Announcing Knowledge Commons DC this June!

May 31, 2011 The Advoc8te

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2011

Contact: Kate Clark

Knowledge Commons DC: a free school for thinkers, doers, tinkerers

and those passionate about something, anything and everything

A new model for learning outside the box, classroom or lecture hall has arrived in DC. Knowledge Commons DC (KCDC) is a collaborative creative project instigated by local artists and arts organizations who believe in the idea that we can and should share our knowledge and experiences with each another, in the public spaces that are available to us.

KCDC’s first session will run from June 2nd to June 30th 2011 in locations throughout the city such as the metro, the farmer’s market, and the zoo. Provisions Library, Transformer, Honfleur Gallery, Pleasant Plains Workshop, and Big Bear Café will also be hosting KCDC classes. We encourage prospective teachers to invite students to explore DC and its more unconventional locales. Whether a course takes place in a grocery store, park, or art gallery, we hope teachers will imagine how space and place is an integral component of how students experience their subjects.

Says Don Russell, Director of Provisions Library, “We all have preconceptions about DC – but we like the idea that in every city, you can find your ideal city. It’s a practical utopia." Adds co-organizer Kristy Maruca, "It started one day, talking about who was sitting next to us on the Metro. There are a lot of idealistic people here and a lot of us have a nerdy side. Rather than spending $400 to take a night class, we thought it could be fun to meet up and exchange our knowledge and experiences.”

In a city saturated with the country’s leading experts on everything from central Asian textiles to astrophysics, KCDC has the simple goal of connecting strangers with common curiosities in a way that engages DC’s sites, citizens, and resources. Inspired by like-minded free schools such as School of the Future (Brooklyn), The Public School (Los Angeles) and Trade School (NYC), KCDC classes provide a platform for theoretical, creative, and practical explorations. People passionate about everything from silk-screening to string theory will share their love of learning with the greater DC community.

To propose or enroll in a course, go to: http://www.knowledgecommonsdc.org/

KCDC KICK-OFF/FUNDRAISER

June 2 ^nd from 6 – 11pm, Big Bear Cafe is hosting chefs Orr Shtuhl and Avi Nocella to kick off KCDC’s inaugural session, with the first class and opening fundraiser. Hear more about KCDC, speak with instructors, sign up for courses, and learn about mixology and gazpacho!

Big Bear Cafe is located at: 1700 1 ^st Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. The nearest Metro stop is Shaw-Howard U on the Green and Yellow line. For directions via Metro Bus, please visit: http://www.wmata.com/index.cfm

Immense thanks to our Institutional Partners: Provisions Library, Honfleur Gallery and Transformer