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.

Happy day! CCLaP has its first Member! It's Patrick Spiroff, as a matter of fact, a musician and corporate worker who lives in the near Chicago suburbs. I met Patrick originally through my personal website; he was one of the first supporters of this center, way back when it was nothing more than an idea on a piece of paper, and I'm proud to have him be our first official Member as well.

Don't forget, Patrick now has his own category page here at the site, where you can always find the latest concerning him; he also has his own RSS feed, for those who would rather subscribe and get the latest delivered in real time. Also, I wanted to mention that Patrick is a habitual player of the alternative-reality videogame Second Life, just like myself; he will be helping CCLaP with our virtual events there later this fall, once we're finally up and running there.

I asked Patrick if he'd give us a few thoughts concerning creativity and the type of work he likes; I found his answer both funny and touching...

"As you can see from my photo, I fall into that ever elusive category, old fat white guy. As a matter of fact, my opinion on anything no longer matters since I've slipped out of that all important 18 to 49 demographic that advertisers so dearly cherish.

"At one point in my life I wanted to be rock star. I was a singer/songwriter heavily influence by Elvis Costello and Mr. Springsteen, as all my contemporaries say, back in the day. But after years of being a starving artist it lost its charm. I didn't so much as give up my dreams as wrapped them in plastic like a used wedding dress and put them in the back of my closet.

"Now I have no greater aspiration than to be a great father. I have two wonderful daughters, ages 12 and 9 and a wife I still adore after 16 years. It is their company I cherish the most.

"I have a job that pays me fairly well but never defines who I am.

"Actually, I'm still a songwriter, just I've limited my audience to my daughter dancing in the living room. But I'm still passionate about music. I purchase on average two CDs a week [yeah I'm old school in that way that I still like to hold something in my hands]. Unlike most people I know however, my taste did not petrify the year I graduated college. I'm sure I skew to the right of pitchforkmedia.com's target market but find I agree with their many of their critiques nonetheless.

"My other passion is literature, ever since I realized in 6th grade, after finishing Dickens's Great Expectations, it had the power to make me cry."

Thanks for your support of the center, Patrick, and I look forward to seeing you at many of our events. Don't forget, for the low price of US$50, you too can become a Member of CCLaP; in return you receive a free t-shirt, the same online benefits as Patrick, plus free admission to all 60 of our live events over the next year (or free copies of our first ten books, for those who live out-of-town). Those who are interested can click here to both learn more and to apply this instant.