AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

Well, I've never actually created a blog entry before, but here goes...I just got back from experiencing the gorgeous collaboration of AMP Member Scrote, who can do anything musically, (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/scrote, http://www.bundinimusic.com/scrote, and
http://www.myspace.com/scrotemusic, among other excellent websites that Scrote inhabits) with David Garza (http://www.davidgarza.com or http://www.myspace.com/davidgarza) at Largo
(http://www.largo-la.com) here in Los Angeles, and decided it was about time I wrote something about AMP's first voyage abroad. It was an excellent trip, and probably the best thing about it was the hospitality I encountered along the way. It started upon my arrival in Munich, Germany, when AMP Member Baerbel (http://www.spiralsmorphs.de - and see photos in the image galleries), an astounding filmmaker, picked me up at the airport, and we took the train back into town. I stayed with Baerbel for several days, during which she showed me around and helped me poster (best neighborhood for this clearly being Gaertnerbachviertel - did I get that right?). After seeing friends Gabi and Tobi, I moved on to Berlin, where I stayed with Rosanna, Tim, baby Nova, and wonder-dog Jessie. Rosanna and Tim were also incredibly generous, with Rosanna dropping everything to help map out the best places to publicize, and Tim driving me around. Former student and friend Kai met me for coffee in Mitte (a neighborhood in the middle of Berlin), and also took some materials to put up around town, as did AMP Member roxy, whose gallery Open I visited with Tim (we had a great talk with roxy too!). Unfortunately I missed meeting AMP Members Mari W Shroeder and shanebo, but time was extremely short, and Tim dropped me at the Bahnhof Zoo train station just as my train to Amsterdam was about to pull out of the station. In Amsterdam, I stayed with AMP Member KBlodget (friend Kat). The week ended up being packed with important meetings: on Monday, AMP Member Becky (founder of TSLO), who had come in by train all the way from Hamburg, met with me for 6 hours - maybe someday that plan for artists' lodging all over the world and an international artists' jet-share will materialize! :) Tuesday, Kat and I met with Alida, whose house we were renting, and AMP Member philippetesta, a friend of Alida's. This led to a meeting on Thursday with artist and Rietveld Academie Coordinator Gijs Müller (Gijs has done a LOT, but you can find a taste at www.uwnieuwstevriend.nl), which led to meeting Donna Wolf of Deiska (www.deiska.nl) on Thursday night, and having a meeting with her on Friday, the day before I left. Plans are in the works for collaboration in the future! And in the middle of it all, I met with Hank, Anthony, and Sacha, all AMP Members, at the headquarters of Radio Free Amsterdam and did an interview for their Image Makers program (evidence exists in AMP's image galleries). Add that to visits all along the way with more old friends and some new, and it was a jam-packed, incredibly productive trip. I'm already looking forward to the next time, when I may see some of you in Paris in June. Until then, I'll be working to develop AMP's Advice Forum, Cityguides, companion Art Webguide, and more, while teaching Sociology of Emotions, Self and Friendship, and Living Consciously: Social Philosophy in Everyday Life at UCLA (let me know if you want a syllabus ;)). And as soon as my new Skype phone arrives in the mail, look for a phone number reserved just so you can phone me via Skype to talk about AMP-related things (free if you have Skype yourself - www.skype.com!). I look forward to meeting many, many more of you, telephonically and in person - and I may even blog again soon! Cheers!