CCLaP

Greetings, if this is your first time to the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography; my name is Jason Pettus, CCLaP's Executive Director, and I welcome you. I thought I would take a moment, for all of you who are new, to explain exactly what the center is all about, and what exactly we do. This information is also laid out all pretty-like in a PDF brochure, for those who would prefer reading it that way; simply right-click on this link and choose "Save Link As..." to your hard drive.

CCLaP's mission is to connect underground artists of outstanding quality with the audience eagerly seeking these artists; we do this by maintaining a uniquely personal relationship not only with our artists but with our audience as well. It's to both groups that we seek advice, project ideas, tips on who to feature, even hosts of our live events, workshops and clubs. And instead of maintaining separate membership and artist-development programs, CCLaP combines the two into one, bringing both artists and patrons together in not only a professional but social way.

CCLaP's specific list of products and services can be broken down into the dozens, but roughly fall under one of the following groups:

Live events: Those we usually charge an admission fee for, unless otherwise noted. Includes the weekly CCLaP Slam; monthly CCLaP Showcases; monthly CCLaP Sessions; as well as special events. All events, unless otherwise noted, are $3 for the general public, free for both Members and Fellows.

Creative work: A growing collection of artistic work on display, made by both Members and Fellows of CCLaP, as well as fans and audience members. This collection will also be turned into merchandise, starting later this year, that will be sold online and in general gift stores in the Chicago area; it is the main way our for-profit center plans on paying our bills.

Community events: Those that are usually free to the general public, unless otherwise noted, most also organized and run by our Members and Fellows. Includes workshops on both artistic and business issues; a series of discussion and hobbyist clubs; an entire series of intelligent family events; as well as our special "CCLaP After Dark" series, specifically for those over the age of 21.

CCLaP Online: Special online features we offer only at our website. Includes a regularly-updated podcast; an ever-growing collection of frequently asked questions; a collection of over 30 RSS feeds; as well as a special section called the Sandbox, where artistic work is released under a special Creative Commons license, for other artists around the world to use legally in "mash-ups." This section will also eventually include the "Cafe Network," a new social network CCLaP will sponsor, linking visual artists with the cafes and other retail spaces in Chicago that feature artists, as well as the audience looking for both these artists and venues. It will also eventually include a wiki, maintained by our Members and Fellows, entitled "The CCLaP Guide to Being a Self-Sustaining Artist."

Publications: Starting early in 2007, there will also be a publications section to the CCLaP website, where you will not only be able to download the latest eBooks for free, but also directly order and pay for our latest paper books, to be FedExed or mailed straight to your home. (CCLaP is currently seeking a publications intern for the 2007 winter semester; to get an early jump, contact us now.)

Regular events start in September 2006; CCLaP is currently hosting a series of special one-time events throughout the summer. To learn more about any of these products or services, please click on their category in the sidebar menu.

(This is one of an ever-growing amount of frequently asked questions, or FAQs, that the staff of CCLaP has tackled here at the website. Click here for a special HTML page showing all FAQs; or use this RSS feed to have the newest FAQs delivered to you.)

As a Fellow of CCLaP, you have the right to expect the following:

--That your work will never be edited without your permission.

--That your name will always appear with your work when published.

--That you maintain final rights to your work; you are welcome to publish it again, charge money, or anything else you want;

--That you can revoke your Fellowship at any time, and have the center return its right to publish your work.

--That you will receive your own HTML page and RSS feed here, for others to track your work and news.

--That you will receive free admission to all center events, along with a t-shirt.

--That you will receive free MP3 copies of all performances given at CCLaP events, along with the right to republish and/or sell this work if you wish.

--That you will receive preferred treatment over non-Fellows, when it comes to things like publishing, featuring at CCLaP events, etc.

--That you will have free access to CCLaP's growing amount of artistic reference material, such as grant and award lists.

--That you can come to the staff at any time with a question or concern, and receive a thorough and timely response.

Just to be clear, as a Fellow you are giving us permission to republish whatever work you both donate and perform at our events, both here at the website and in physical form. As a for-profit center, this is how we plan on eventually paying most of our bills, in fact; by making gift-store merchandise out of the material Fellows are donating in return for their Fellowship, along with professional publications and spoken-word CDs.