caroline Collective on December 11th.

From Bite Me Houston:

This year Bite Me Houston has worked with a number of local businesses and helped raise a lot of money for local charities. During the Texas Tequila Throwdown, we had 3 pallet sized boxes overflowing with blankets and coats for the Star of Hope Mission. At the AIDS Walk Houston, team Bite Me Houston had a goal of $500 …but blew that away by raising over $1200. For the Texas Vodka Throwdown we raised one of the largest donations for the Houston Food Bank that they had ever received from an event and these are only a few of the highlights from 2010. My main goal this year has been to inspire others to give back to this great city and as this year comes to a close I am working on even bigger plans for 2011. Before we go into a new year I have one last hoorah for the great people of this city. On December 11th I will be hosting the Bite Me Houston Holiday Party at the Caroline Collective which will benefit Noah’s Kitchen. I am asking everyone to bring out new or gently used blankets and coats which will be given directly to the less fortunate by the fine volunteers of Noah’s Kitchen. In return for your donations I will give you a night of music, art, complimentary Texas beer and cocktails and food from some great Houston restaurants. This is just my way of saying thank you Houston for all of your support this year and lets plan to make 2011 even bigger.

Here are just a few of my friends coming out to make this night special…

Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Deep Eddy Vodka
Republic Tequila
Tito’s Vodka
Treaty Oak Rum
Veev Acai Spirit

Delectable P.I.E.S.

We’d like to thank Mike Cortez for contributing to such an eventful year over here at Caroline Collective. Many happy returns and see you here.

Graphic Novel Release Party for “Semeurge”

Matthew Wettergreen — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:37:33 +0000

Semeurge is a mixed-media graphic novel which tells the story of Frederich, an amnesic murderer stripped of his former motivations, as he grapples with his past actions. The story flashes between past and present, exploring the psychology of trauma and its effect on memory and morality. In the process, the bloody lineage that underlies Frederich’s supernatural abilities is exposed and he must again face the choice that nearly destroyed him.

Semeurge was lovingly written over the course of about four years in as many different cities. It was self-published and printed under the imprint of Metafold Press and has since been displayed and sold in such various and glamorous locales as Poughkeepsie, Cambridge, Albany, New Haven, New York and (now) Houston. The book, in a way, tracks not only the progress of its protagonist, but the growth and transformation of a still young personality–my own–through academic study and personal tribulation. Each page has a story to tell. Please, join us at the Caroline Collective to hear them.

Where: Caroline Collective, 4820 Caroline
When: Dec. 4th, 6-8pm
What: Celebrate the launch of Semeurge with author Ethan Feuer

Join Noah’s Kitchen for SleepOut Saturday

Matthew Wettergreen — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:57:06 +0000

Please RSVP here: http://hhhaw.us/events/sleepout-saturday

Noah’s Kitchen invites Houstonians of all walks of life to come together on November 13 for SleepOut Saturday, the kick-off for National Homelessness Awareness Week. For one night, Noah’s Kitchen asks you to give up the comfort of your bed and the luxury of a full belly to gain a better understanding of the lives of Houston’s homeless. The goal of the Houston SleepOut is to allow the general population to contribute to the figh…t against homelessness, while giving participants a small glimpse into a night in the life of the more than 12,000 local people who suffer from homelessness nightly.

If you are not able to spend the full night, you are welcome to stop by the event at any time to join the discussion and activities or to drop off donations of food, clothing, blankets or monetary gifts.

When: Saturday, November 13 –Sunday, November 14 | 7 p.m. – 11 a.m.

Where: Caroline Collective | 4820 Caroline St., Houston

What to bring: Sleeping bag or blanket; pillow; toiletries; board games; musical instrument; and please remember to dress accordingly- we will be outside.

There is no cost to participate in SleepOut Saturday, but please do bring a donation to help Noah’s Kitchen serve Houston’s homeless population. Donations can include: bottled water, peanut butter, pull-top cat and dog food, blankets, gently used clothing, and new children’s toys and books for the upcoming holiday season. Noah’s Kitchen can also use Sam’s and Wal-Mart gift cards to support the bi-weekly handouts.

What not to bring: Alcohol; food (Noah’s Kitchen will provide a light midnight snack and light breakfast).

Agenda:

7-8 p.m. Arrive at Caroline Collective; organize sleeping arrangements;
discuss purpose of SleepOut Saturday; video interviews
**camera equipment/interviews courtesy of Trish Badger and James Beck

8-8:45 p.m. Candlelight march through Midtown

9-10 p.m. Speaker: Noah Rattler, founder of SleepOut Saturday
Speaker: Amber Rodriguez, founder of Noah’s Kitchen

10-11 p.m. Acoustic music set by Tyagaraja

11-12 a.m. Acoustic music set by Mason Lankford and the Folk Family
Revival

** PA/sound provided by Andy Rodriguez

12-6 a.m. Midnight snack
Optional activities:
· Art and crafts ** Supplies provided by Sew Crafty
· Board games
· Video interviews with participants
· Sleep!

6-7 a.m. Wake-up/morning routine/breakdown sleeping areas

7-8 a.m. Breakfast **Sponsored by 20K Group
Morning discussion

8-10 a.m. Preparation and distribution of meals

10-11 a.m. Return to Caroline Collective / Discussion / Clean up /
Closing interviews

Noah’s Kitchen provides the less fortunate with food, gently used clothing and the resources to help them find medical help, shelter, employment and, eventually, housing- getting them off the streets. Noah’s Kitchen currently crowd-sources donations, labor and delivery vehicles on Sunday afternoons and at other times during the week, depending on donations. Anyone is encouraged to share their time with the organization, and volunteers are always welcome! Volunteer dates are available at www.noahskitchen.org and www.facebook.com/noahskitchen. Donations may be made to http://blog.razoo.com/noahskitchen and are tax deductible.

Green Week Houston Workshop and Happy Hour with Colin Beavan

Matthew Wettergreen — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:27:13 +0000

Caroline Collective invites you to join the Houston Green Week festivities this Friday, 10/15 first by learning, then by celebrating. First on the docket, a workshop with Colin Beavan, author of No Impact Man. Following the workshop there will be an open reception for all community members and celebrators of Houston Green Week.

First event of the evening: Workshop with Colin Beavan, author of No Impact Man
WHERE: Caroline Collective Event Space
WHEN: 15 October 6:00-7:30 PM
HOW MUCH: FREE, but you must register here

Second event of the evening: Houston Green Week Reception and Mixer
WHERE: Caroline Collective
WHEN: 15 October 8:00PM – Whenever
HOW MUCH: FREE, no registration required

More about the No Impact Experiment:
The No Impact Experiment is a one-week carbon cleanse. It is a chance for you to see what a difference no-impact living can have on your quality of life. It’s not about giving up creature comforts but an opportunity for you to test whether the modern “conveniences” you take for granted are actually making you happier or just eating away at your time and money. Download the No Impact Man Manual here.

About Colin Beavan:
Beavan was named one of MSN’s Ten Most Influential Men of 2007 and was named an Eco-Illuminator in Elle Magazine’s 2008 Green Awards. His blog NoImpactMan.com was named one of the world’s top 15 environmental websites by Time Magazine. He was named a 2008 Eco-Star by New York City’s Lower East Side Ecology Center.

About Green Week Houston :
GreenWeek Houston is a grass roots, week-long celebration focused on community service, climate awareness, sustainable choices and the merits of mindful, sustainable living while educating and encouraging Houstonians to preserve, conserve and enhance our city.

GreenWeek Houston is scheduled for October 10-17, 2010 and is proudly presented by Emerging Professionals of the U.S. Green Building Council Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, Houston Green Scene and The Last Organic Outpost.

This free celebration will include neighborhood beautification projects, sustainable living workshops, environmental education for schoolchildren, the grassroots-inspired GreenFest and Houston’s biggest potluck picnic.

You can find out more about Green Week Houston at http://www.greenweekhouston.com/

For more on the No Impact Experiment, visit http://noimpactproject.org/

The Brain as Art Workshop

Matthew Wettergreen — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:12:37 +0000

Join C2 Creative and Open Science Fund for a Hands-On Workshop:

Build an EEG machine with a team of friends! Use the readouts of brainwave activity as a source of inspiration for creating art.

A marriage of science and art with a DIY mentality, this workshop aims to create content and inspiration for artwork through homebrewed EEG machines. Bring a team of friends to pool creativity! With a little instruction, We will show your team how to build an EEG machine capable of detecting and graphing the body’s electro impulses.

The participants are encouraged to use the readouts or the electo-impulses themselves as a basis for image making. The final images will be exhibited a month after the workshop at the Caroline Collective.

Workshop: Sep 25th, 2010

Art Show: Oct 22nd

Cost:$75/team

More information and to sign up please visit: http://brainart.eventbrite.com/

Caroline Collective Fall Intern Call

Matthew Wettergreen — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:26:20 +0000

Caroline Collective is seeking several motivated and creative individuals to provide assistance for marketing, content management, and public relations. Candidates should be comfortable with the internet, social media and familiar with the Microsoft and Google suites of products. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite is a major plus but not necessary. Qualified applicants will be available 10-20 hours per week during business hours.

Interns will assist with either Caroline Collective, SLGT, Do713, or one of the Caroline Collective member organizations to aid with:

Being physically present at community-based events and outings
Creating and implementing marketing plans for community-based events and campaigns
Managing social media campaigns surrounding events and brands
Identifying and targeting conferences, speaking opportunities, and request for proposals
Maintaining a contact database
Conceiving and designing events and brand marketing plans
Maintaining and verifying website content
Designing and sending weekly email newsletters

Please submit resumes along with a cover letter to carolinecollective@gmail.com by Wednesday, September 30th, at 6:00pm EST. Emails should be sent with the subject line “Caroline Collective Intern “.

Feldenkrais Movement Class Begins anew, August 2010

Matthew Wettergreen — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:54:25 +0000

Caroline Collective is proud to announce that the Feldenkrais workshop series, led by MaryBeth Smith, will begin anew, starting on August 12th, 2010. Improve posture, balance, coordination, and vitality with the Feldenkrais Method(R). The perfect complement to any workout routine (including NONE), the Feldenkrais Method uses small, gentle, intriguing movements to help you improve the connection and communication between your body and your brain. Results? Improved function, skill, outlook, clarity, creativity, stress and pain relief. Leading-edge neuroscience meets YOUR daily life. Why not use all the tools available to expand your capacity and potential? The Feldenkrais Method(R) is an iconoclastic approach to fitness, conditioning, and mental processes. Join us!

Each class is approximately one hour in length. Dress comfortably for movement. Mats will be provided.

Join us for the next six consecutive Thursdays. These classes will be led by MaryBeth Smith, Director of the Feldenkrais Center of Houston, and a nationally recognized authority on the improvement of human potential and performance.

The movements of the Feldenkrais Method are suitable for anyone of any age or level of physical fitness. Join us on Thursday nights from 6:30pm – 7:30pm to unwind, destress and experience awareness of your body through movement.

WHAT: Weekly classes in the Feldenkrais Method

WHEN: Starting August 12th, every Thursday for 6 weeks, 8/12, 8/19, 8/26, 9/2, 9/9, 9/16
6:30 -7:30PM

WHERE: Caroline Collective, 4820 Caroline, Houston TX 77004

HOW MUCH: FREE for Caroline members (all levels)
Non-Caroline Members: $15 drop-in, series of 6 for $70

For more information about the classes and/or the Feldenkrais Method, please call MaryBeth Smith at 713.622.8794.

TALA Class 8/25: Estate Planning for Artists

Matthew Wettergreen — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:41:05 +0000

On August 25th, school is back in session. Join TALA representative Mary Galligan in a session explaining the ways to ensure the protection and continued integrity of your creative assets after death. An especially important topic for artists from all disciplines, Mary will offer guidance on how to best execute wills and trusts for both your tangible and intellectual property.

WHAT: TALA Class: Estate Planning for Artists
WHY: Learn how to protect your creative assets after death
WHERE: Caroline Collective, 4820 Caroline
WHEN: August 25th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
HOW MUCH: Free

About Mary Galligan:
Mary Galligan is a founding partner of the law firm of Galligan & Manning. The firm focuses its practice on estate planning, estate administration (probate), and probate litigation. Ms. Galligan graduated from the University of Houston Law Center in 1985, where she served on the Houston Law Review. She received her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1975. Mary is a frequent lecturer on estate planning and probate issues for community organizations and for continuing legal education programs for attorneys.

About Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA):
Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA) was formed in 1979 to meet the legal and accounting needs of arts nonprofits and artists from all creative disciplines, including musicians, actors, dancers, filmmakers, writers and visual artists. Our services include lawyer and accountant pro bono assistance, dispute resolution services, educational programs for the artistic and business community, publications, and a resource library. Programs are designed to help artists apply legal and accounting concepts for their benefit. TALA volunteers throughout Texas handle more than 250 matters per year.

Caroline Collective 2010 State of the Union

Matthew Wettergreen — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:03:46 +0000

What a difference a year makes. Friday night, amongst family and friends, Caroline Collective held an intimate gathering celebrating two years of community and shared success. In contrast to past years, this event was not framed from the standpoint of inviting every member of the community for a loud and outlandish party. It was a coming to terms with the fact that we’ve grown up, that we’re serious and that we are poised to turn into something that we can all stand by and be proud of.

Several important announcements were made during Caroline Collective Co-Founders Ned Dodington and Matthew Wettergreen’s brief-ish address to the crowd.

Matthew Wettergreen will be returning in August to run Caroline Collective full-time. We are sure this will allow Caroline Collective to become the professional, inspiring and productive work space that we all believe it can be.
There is one person at Caroline Collective that over the two years has contributed significant mind-share, constantly supported the space through outspoken promotion and holding fundraisers for the community. This person is already very much a part of our family and we love her very much. We have decided to invite Grace Rodriguez to be a part owner in Caroline Collective.
Caroline Collective’s Creative Incubator, C2, is poised to launch. C2 Creative is a nonprofit organization that provides creative startups, groups, individuals and professionals with the education, guidance and resources needed for a successful launch. Check out what’s coming next at http://www.c2creative.cc/.
We will soon be launching a capital campaign to raise much needed funds for much needed improvements surrounding the building and grounds. By this we mean: a new HVAC unit, re-paving the back lot, an automated gate, video security system and a new and upgraded coworking space.

Thanks to Caroline Collective member Tom Paynter of Paynter Media, you can watch the whole speech.

One of the best comments of the night was “These announcements are on the order of It’s About F*cking Time!”

We’ve demonstrated that we can walk. This fall we run. Won’t you join us.

Caroline Collective Seeks Interns

Matthew Wettergreen — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:29:17 +0000

Caroline Collective is seeking three motivated and creative individuals to provide assistance for several of our member organizations. The three types of internships that are being offered are 1) Arts Marketing, 2) Branding and Public Relations, and 3) Video. The ideal candidates would be interested in learning about one of these three areas. Candidates should be comfortable with the internet, social media and familiar with the Microsoft and Google suites of products. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite is a major plus but not necessary. Qualified applicants will be available 10-15 hours per week during business hours.

The Arts Marketing intern will work closely with Fresh Arts Coalition to aid with:

Creating and implementing marketing plans for arts based events and campaigns
Designing and implementing an arts-based social media strategy
Designing and sending weekly email newsletters
Attending arts events

The Branding and Public Relations intern will work closely with AYN Brand to aid with:

Managing social media campaigns surrounding events and brands
Identifying and targeting conferences, speaking opportunities, and request for proposals
Maintaining a contact database
Conceiving and designing events and brand marketing plans

The Video intern will work closely with Paynter Media to aid with:

Editing, shooting and producing web video
Designing and implementing a social media strategy employing web-based video
Identifying and targeting individuals, bands and companies in need of web video content

Please submit resumes along with a cover letter to carolinecollective@gmail.com by Wednesday, July 28 at 6:00pm EST. Please include your area of interest, whether that is arts marketing, video or branding.