THE URBAN STUDIO, St. Louis

Help Us Launch L-Ink!

2010-12-14T10:24:00.001-08:00

The Urban Studio Cafe is developing a screen-printing class for neighborhood youth, in partnership with artist Stan Chisolm. We made a video about this project-in-development as a tool to share our vision and raise funds.

After you watch the video, if you would like to make a donation to help us get this project off-the-ground, visit our Facebook Causes page by clicking here.

Special thanks to volunteer Phil Betts for committing his time and expertise to produce this great video!

Would you like to donate to The Urban Studio Cafe? It's simple and easy through our Facebook Causes webpage. OR, you can send us a check payable to "Grace Hill Settlement House" with "Urban Studio" in the memo line. Please mail your donation to the Cafe:

The Urban Studio Cafe
2815 N 14th Street
St. Louis, MO 63107

We Love Our Customers!

2010-09-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

In fact, we love our customers so much that we've decided to name re-name several of our menu items in honor of our most loyal and devoted.

Check out our newly named menu items to see if you or someone you know made the list!

The Jane

Sweet iced green tea (available mid-afternoon).................$1. 50

The Bruce Special

Hot tea and a breakfast sandwich .....................$4.50

The Kal

Bottomless cup of coffee................ $1.75

The Crown Girls Special

Strawberry smoothie with yogurt (substitute pineapple coconut smoothie if desired)...................$3.95

The Amy Corey

Large Iced Mocha and a goldfish cracker cup.....................$4.95

The Veronica

Veggie Sandwich with hummus and bistro sauce...................$4.99

The Courtney M

Veggie Sandwich no hummus, with mustard..............$4.99

The Bob

Veggie Sandwich no tomatoes and a large coffee (available only on Saturday)...............$6.49

The Grace

Java Chip frappe............................$3.00

The Bank of America

Red beans and rice...................$3.00

The Sean

Turkey Sandwich with the works....................$4.99

The Timmy Special

A Chocolate muffin and 2 Cokes.................$2.97

The Douglas Eller

Large latte (available early am)..............$3.65

The V and Graham Special

Large iced chai and a fruit cooler.................... $6.15

The Barbara Special

Large coffee and a croissant.........................$2.50

The Courtney H

Star shaped brownie........................$1.00

The Beauty Shop Special

Fresh green salad with Hidden Valley Ranch dressing................$4.99

The Stephen n’ Sarah

Decaf Americano..................$1.50

The Preethi

Kid’s size veggie sandwich.................. $3.99

The Christina

Lemon cake.................. $1.00

The John

Animal crackers (with hopes that there are plenty of rhinos!)............. $1.00

The Ms. Theresa

Vegan oatmeal bar.......................... $1.00

The Norah Special

Small Skim Latte and a brownie.................$3.55

We love ALL of our customers! If you would like to nominate one of your neighbors or friends, please see Claire.

The Urban Studio Cafe's Birthday Party!

2010-09-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

We're having a party...it's a birthday party...it's your birthday party, Urban Studio Cafe...we all love you very very much!

The Urban Studio Cafe is turning 1 year old this week!
Please help us celebrate by eating cake, drinking wine, and checking out new art by Juan Chavez. Suggested birthday present: $6 donation!

WHEN
Friday, September 17
7pm - 11pm

WHERE
The Urban Studio Cafe
2815 N 14th Street, St. Louis, 63106

And over at the Old North Gallery, just 1 block up the street....

Local Brew for Local Food! Join us for local beer and music to benefit the 13th Street Garden with a suggested donation of $10. The 13th Street Chicken coop is also auctioning off the names of the chickens!

Attend both events for just $12. Buy your ticket at The Urban Studio Cafe this week or at the door of either event on Friday night!

It's going to be a fun night out in Old North! One night, two great events!

Help Us Start Screenprinting!

2010-08-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

We are currently trying to start a screenprinting program called L-Ink. at The Urban Studio. Our goal is to help youth in Old North St. Louis develop job and communication skills though the creative process--but we still need some supplies!
In addition to making their own work, students will also be creating t-shirts and tote bags for the café and participating in teaching artist Stan Chisolm’s Moneybags project. L-Ink. will also feature field trips to local artists’ studios. The program will culminate in an art opening featuring the work of the youth. Youth will receive the proceeds from the sale of their artwork, as well as a stipend for successful completion of the program.

We need your help in order to make this program work! Please contact Grace (gracewoodard@gmail.com) if you would like to make a cash donation, or can help us with screenprinting supplies, t-shirts, or tote bags.

Cafe Cited as a "Best Practice"

2010-07-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio Cafe was recently cited as a "Best Practice" by Partners for Livable Communities, a Washington D.C.-based non-profit leadership organization that works to improve the quality of life, economic development and social equity of communities.

Partners for Livable Communities defines Best Practices as "efforts of communities across the nation to improve the livability of their communities." Best Practices are listed in hopes of inspiring other communities who are striving to improve their own quality of life.

To read the full article, click here!

Urban Studio Cafe VIDEO

2010-06-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Photo Caption: Cafe youth volunteer Ahmad chatting with the Post-Dispatch

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch stopped by The Urban Studio Cafe the other day to capture our story on video. The day they visited, The Cafe hosted a youth mural project led by artist Kristen Doecke. The video is a wonderful snapshot into our world and our community. Take a few minutes to watch it by visiting the Post-Dispatch website below. Thanks to reporter Elie Gardner for putting together such a nice profile of The Urban Studio Cafe:
http://videos.stltoday.com/p/video?id=15268031

Here are a few additional screen shots from the video:

Photo Caption: Cafe Assistant Manager Louise Chatman talks about social entrepreneurship

Photo Caption: Resident and regular Bruce Smith waves goodbye as he heads home

Photo Caption: Cafe Assistant Director Claire Wolff talking about the roots of The Cafe

Andy Berkhout Performs at The Cafe Friday, June 11!

2010-06-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Local singer-songwriter Andy Berkhout will be debuting new material from his Song Per Week Project tomorrow night at The Urban Studio Cafe at 7:30 p.m. Berkhout has undertaken an impressive project for the year of 2010: recording and releasing a new song for free download every week! We're very excited to have him perform some of his new material here at The Cafe.
Check out some of his music!

There is no cover, but purchases are encouraged!

The Urban Studio Cafe is located at 2815 N. 14th, in the heart of Old North St. Louis!

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Hope to see you there!

The Urban Studio Cafe: A Perfect Place for a Practicum

2010-05-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

One of the primary goals of The Urban Studio Cafe is to be a gathering place for the Old North St. Louis community. However, during my first week as a practicum student from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, it became evident to me that The Cafe means much more than that to residents of Old North and beyond.

People value The Urban Studio Cafe. They want to be a part of it. One neighbor donated an incredible chocolate tart for us to do with as we pleased. An area taxi driver offered to make all of our deliveries for free. One young lady dropped off extra art supplies. Kids from the neighborhood showed up to help sweep and clean The Cafe at closing.

The sense of community here is overwhelming--but as an outsider, I still feel welcomed by staff and patrons alike. It's only my third day here, and I already feel like part of the community. I look forward to getting to know the faces and the stories of The Urban Studio Cafe this summer--and eating lots of yummy sandwiches!

-- Grace Woodard, MSW Candidate 2011

Cafe Extends Hours!

2010-02-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

Scrumptious sandwiches with a personal touch. Can't beat it for $5!

The Urban Studio Cafe is now open daily 7:30am - 6:00pm!

That's right folks: you asked, we're delivering. The Cafe will now be open an additional 4 hours every day. Come visit us in the afternoon for a late lunch, dinner, or afternoon pick-me-up.

Our community calendar is now flying high (on the wall) with lots of great upcoming events, including live music, a jobs/economy round table, financial literacy classes, art openings, and more.

Credit Building at The Urban Studio Cafe!

2010-01-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

Come to a CREDIT BUILDER WORKSHOP at The Urban Studio Cafe!

Do you want a higher credit score? Are you interested in "building credit?" Credit Building is simple and easy!
In partnership with Justine Petersen Housing and Reinvestment Corp, The Urban Studio Cafe is offering a FREE Credit Builder Workshop.

Topics covered:
*Credit is an asset
*How to save money with your credit score
*Taking Care of debt
*AND MORE!

Where: Urban Studio Cafe
2815 N. 14th Street
St. Louis, MO 63107

When: January 7, 2010 from 6pm to 7pm

Questions? Contact Claire Wolff at The Urban Studio Cafe at 314-601-3699 or claireawolff@gmail.com

Gift Cards Now Available!

2009-12-11T16:38:00.001-08:00

HOT OFF THE PRESSES!

Give the gift of coffee this Christmas! The Urban Studio Cafe now has gift cards for sale in denominations of $25, $15, and $5. Your gift of an Urban Studio Cafe gift card will be appreciated on two levels:

First, you'll be giving the gift of top-notch coffee (the best white chocolate mocha around!), our signature pretzel roll sandwiches, and all the other goodies on our menu;

Second, by supporting The Urban Studio Cafe, you're supporting our non-profit mission of community-building, promoting creative arts, job creation and job training, and revitalization of our community.

Stop by the Cafe to pick up your gift cards today!

Urban Studio Café ARTY PARTY!

2009-12-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

The Urban Studio Cafe logo in cross-stitch pattern to honor the winter knitting circle that we'll soon launch. It's a great way to build relationships, talk ideas for improving our community/city, and stay warm on chilly winter nights.

Drum roll please!

The Urban Studio Café presents a night of community celebration and art. THIS Friday, December 11th, we will be open from 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. for our ARTY PARTY, giving you an exclusive opportunity to preview our NEW art exhibit! Come see the talent of young, local artists from the Confluence Academy Elementary School on display. We'll be serving drinks both warm and cold.

If that's not enough, there's even more reason to come to Old North Friday night:

A few doors down, local preservationists will host another Anti-Wrecking Ball to raise funds for ongoing legal efforts. Darren Snow, host of KDHX’s “Rocket 88” program, is the DJ for the party. All who attend will be entered into a raffle for prizes from STL Style, St. Louis Cinemas and other local businesses. The venue will be a new community gallery in Old North St. Louis in the heart of the nearly-completed 14th Street redevelopment project. Friday, December 11 from 8:00 p.m. - Midnight. Old North St. Louis Community Gallery, 2700 N. 14th Street. Cost: $10 (includes beer, and other drinks available at cost). The Anti-Wrecking Ball will raise funds for the ongoing appeal of this year’s ruling by St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Robert Dierker that citizens have no standing under city preservation law.

Old North will be rocking and rolling on Friday night!! Please join us for a latte fun!

Some Esteemed Visitors

2009-11-17T12:04:00.001-08:00

The Urban Studio Cafe recently received a surprise visit from two inspirational movers-and-shakers, Rick Lowe and Jess Garz. Rick Lowe is one of the founders of Houston-based Project Row Houses, a large-scale development founded on the principal that art can be the basis for revitalizing depressed inner-city neighborhoods. Rick founded Project Row Houses (PRH) in 1993. Through the vision and successes of PRH, Rick has become a powerful thought-leader, inspiring people throughout the country and world. Rick was in town to receive the Skandalaris Award for Excellence in Art Architecture at the "Economies: Art + Architecture" conference hosted at Washington University.

Jess Garz is the Project Manager of Transforma Projects, a collective of artists and creative professionals working to unite creative thinking with the physical and social needs of New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina. Rick is on the National Resource Team that helped shape Transforma Projects.

It was great to connect with Rick and Jess at the Cafe. Not only are they social change power-houses, but they're also all around great people. Make sure you visit the links above and check out their inspiring work combining community, art, and architecture.

Community Makes the World Go Round

2009-11-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

Caption: Neighbor and friend, Teresa, hosting a yard sale to raise funds for The Urban Studio Cafe

Before The Urban Studio Cafe opened, one of our main goals was the creation of a community gathering space--a space that would serve as an informal meeting place for neighbors to get to know one another, share ideas for the community, work together to address concerns, and generally strengthen the social fabric of our community.

Since we opened in September, the Cafe has done just that. On a typical Saturday morning, the Cafe is full of neighbors, young and old, sipping drinks, munching on goodies, and participating in one of the most important and enjoyable acts of humanity: relationship building.

Neighbors who had never met before are now friends, and friends who hadn't connected in months regularly bump into one another. The Cafe has become the neighborhood living room or the neighborhood "third place," for you sociology buffs.

We keep a library of mugs so that friends and neighbors can enjoy their morning coffee out of their favorite mug. One of our new good friends, Magnolia, travels quite a distance to hang out in Old North and sip out of her cute little cup. And the great thing about The Urban Studio Cafe's mug library is that there are no late fees!

One of our newer neighbors, Ms. Teresa Johnson, moved to Old North St. Louis from Lafayette Square a few months ago and has become a regular in the Cafe. She is in her 70's, and she is a pistol! Ms. Teresa has become such a wonderful fan and supporter of the Cafe that she decided to host a yard sale to raise funds to support our work. The picture above shows Ms. Teresa selling her wares in front of the Cafe on a recent Fall day. Thanks Teresa!

The response that we have seen in 3 short months is testament to the great need for community gathering places in communities throughout the US. People are fundamentally social creatures--we just need spaces and places to gather and linger. Oh yeah, and food and drink always helps build relationships. Everybody eats, right? Stop on by The Urban Studio Cafe for one of our killer pretzel roll sandwiches, an off-the-hook white chocolate mocha, or any of the other tasty menu items. While you're at it, check out the incredible historic revitalization of 14th Street, AKA Crown Square, to get a glimpse into both the past and the future of Old North. See you soon.

Urban Studio Halloween Party!

2009-11-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

The Urban Studio hosted a neighborhood Halloween Party from 5pm - 8pm Halloween night. Approximately 100 spooky, heroic, and fairy-tale kiddos came through the studio to trick-or-treat, play spooky musical chairs, and carve pumpkins. Thanks to everyone who made the night possible: Louise, Claire, Darnell, Natasha, Phil, and Magnolia! More photos below and more to come soon!

Caption: A devil and a butterfly enjoy some popcorn and marshmallow pretzel spiders!

Caption: Superman and woman!

Caption: Early in the day a princess, two dalmatians, a new-school GI Joe, and a fine-dresser gather round to check out a Handy Manny Talkin' Toolbox

Caption: The Cafe aglow with pumpkins

Caption: A close-up of the pumpkins designed by neighborhood kiddos

Caption: Transformer borrows Where's Waldo's glasses and hat

Caption: Sleepy Pepper!

Coffee Cup Art!

2009-10-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, we haven't forgotten our community arts roots! On Sunday, October 17th, The Urban Studio Cafe held an art/planting/recycling afternoon where we made Gary and Glenda Grassheads. Throughout the week, we collected used coffee cups. On Sunday, neighborhood kids designed faces on the cups and then planted grass inside the cups that will grow to be "hair" for the faces. Everyone had a blast! Stop by the cafe and see our Grassheads- all of the faces are wonderfully creative, and the grasshair has begun to sprout! Thanks to Courtney Henson, artist extraordinaire, for coming up with the idea and coordinating the project!

Courtney helps Adrienne plant seeds in her coffee cup:

Drawing faces...

Ahmad focuses on his face design:

Spongebob Squarepants!

Cameron shows off his Gary Grasshead!

Art Opening at the Cafe!

2009-10-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

You are cordially invited to the John Wyllie Art Opening at The Urban Studio Café!

Friday, October 23rd 7-9 pm

Join The Urban Studio Café for a spectacular night of art and music! View local artist John Wyllie’s block prints and watercolor paintings and enjoy live music from Last To Show First To Go. The Café will be open for business, serving their scrumptious coffee and espresso drinks, baked goods, desserts, and sandwiches.

We would love to see you. Please bring guests and friends and spread the word!

www.urbanstudiocafe.org
Follow us on twitter! www.twitter.com/urbanstudiocafe
Become a fan on facebook! www.facebook.com/urbanstudiocafe

Discount Days at The Urban Studio Cafe!

2009-10-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

Discount Days at The Urban Studio Cafe!

EDUCATOR MONDAY: All teachers, professors, tutors, educators receive 15% off entire purchase!
TOOL BELT TUESDAY: All trades people (construction workers, plumbers, welders, electricians, etc) receive 15% off entire purchase!
WEAR-A-TIE WEDNESDAY: Wear a tie and receive 15% off entire purchase
PARENT THURSDAY: All parents receive 15% off entire purchase. If you bring in your child, receive 1 FREE goldfish cup or animal cracker cup with purchase!
UNIFORM FRIDAY: Police Officers, Firefighters, Military personnel or any other public service professionals with a uniform receive 15% off purchase!
STUDENT SATURDAY: Show your student ID and receive a FREE small coffee with purchase of $5.00 or more!

See you soon!

Opening Grandly!

2009-09-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio Cafe had its Grand Opening on Thursday, September 17, welcoming a variety of old and new friends into the cafe. KSDK Channel 5 news covered our event, Robbyn Wahby from the Mayors office and Grace Hill President/ CEO Roderick Jones cut our ribbon, and many enjoyed the complimentary croissants and coffee. We're now officially open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 2pm. Please stop by!

Cafe is OPEN!

2009-09-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio Cafe has finally opened its doors for business! Come by between 8am and 2pm any day of the week to enjoy a hearty turkey pretzel roll sandwich, scrumptious peach smoothie, or a delicious cafe mocha. Spread the word!

Your friendly weekday baristas, Darnell and Louise!

A full house on opening day!

Neighborhood kiddos enjoy the cafe for the awesome hot chocolate and the complimentary coloring books!

Morning sunlight in the cafe.

Architecture for Humanity Joins Forces with The Urban Studio Cafe!

2009-08-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

Huge thanks to Architecture for Humanity for spending the weekend building cabinets and shelving for the cafe. Check out the pictures from our workday!

The Urban Studio Cafe on Channel 5 news!!!

2009-08-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

Caption: Thanks to KSDK Reporter Ashley Yarchin for sharing our story.

The Urban Studio Cafe was featured on KSDK Channel 5 news tonight at 6pm!

Check out the video on KSDK's website:
http://www.ksdk.com/video/default.aspx?aid=106013

Thanks to Ashley Yarchin at KSDK for giving the Urban Studio its first TV appearance!

If you would like to support our work and help us reach our fundraising goal, you can donate online through The Urban Studio Cafe Facebook page:

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/304571/65101837?m=6d54c0aa

OR write a check to Grace Hill Settlement House and send it to us at:

The Urban Studio Cafe

2815 N. 14th St.

St. Louis, MO 63107

Finally Looking Like a Coffee Shop...

2009-07-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

Espresso machine and coffee brewer are INSTALLED! Thanks to Kaldi's Coffee for loaning The Urban Studio Cafe such beautiful machines. We're getting close, folks!

Urban Studio Cafe featured in the St. Louis Post Dispatch!

2009-07-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

The St. Louis Post Dispatch highlights The Urban Studio Cafe in Monday's front page article on new non-profits. Check it out HERE.

The STL Today website also features a video covering our sandwich contest. Thanks to Post Dispatch photographer Dawn Majors who hung out with us for the day! Check out some of Dawn's photos here:
http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=803517&CategoryID=17311

Be a Taste-Tester at The Urban Studio Cafe Sandwich Contest!

2009-07-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Do you have exceptionally distinguishing taste buds when it comes to sandwiches? Do you fall asleep dreaming of pastrami and rye? Did you request a giant sandwich instead of birthday cake as a child? Then we need YOU!

The Urban Studio Cafe will be holding a sandwich contest at the North City farmer's market on Saturday, July 25 from 9am to noon. We are looking to sell a "signature sandwich" at the cafe, and we want your help determining what that special sandwich will be. At the farmer's market, you will be able to sample sandwiches created by a variety of chefs around the city and then vote on your favorite. (Yum!) We'll also take suggestions for other food items you'd like to see.

It'll be a great time. Be there or be square!

We're SO CLOSE.

2009-07-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Our goal of raising $50,000 is in sight! We're SO close! Help us open our doors by investing in The Urban Studio Cafe.

A few options: Donate by credit card via Facebook by going to our Causes page:

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/304571/

65101837?m=6d54c0aa

OR send a check to:

The Urban Studio Cafe

2815 N. 14th St.

St. Louis, MO

63107

Please make the check out to Grace Hill and put The Urban Studio in the subject line.

Thanks, friends!

Proudly presenting...THE URBAN STUDIO CAFE LOGO!

2009-06-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

And voila. Our long-awaited logo! We hope you like it, 'cause we sure do!

Many thanks to Lynda McClure for her brilliant design skills!

Spotlight on... Charlotte Holden!

2009-06-10T11:57:00.001-07:00

She began her foray into photography at The Urban Studio's summer photo program in 2007, and now Charlotte Holden is continuing down the creative path to St. Louis Community College to major in Fine Art! As her instructor at the Urban Studio, it was clear to me that Charlotte had an eye for photography and the talent to excel. I am thrilled that Charlotte continued to explore the arts and photography and I can't wait to see what wonderful masterpieces she will create. She's a skilled artist and an all-around stellar gal. Check out Charlotte's art below!

Charlotte's photograph taken during The Urban Studio summer photography program in 2007. The picture was chosen to be the cover of Picture The Future, the book produced from program participant's works.

The Slide won 3rd place in Digital Art at Lindenwood University's High School exhibit, 2nd place in Photography/Digital at St. Charles County Arts Council's High School show and Honorable Mention at SLCC Florissant Valley's High School art show

The Caterpillar won Honorable Mention in the Photographer's Forum Fall Competition

The Urban Studio Cafe Grows Roots! Check Out Our New Tree!

2009-05-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome, little Redbud!

Thanks to Bowood Farms for donating lovely new greenery (er, red-ery) to the cafe. This tree moves us towards our goal of creating a street presence that invites, engages, and inspires. Hurrah!

The Urban Studio Cafe Makes Headlines!

2009-05-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio Cafe makes the headlines! Check out this great article written by Kristen Hare at the St. Louis Beacon!

Change-trepreneurs: Three under 30 work on social entrepreneurship, cafe in the city

If you would like to cover the cafe in your publication or news outlet, please contact:
Claire Wolff
Project Manager
(919) 454-4240
claireawolff@gmail.com

The Urban Studio Cafe Happy Hour!

2009-05-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our happy hour on Thursday to celebrate the cafe's SEIC success! A huge thanks to Kevin Brennan of Brennan's Wine Bar for providing our guests with a lovely spread of potential cafe offerings.

Cafe Happy Hour & ONSL House Tour

2009-05-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Cafe Happy Hour: May 7th, 4:30pm

Dear Friends, Supporters, and Friends We Haven't Met Yet,

There are two upcoming events that we want you to know about! First, we believe that it's very important to take time to celebrate our successes with our team, our supporters, and our friends. SO, The Urban Studio is hosting a Happy Hour tomorrow, Thursday, May 7th to celebrate winning the Skandalaris Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition. No formal presentations, no elevator pitches, no pressure...just friends and supporters mingling and getting to know one another.

Our Advisory Board member Kevin Brennan, of Brennan's and Maryland House in the Central West End, has graciously offered to provide food samples which we'll use as a taste-test to get feedback on potential Cafe food offerings. Thanks to the donated time and materials of Slay Plumbing (Kelton, Kirk, and Dave) we'll have working sinks, AND thanks to Bowood Farms, Mikey Naucas, and Bredon Jones, we'll have a beautiful new redbud street tree. Lastly, this will be the final opportunity to thank our Coro Fellow, Abby Baum, for all her hard work during the last month (and the Lutheran Foundation who supported Abby's placement). So to recap:

Urban Studio Cafe Happy Hour
Thursday, May 7th
4:30pm-6:30pm
2815 North 14th Street
Stop on by!

The second event we want you to know about is:
The Old North St. Louis House and Community Tour
Saturday, May 9th
10am - 4pm
$10 in advance, $12 day of event

The Urban Studio Cafe will be open in the morning for folks interested in checking out our progress and hearing about our vision. There is more info below and full details online.

The Cafe WINS!!

2009-04-28T15:54:00.001-07:00

Caption: The Urban Studio Cafe is nearly ready to go. We are within $20,000 of our fundraising goal!

On Thursday, April 23rd, The Urban Studio Cafe was named one of five winners at Washington University Skandalaris Center's Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC). The Incarnate Word Foundation awarded the Cafe $30,000 of seed capital, and the Youthbridge Foundation awarded Claire Wolff a $5,000 top student award for her work on the Cafe. See below for Wash U's press release:

http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/14070.html

We are thrilled - this award money puts us within reach of opening our doors. However, to ensure the Cafe has a fair shot at success, our fundraising goal is $50,000. We invite you to join our community of supporters and help give The Urban Studio Cafe the final push it needs to open its doors for business and community transformation.

Donate to The Urban Studio Cafe by mailing a check to:
The Urban Studio Cafe
2815 North 14th Street
St. Louis, MO 63107

Please make checks payable to "The Urban Studio c/o Grace Hill"

All donations are tax deductible, and all donations large or small help ensure The Cafe's success. If you would like to learn more about our work and/or support the Cafe, please get in touch with us: theurbanstudiocafe@gmail.com.

Thank you to everyone who helped us throughout the Competition, we couldn't have done it without you!!

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE URBAN STUDIO CAFE... THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 14!!!

2009-03-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends! We know you are anxiously awaiting the grand opening of the Urban Studio Cafe, but in order for this to happen, we need YOUR help!

We are currently in the finalist round of THE LARGEST SOCIAL ENTERPRISE COMPETITION IN THE WORLD, the S.E.I.C. If we win, we will receive enough operating capital to open our doors. However, some of the judges are concerned that not enough people would be willing to come to a cafe in Old North St. Louis.

Hogwash!!

We know that if we build it, you will come, but we must convince these judges. So here's the plan. We are having a photo shoot on Saturday, March 14 from 10 am to noon. Stop by for a few minutes, get your picture taken and be a part of our ad campaign that says YES! I DO LIVE/VISIT/WORK IN OLD NORTH AND I LOVE COFFEE/TEA/HOT COCOA!!!

Thanks!!! We can't wait to see you on Saturday!!!

(Contact Claire Wolff at claireawolff@gmail.com for any questions)

Fall Community Bike Rides were a SUCCESS!

2008-11-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

The Fall Community Bike Rides concluded on Saturday, November 8th with a ride exploring the historic architecture of Old North St. Louis. Kids and adults alike braved the cold and biked around the neighborhood to see first hand the restoration going on all over the area.

We're thrilled that everyone has enjoyed the bike rides, and are looking forward to starting the rides back up in the Spring!

A BIG thank you to Americorps Rangers Allison, Louise, and Aaron, who led the rides every Saturday - you guys are awesome!

A SNEAK PREVIEW...

2008-11-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

We're hosting a sneak preview event of The Urban Studio Cafe. Due to limited space, this is an invitation-only event. As we're building momentum towards opening the Cafe, we wanted to invite a small group of local influencers to learn about our vision and the progress we've made throughout the last six months. We can't even begin to express how much we look forward to opening our doors wide to the public. But for now, the sneak preview is limited to a smaller audience. If you feel you should have received an invitation, send Liz Buerger a note: elizabeth.buerger@gmail.com

The Urban Studio Cafe WINS IdeaBounce!!!

2008-10-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio Cafe was selected as an Idea Bounce winner October 23rd!

IdeaBounce is a Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies project that allows organizations, innovators, students, and the creatively-inclined to share innovative ideas that are related to social change. Ideas are first submitted online at www.ideabounce.com. A subset of the ideas are then selected to compete at an IdeaBounce event, where each individual or team is given two minutes to "bounce" an idea to the audience and a panel of judges. The judges select a winner based on the clarity of the idea, passion of the presenter, and the request for help.

On October 23rd, Urban Studio Project Manager Claire Wolff presented The Urban Studio Cafe concept to a group of peers and a panel of judges. The Urban Studio Cafe was selected as the winning social change idea for the evening, providing Claire with an opportunity to dine and chat with the panel of judges. Thanks, IdeaBounce!

In the next series of months, The Urban Studio Cafe will be competing in the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition, sponsored by the Skandalaris Center and YouthBridge Community Foundation. The winners of the competition walk away with a cash prize to help the idea become a reality.

We'll keep you posted...

Come to Old North St. Louis and RIDE A BIKE!!!

2008-10-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Speaking of bikes....

2008-10-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Saturday Bike Rides have gotten off to a great start, and we're seeing more kids each week! While this is a great thing and we hope to see even more kids and adults in the future, we are using almost all of our kids-sized bikes already!

If you have a working bike that would fit a child aged 8 and up that you would be willing to donate, please contact Liz Buerger. You will receive a tax-write off for your donation!!

elizabeth.buerger@gmail.com

Community Bike Rides are Back!

2008-10-13T20:21:00.001-07:00

The Urban Studio Cafe and Grace Hill are holding Saturday Bike Rides from October 4th-November 8th from 10am-12 pm! Led by Americorps Rangers, these rides travel down the Riverfront Trail, and each week we're going somewhere new!

We started off with a trip to the Mary Meachum Crossing to learn about the dangerous journey slaves made to escape to freedom. This past weekend, kids and adults alike biked down to the Arch and got to explore this amazing structure as well as the museum inside.

Everyone has had a great time, and there are still four more rides to go!

October 18: Mississippi River Ecology

October 25: Halloween Theme / Prairie Planting

November 1: The Branch Street Trestle & McKinley Bridge

November 8: Explore Old North St. Louis Architecture

The Cafe is getting organized...with your help!

2008-09-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Are you refurbishing your office? Cleaning out your garage?

The Urban Studio Cafe is looking for a two drawer, locking file cabinet!!! If you have one that you would be willing to donate to the Cafe, please contact Liz Buerger. You will receive a tax-write off for your donation!

elizabeth.buerger@gmail or (914) 552-0829

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2008-09-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Digging around the archives, Executive Director Phil Valko found photos of a plastering class held at The Urban Studio in 2005:

Thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of those students and plasterer Eric Aulbach, the walls of The Urban Studio Cafe have been transformed with the beautiful blue Venetian plaster you see today:

Calling all Volunteers!

2008-09-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of your help, our first volunteer day was a success! But there's still more to do, so this Saturday, September 13th, we're having another one!

It will take place from 10am to 2pm and include painting, cleaning, making flower boxes (drilling experience helpful!), installing an air conditioner, and touching up the Urban Studio Mural.

Delicious Einstein Bagels will be provided!

Please email Liz Buerger or Claire Wolff if you would like to help us this weekend: elizabeth.buerger@gmail.com

claireawolff@gmail.com

The Urban Studio Cafe looks like a....cafe!!

2008-08-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

What a difference a bakery case makes!

After a generous donation of a bakery case by Kaldi's Coffee, the studio is finally beginning to resemble a cozy cafe. We are hoping to fully open late fall 2008.

In other exciting news, The Urban Studio Cafe will feature a bike blender! Yes, you will be able to blend your own smoothie by peddling this fantastic vintage exercise bike, pictured below. Delicious AND healthy! Thanks to the Wash U Engineers without Borders group for creating this sweet machine!

Infused with Energy!

2008-08-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Volunteers from the Wash U Leadership Through Service program whip the studio into shape!

Becca touches up the doorway-

After a reconstructing the sunflower mural, volunteers help relocate the masterpiece.

Painting, taping, sanding, cleaning

Digging out a hole for a street tree!

Framing photography from past programs-

The Studio Gets A Facelift!

2008-08-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to 30 Wash U student volunteers, the studio has a new sunny disposition and an optimistic outlook on Old North! Check out her transformation!!

Bye-bye, magenta and mustard!

The Urban Studio... for ghosts

Optimistic yellow...

TA-DA!!!

Thanks, Leadership Through Service!

We Need YOU!

2008-08-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Caption: the newly refinished Urban Studio floors

We are working fast and furious to prepare our storefront to open our social change cafe and we need volunteers!

We will have work days both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, August 23rd and 24th. We are most in need of folks willing to paint, help us resurrect this gorgeous mural, and remove one mean old stump to make room for a new street tree.

Please email Claire Wolff if you have time to donate this weekend. We'll provide the music and age appropriate drinks: claireawolff@gmail.com

Brewing A Special Blend of Coffee and Social Change!

2008-06-06T12:08:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the Urban Studio Cafe sneak preview on May 10!

Mid summer 2008, we'll be opening our doors on the weekends, serving drinks with a slice of social change. Our cafe is a social venture that seeks to strengthen the sense of community by creating a social gathering space, providing jobs for area teens, showcasing the creativity of local creators, and producing income to fund other Urban Studio programs. This will be no small feat. We're off running, but we're going to need all the help we can get to make this project a success. Here is a list of some of our current needs. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

-Graphic design work

-Website development

-Certified Electrician

-Certified Plumber

-Carpenter

-Accountant

-Volunteer tutoring program coordinator

-Metal worker to create a sign

-Screen-printing

-Grant writing

-Financial contributions!!!

-Additional tables and chairs

-Weekend volunteers

Introducing...The Urban Studio Cafe!

2008-05-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio is back from a winter hiatus and better than ever! We are very excited about our newest venture, The Urban Studio Cafe!

The cafe seeks to foster a sense of community and creativity while providing a quality cup of joe. Revenue generated by the cafe will go towards funding future art programs for youth in the area.

Although not open until Mid-summer, this Saturday, May 10th from 10 am to 4 pm, we offer you an exclusive sneak preview of our quirky, cozy coffee shop. The Urban Studio Cafe will be an official stop on the Old North St. Louis House and Community Tour, so hop on that trolley and check us out! Even if you don't participate in the House Tour, feel free to drop by, grab a delectable cup of Kaldi's coffee and learn more about the cafe and how you can help us be a successful social venture. We are located in our studio space at 2815 N. 14th St.

Contact Phil or Claire at info@theurbanstudio.org for more information.

What: Cafe Sneak Peak

When: Saturday, May 10 from 10am-4pm

Where: The Studio!

Who: People who like coffee

The Urban Studio Fall Update

2008-01-04T17:10:00.000-08:00

A quick update on The Urban Studio fall happenings:

SUMMER PROGRAM GALLERY SHOW
The Urban Studio welcomed friends to view the work of the summer participants while enjoying creative drink specials and live music by Last To Show First To Go. Thanks to everyone who made the night truly smashing!
If you would like to be on our e-mail list for future events and fundraisers, please e-mail Phil Valko at philvalko@theurbanstudio.org

The Urban Studio Opens Its Doors to a Packed House for Gallery Fundraiser Night:

ART OUTSIDE
The Urban Studio also participated in Art Outside, the alternative art fair held at Schlafly's Bottleworks. We invited people young and old to get their hands dirty and draw their houses with charcoal, and adults answered questions about their community. These answers and house drawings will be assembled into a ticky-tacky town mural of St. Louis! We will, of course, keep you updated on the mural progress and whereabouts.

Artists proudly displaying their charcoal houses:

A young fair-goer works diligently on his masterpiece:

THE LINUS FOUNDATION GALA
On November 2, The Linus Foundation hosted a benefit gala for The Urban Studio at the St. Louis Contemporary Art Gallery featuring an open bar, a live band, and amazing Maya Lin sculptures. The event was nothing short of stupendous, drawing more than 500 people! The Linus Foundation is an organization run by Washington University students that throws parties for a good cause. We are incredibly appreciative to them for choosing The Urban Studio as their recipient for a second year in a row and for working so hard to make this event a success. A big thank you to everyone who attended the event as well!

Proud Photographers and Media Savvy Youth Show Off Their Finest Work to Friends and Family

2007-09-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio held a photography show/music video premiere so that family and friends could see the amazing work produced by our summer participants. These kids thorougly impressed us all with their skill and talent exhibited through the photos and videos. Thanks to everyone who came and supported our young artists and summer programs!

Students (and siblings) reunited with their adoring photography teacher:

Family and friends enjoying the event:

Adventures in Media Music Videos

2007-09-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Trailnet, KDHX, and The Urban Studio came together to create a teen summer program that explored media, nutrition, food access, and how they all relate. The Adventures in Media program ran for two weeks, June 18 - 29. The program was team taught by a film instructor, an actress, and a photographer. The camp was a very hands-on 2 weeks in which teen participants learned all about media and how it affects their decisions. They visited the KDHX TV and radio stations to see media behind the scenes. They visited the New Roots Urban Farm to learn how food is grown and what constitutes healthy eating. Ultimately, the teens wrote, produced, and acted in their own YouTube videos.

To highlight disparities in access to healthy foods, the teens learned how to read nutrition labels and then went on two scavenger hunts: a local convenience store and a supermarket in an affluent part of town. They found very few healthy foods in the convenience store, compared to an entire section brimming with fruits, vegetables, and health food at the store in Clayton.

The teens watched and discussed "Super Size Me". They were active every day and ate healthy, fresh lunches every day, sometimes to their chagrin.

Since this was a media camp, we asked the teens to maintain The Urban Studio blog throughout the program. Skim through our archives for great photos and daily logs.

Special thanks to The United Way of Greater St. Louis, Trailnet, and KDHX for their hard work and support of this program!

The Urban Studio Hops Aboard The Art Outside Bandwagon Armed With Thrilling Art Projects for All!!!

2007-09-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Join The Urban Studio at the 4th Annual Art Outside Art Fair and get pumped to break out that inner artist/architect. Draw a creative rendition of your house to help us create a gigantic art piece representing the entire St. Louis community. Bring the kiddos too! It's one of our favorite events of the year.

Where: Schlafly Bottleworks
When: September 7, 5pm-10pm
September 8, 10am-10pm
Why: You love The Urban Studio and alternative art

Picture the Future Photography Show on August 30!!

2007-08-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Photo by Charlotte Holden, age 16

The Urban Studio is proud to present a very special photography show featuring the photos of our youth and teen participants from the Picture the Future summer program. Drop by The Urban Studio any time between 7pm and 9pm on Thursday, August 30, meet the budding photographers, and marvel at their stellar black and white masterpieces! These photographs reflect the process of learning to taking pictures, develop film, and print photographs in a darkroom- all in a whirlwhind two-week period. Yup, we're impressed.

Photo (above) by Yuseff Randle, age 12

Photo (Above) by Rachel Mann, age 15

After the photography show, stick around for a fab fundraiser party from 9pm until 12am. Enjoy live music and drink oddities. We'll be selling brilliant posters with images from the summer.

The Urban Studio on MayorSlay.com!

2007-08-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

When the fine folks at MayorSlay.com took a minute to ask The Urban Studio's Phil Valko about his favorite St. Louis sound, we had no idea that he would be featured on the MayorSlay.com podcast.

Check it out HERE.

The Urban Studio Summer Programs End with a Bang- Or in This Case, a Flash!

2007-08-16T12:09:00.001-07:00

Session 2 of the Picture the Future rounded out a summer of creativity and excitement at the studio. Our talented 11-13 year old photographers produced amazing pictures! Daily adventures allowed us to explore St. Louis on bikes, in water, down slides and most importantly, through the lens.

Making posters about our community at the studio:

Yuseff snaps a photo at the zoo:

Teombi and photo instructor Matt enjoy the sculptures at Laumeier:

Braving St. Louis construction and heat waves for that perfect photograph:

Our crew and Jose the trailranger at the Mary Meachum Freedom crossing.

We want to thank all of the following folks & institutions for their support and involvement with Picture the Future. Without them, this program would not have been possible:
-Grace Hill
-The Linus Foundation
-The City Museum
-The Contemporary Art Museum
-Washington University
-Cbabi Bayoc
-Chinyere Oteh

The Urban Studio Director Recognized as one of St. Louis' "30 under 30" by the St. Louis Business Journal!!

2007-08-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

We take our work very seriously around here. The Urban Studio Founder and Director, Phil Valko, was honored in the July 13th issue of the St. Louis Business Journal as one of the young professionals under 30 who are making a difference in the community and business world of St. Louis. Congratulations, Phil! To read the article in full, visit:
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/07/16/focus8.html

"Healthy living, the environment and the arts are important to Phil Valko -- and he works hard to promote them."

Below, Phil bowling a perfect game wearing Prada jeans ($1500), Gucci Hipster glasses ($950), and a vintage western shirt ($1250). ...kidding, just kidding. Work hard, play hard, right?

Tutoring Nights at The Urban Studio!

2007-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Fall brings many glorious things. Apples at Eckerds. Sweaters. Art Outside. Leaf piles. The Urban Studio tutoring nights.

Itching to volunteer with the The Urban Studio? We are looking for people interested in spending an hour each Wednesday evening tutoring a neighborhood child at the studio. If this strikes your fancy, please e-mail Phil Valko at phil@theurbanstudio.org and we will match you with a child. If you have a preference with age range or school subject, please include this information in the email as well.

Tutoring program participant Arthur, dilligently typing up his vocab words:

Arthur, not so dilligently goofing around with his tutor, Claire:

The Urban Studio Wraps Up Session 1 of Picture the Future Photography Program!

2007-07-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio just completed session 1 of Picture the Future, a two-week, Intro to Black-and-White photography program for teens. The program revolved around the four central themes of self, family, community, and dreams, and the teen's experiences in PTF as well as their resulting photographs reflect these concepts. To find inspiration and subject matter for photographs, Picture the Future took field trips to places like the City Museum, Laumeier sculpture garden, and the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing, and also had professional artists and photographers visit to talk about their work. Taking the picture is only a sliver of the process in Black and White photography; the participants also spent every day in the Wash U. darkroom developing their own film and printing their black-and-white masterpieces. Check back soon for student photographs!

Our group hangs out under an awning during the rain delay of our Delmar Loop field trip:

The Laumeier Sculpture garden provides incredible inspiration:

Nehamiah enjoys the bike ride to the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing:

Charlotte takes time out from the ball pit at City Museum to snap some photos.

Adventures in Media Day 9: KDHX

2007-06-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

(All the contents of this post were created by the Adventures in Media teen participants including the title, all photographs, and the text. Due to technical difficulties, we do not have photographs for Day 9.)

Today we took a field trip to KDHX TV station. We made 3 talk-show style shows which we made up on the spot. Each person played a different role in the production crew. We switched off roles as actors, directors, camera crew, light engineer, and sound engineer. It required a lot of teamwork, and everyone worked very well together.

Then we went to KDHX radio. The tour was short but interesting. We saw behind the scenes of a live radio broadcast. We learned the importance of isolating sound and talked about how musicians can get their music played on the radio.

Everyone learned something new and enjoyed different parts of the day:
Kalin learned that he used to live by the radio station, but he never knew it was there.
Rachel learned how to use the switchboard at the TV station.
Constance was a good director.
Tyler learned that it took many lights and cameras to get a shot.
Terrell's favorite part of the day was "The Whitney Houston Show."
Kanazia liked acting in front of the camera.

Adventures in Media Day 8: That's a wrap!

2007-06-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

(All the contents of this post were created by the Adventures in Media teen participants including the title, all photographs, and the text. Day 8 photographer: Dylan. Witty title: Rachel)

Today we finished shooting the commercial for Crunk Bars. Then we played prisoner's ball (a game similar to dodge ball) that Tim especially liked. We watched an educational movie on teen media and "cool." Then while we ate lunch, Robert and Tim played chess:

The acting game we played was fun! We created scenes where we had to decide Who, What, Where, When, and Why.
Our last activity was to make a newscast on the pros and cons of soda machines in schools. Dylan and Rachel gave an exhilirating and heartbraking performance as newscasters.
Rachel and Dylan doing action news:

Our group:

Adventures in Media Day 7: Movie Stars

2007-06-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

(All the contents of this post were created by the Adventures in Media teen participants including the title, all photographs, and the text. Day 7 photographer: Tim. Witty title: Rachel)

Today, we worked on our commercials and music videos. We practiced, produced, and directed. We also played Freeze.

Hot Mama Kalin:

Getting Crunk (editor's note: although "crunk" was originally derived from "crazy drunk", our teens and their peers associate crunk with being hyped and in a good mood, and not with alcohol. Language is always evolving.):

Adventures in Media Day 6: Let's start acting! Sponsored by Fresh Image Productions and Mineral Productions

2007-06-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

(All the contents of this post were created by the Adventures in Media teen participants including the title, all photographs, and the text. Day 6 photographer: Connie. Witty title: group effort)

We did a lot of things today. First of all, we had two new teachers, Aurelie and Robert. They were nice and cool. In the morning, we made our very own production companies. Kalin, Rachel, Connie, and Kenazia's production company is called Fresh Image, and their slogan is, "Get Fresh, Get Crunk (hyped up)." They are producing a commercial for Crunk bars starring rapper "Killa Kale."

Dylan, Jelenda, Kierra, Chelsea, and Tim's production company is called Mineral Productions, and their message is "Get up n' get out!" They are producing a music video with rapping, singing, and dancing.

We took a break from producing to play kickball, eat lunch, and watch Supersize Me.

The group playing kickball and having fun:

Then we played acting games to learn how to become different characters so we are more comfortable in front of the camera.

For the rest of the afternoon, we worked on storyboarding for our videos. Kenazia is excited that we are finally getting into media more. Kalin's favorite part was making the production companies.

Playing an acting game:

A group working very hard on their storyboard:

Adventures in Media Day 5: Fun in the Sun

2007-06-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

(All the contents of this post were created by the Adventures in Media teen participants including the title, all photographs, and the text. Day 5 photographer: Kalin. Witty title: Rachel)

Today we took a field trip to the Clayton Schnucks and did another scavenger hunt. We found over 100 fruits and vegetables, compared to 4 fruits and vegetables yesterday at the convenience store. Then we went to Forest park. It was hot! In the afternoon, we made posters to hang at the North City Farmer's Market.

In Forest Park:

It was hot in the sun. We needed some Shiznit water:

In our bonding time, we remade a video:

Adventures in Media Day 4: Quick Quesadillas

2007-06-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

(All the contents of this post were created by the Adventures in Media teen participants including the title, all photographs, and the text. Day 4 photographer: Terrell. Witty title: Chelsea)

Today, we went to New Roots in the morning. We learned all about vitamins, minerals, cholesterol, fats, sugars, proteins, and carbohydrates. We learned how many serving of various foods are recommended each day. You should avoid too much cholesterol, fats, and too much protein, but it is important to eat some...just not too much.

Tim helped make fruit smoothies. We each made our own quesadilla for lunch. Cuttin' up collared greens:

Cookin' the quesadilla:
The quesadillas were great:
Relaxing after a full stomach:
After we left New Roots, we went on a scavenger hunt at a local market/convenience store. This is the main market in this part of town. They only had one fresh fruit: gross tomatoes. They had much more unhealthy foods than healthy foods. Dylan found cereals that were all sugar and fat.

After the scavenger hunt, we walked back to The Urban Studio and watched some more of Super Size Me. In the movie, they showed that some marketing images like Ronald McDonald are more easily recognized than images of George Bush or Jesus. After that, we played 3-line improv to learn better ways of acting. At the end of the day, we chose photos and molded the blog:

Adventures in Media Day 3: The Program Begins to Sprout

2007-06-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

(All the contents of this post were created by the Adventures in Media teen participants including the title, all photographs, and the text. Day 3 photographer: Rachel & Constance. Witty title: Tyler)

This morning, we watched a DVD of the commercials we made yesterday. Some were better than others. The best commercials were the ones where the actors had the best relationships off camera. The best commercials also had better scripts.

We watched part of Super Size Me which made us think more about what we eat at McDonalds and other fast food restaurants. It was nasty.

We then walked down the street to a park to play kickball. After kickball, we walked back to The Urban Studio to eat lunch.

After lunch, we walked to New Roots Urban Farm where we planted melon seeds and harvested sprouts. We had a good conversation at New Roots about what we would do if we had a lot of money. Kierra said that she would give it back to her community. Tim said that he would make sure to share it with his family because his family has already shared so much with him.

Snipping the fresh sunflower sprouts:

Herbert Hoover counselor Erica and Kanazia separating the shells from the sprouts:

Teen geniuses help harvest broccoli:

Adventures in Media Day 2: Acting it Out

2007-06-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

(All the contents of this post were created by The Adventures in Media teen participants including the title, all photographs, and the text. Day 2 photographer: Kierra)

We started the day with acting exercises to loosen up and get more comfortable acting in front of each other. We played a game called The Blob where we practiced portraying scenes and relationships between characters (example: coach and team member, teacher and student) with body language along--no speaking. Below, Rachel and Jelenda laughing as they play The Blob.

Miss Bev Hacker from KDHX came and showed us videos about food and how it's portrayed in the media. We then split into groups and wrote and acted in commercials where we were selling healthy drinks. As we were filming each commercial, the others groups waited patiently outside the studio (below).

We took a break from acting to play 4-square on the 14th Street Mall.

Adventures in Media Teen Camp Begins!

2007-06-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

Today we kicked off the 2-week Adventures in Media Teen Program sponsored by Trailnet, KDHX, and The Urban Studio. Over the course of the next 2 weeks, these teens are going to be learning all about media, how it is produced, and how it affects their lives. In particular, the program focuses on how media affects the foods that we eat. By the end of the camp, the teens will produce videos that we will post to this blog and to YouTube, they will create print media, and they will have had an opportunity to visit the KDHX radio and TV stations.

Since this is a media camp, we are going to be asking our teen participants to create a blog entry each day. They will be responsible for all parts of the process: taking the pictures throughout the day, selecting which pictures to post, and writing the text. For the next 2 weeks, this blog will be almost exclusively dedicated to the teens in this program. Check back daily for new entries and new pictures. Additionally, we are making it a goal to increase the readership of this blog over the course of the next 2 weeks. Afterall, what is media without an audience?! Our blog currently has just over 4200 page visits. Our goal will be to reach 5200 page visits by the end of the camp--an additional 1000 visits in 2 weeks. We need your help: pass this link along to friends, family, and co-workers. Each time someone visits this site, the hit counter will add a number.

OK, back to the first day: the teens spent the morning doing a variety of activities to get to know each other, creating a class agreement for what they expect from each other and from their teachers, and learning about the very basics of media. After lunch, they headed to the New Roots Urban Farm to see food growing straight up out of the ground. They had an opportunity to harvest some produce and start their own bed of sprouts. (See the pictures below)

And from here, we're going to turn it over to the teens.

(The following photos were taken by Tyler)
Preparing healthy lunches:

Planting sprout at New Roots Urban Farm:

Urban Studio Party Pic!

2007-06-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

Eclectic people + Hot music courtesy of St. Louis superstar DJ Trackstar = a great party! Saturday, June 9 The Urban Studio Summer Party Series had its second event of the season to raise money for upcoming summer programs. Thanks to all the friends and neighbors who came out and spent the evening with us! If you missed the party, do not fret- there will be more events to come. Check back soon for dates/times!

The Urban Studio Mural finds a home on the 14th Street Mall

2007-06-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

A Vision Realized

If you happened to visit the Old North Farmer's Market last Saturday morning, you probably noticed a curious pile of colorful wooden pieces next to a plywood wall with graffiti. If you come next Saturday, you will see a vibrant mural masterpiece in its place! Nearly 150 individual wooden pieces were originally painted by St. Louis youth at Art Outside last September. With the help of market-goers young and old, we re-assembled the mural like a big puzzle during the farmers' market to reveal a vibrant image representing the regrowth and revitalization of our near-north side community. Join us next Saturday, 9am-1pm, at the farmers' market to see this gorgeous mural for yourself! The market is located across from Crown Candy Kitchen at the corner of St. Louis Avenue and 14th Street.

Blow bubbles with The Urban Studio at the Old North St. Louis Farmer's Market!

2007-06-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio is creating a gathering space for market-goers young and old to mingle, play, and create while shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, coffee, and more. To build on the energy of this great market, located half a block from our storefront, we are setting up chess & checkers games, sidewalk chalk for artists of all sizes, bubbles, juggling balls, hoola hoops, face paint, and more. We will also be hosting various special events throughout the summer starting June 9 with the installation of our puzzle mural (see the Let There Be Murals post for pictures). So come on out, shop for your weekly produce, sip a cup of coffee, play a game of chess, and try your hands at juggling.

Where: In Old North St. Louis, across from Crown Candy Kitchen on the 14th Street Mall (St. Louis Ave and 14th Street)

When: Every Saturday morning, 9am-1pm, June 1 - October!

Upcoming Summer Programs!!

2007-06-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio is thrilled to be offering three summer programs for youth ages 11-15! The summer programs are 2-week sessions, free of charge to participants. Lunch is provided each day, as well as transportation during the day. Parents/guardians are responsible for transportation to and from The Urban Studio.

If you are interested in enrolling your child or would like more information, please contact Claire Wolff at claire@theurbanstudio.org.

Picture the Future Summer Photography Program
Session 1: July 16- 27 (Monday-Friday) * 9am-2pm * Ages 13-15 * FREE
Session 2: July 30- August 10 (Monday-Friday) * 9am-2pm * Ages 11-13 * FREE

Picture the Future is a creative/experiential summer program that weaves the skills of black and white film photography together with exploration of self-identity, family, community, and dreams. Throughout the two week session, participants will learn to develop their own film, print pictures, and even make their own cameras! We will venture out into the community to local spots such as the Contemporary Art Museum, the Arch, and the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing in search of inspiration for our pictures. The program will culminate with a show of all the participant’s best photographs at the end of two weeks. We provide the camera and film, you provide the creativity and vision!

Adventures in Media: Making and Creating through Radio, TV, and Photography**
June 18-June 29 (Monday-Friday) * 9am-3pm * Ages 13-15 * FREE

Adventures in Media is an exciting, field-trip based exploration of food and nutrition through TV, radio, and photography. In order to discover how culture, food, and media affects us, we will be taking trips to radio stations, TV stations, urban farms, and grocery stores. The participants will also create their own media by performing skits and raps, designing posters, and ultimately making a video that will be posted to Youtube. Come prepared with plenty of creativity and energy because these two weeks will be packed with exploration and adventures in media. Light breakfast and lunch provided each day.

**This program is being offered through a partnership with:
Trailnet, www.trailnet.org
KDHX, www.kdhx.org
New Roots Urban Farm, www.newrootsurbanfarm.org

If you are interested in enrolling your child or would like more information, please contact Claire Wolff at claire@theurbanstudio.org.

Party Saturday, June 9th with DJ Trackstar

2007-06-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Work hard, play hard. It's that simple. Plus, we've got a lot to celebrate.

This Saturday night, we will definitely be playing hard! Join us from 7pm-10pm at The Urban Studio for a night of music and some paintbrush graffiti. We'll be celebrating the installation of our most recent mural (for photos check out the Let There Be Murals post). Hometown favorite DJ Trackstar will be working his nimble fingers on the turntables, spinning a head spinning basket of grooves. And lest we forget, the drinks will be flowing. We'll be serving beers, Old North martinis (can of beer with an olive dropped in), and fruit juices for the non-alcoholic crowd. Suggested donations of $5-20 are welcome to support our work. 100% of the proceeds will go to supporting the Urban Studio summer programs including Picture the Future and the Adventures in Media camp.

What: Party
When: 7-10pm, Saturday June 9th
Where: The Urban Studio, 2815 N 14th Street

Check out Trackstar's stuff: http://www.myspace.com/djtrackstar

Thanks to everyone who came out for our last fundraiser party- it was a great success!!!

Rock the Schoolhouse!!!

2006-10-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

The Linus Foundation presents an Urban Studio benefit:

A night of live music, hors d'oeuvres, and an open bar at St. Louis's newest, funkiest venue,

The Lucas Schoolhouse!

Come help us rock the schoolhouse to some old-school rock, funk, motown, soul, and R&B, courtesy of The Melvin Tournage Band.

Open bar and hors d'oeuvres

The Lucas Schoolhouse is St. Louis's church of rock! A historic 1880's church that underwent a dramatic transformation into a premier mid-sized concert venue. The Lucas Schoolhouse just opened this fall and has already hosted world class musicians, as well as some of St. Louis's best. Beautiful architecture, great atmosphere, and sharp acoustics!

Saturday, November 4th bring your friends out to The Lucas Schoolhouse for a night of funk and soul, drinks, and great people!

The Haps: Open bar--hors d'oeuvres--live funk, soul, blues, motown, and R & B music courtesy of The Melvin Turnage Band

The Wheres: The Lucas Schoolhouse, 1220 Allen Ave (Allen and Gravois)

The Whens: Saturday November 4th, 9pm-1am

The Whys: For all things decent and good, to explore one of the newest and definitely coolest venues/bars in St. Louis, to celebrate the Cardinals winning the world series, and to support a great cause (all proceeds benefit The Urban Studio youth programs).

The Cost: $30 in advance, $35 at the door

What are you waiting for? Buy your tickets online now! www.linusfoundation.org/Gallery/St_Louis06/nov0406.php

A big thanks to our partners at The Linus Foundation for all their hard work in planning this event. For more information, visit: www.linusfoundation.org

Let There Be Murals!

2006-09-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

Art Outside, September 9th, 2006:
The Urban Studio engaged Art Outside attendees to help paint a huge tile mosaic mural, where each piece of the mural is an individual work of art. The day began with a bunch of brightly colored puzzle pieces laying ready to be painted. Children and adults painted their pieces with a single color which was slightly darker/lighter than the base color of their piece.

As the pieces were painted, we assembled them like a big puzzle to reveal a vibrant image representing the regrowth and revitalization of our near-north side community. The mural will be installed in Old North St. Louis, likely, on the 14th Street Mall, just an ice cream cone's throw from Crown Candy Kitchen.

Early Saturday morning after a late night preparing materials, Scott Green (who built the frame for the mural), Misti Andrade (our graphic designer), and Monica Parsons (the master-mind/designer behind the mural) relaxed for a few minutes before our first painters arrived:

When the day began, there were nearly 150 pieces waiting to be painted:

Our first painter putting the final touches on his work of art:

In just a few short hours, Art Outside children and adults painted nearly 150 pieces. Artist collaborators working hard:

Once all the pieces were painted, we worked with our child artists to assemble the puzzle. Each piece had a number on the back that corresponded to a puzzle key. The child artists had to look at the key, then find the next piece in the puzzle. One tiny artist held up a big piece and asked "Is this one next?" We asked him, "What number is it?" Never having counted all the way to 132, he responded, "It's really big." We asked him what numbers he saw, and he responded, "There's a one, a three, and a two." We said, "Well, go look at the key and find a number that looks just like that one with a one, a three, and a two." About five minutes later, he came back with a big smile on his face and said, "I got it!"

The final product was even more wonderful than we could have imagined. The setting sun lit up the mural perfectly:

A HUGE thanks to all the volunteers that made this project possible: Monica Parsons--Urban Studio volunteer staff and mural designer), Barbara Manzara--Urban Studio volunteer staff, Christy Moessmer--Urban Studio volunteer staff, Laura Lyon--Urban Studio Board Member, Christian Andrade, Misti Andrade, Darrell Butler, Jackie Butler, and Scott Green--Grace Hill PROPEL Board members, Jessica Harvath and Rob Guinness--Urban Studio volunteers, Schlafly Bottleworks, and The Old North St. Louis Restoration Group.

This is mural #1 in what we hope to be a series of 4-5 murals that will create an art walk in Old North St. Louis. We are looking for financial support to cover project costs and artist time for future murals. Each additional mural will be designed and created by a different group of near-north side constituents--school children, residents, the burgeoning artist community, and so on. If you are interested in contributing time, financial resources, or material resources to this effort, please get in touch with us: info@theurbanstudio.org.

Capoeira Classes a Great Success!

2006-09-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

The Urban Studio wrapped-up an 8 week session of all-ages Capoeira classes (an acrobatic Brazilian martial art that has strongly influenced modern break dancing) September 7th. The classes were made possible through the generous support of The United Way. The Capoeira classes were designed to teach and support the importance of active lifestyles, increased body-awareness, and good nutrition. Classes were 1.5 hours long and were followed by healthy snacks consisting of fruits, vegetables, and hearty sandwiches. Classes began with a warm-up and stretching:

Then, the class spread out and practiced the basic movements together:

Then, in pairs, students practiced moving together with kicks, escapes, and cartwheels:

Every student progressed dramatically throughout the 8-week session, gaining strength, flexibility, discipline, and self-confidence. The Urban Studio would like to thank The United Way (www.stl.unitedway.org), Grace Hill (www.gracehill.org), Capoeira St. Louis (www.capoeirastl.org), and The Confluence Academy (www.confluenceacademy.com/ONS.htm) for their support of these classes. We are seeking support in order to offer another session of Capoeira classes this fall/winter. Please contact us with resources: info@theurbanstudio.org

SUMMER CAPOEIRA CLASSES

2006-07-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

STRENGTH - FLEXIBILITY - CONFIDENCE - COMMUNITY

MOVEMENT - DISCIPLINE

The Urban Studio is excited to announce that our

Six Week Summer Capoeira Class Session is beginning Tuesday, July 18th, running every T & Th 5:00pm-6:30pm.

Capoeira (Cah-poh-air-uh) is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that attracts people of all ages and backgrounds throughout the world. Capoeira is great for building strength, flexibility, confidence, and discipline. Capoeira teaches freedom of movement and is truly extraordinary to watch with fast kicks, acrobatocs, and music. The classes are open to youth and adults. Youth ages 6-10 must be accompanied by an adult. We especially encourage parents to take the classes with their children. Capoeira is a great fit for men, women, boys, and girls.

The classes are taught by Instructor Beija-Flor from Capoeira Brasil St. Louis.

Attend the first class for free with no obligation.

Location

Classes will be held in Old North St. Louis at the Confluence Academy located at 3017 N 13th Street, St. Louis, MO 63107

Cost for entire session (12 classes)

$25-40 for youth (sliding scale--please contact us if any fee is prohibitive)

$40-60 for adults.

There is a special for adults registering with a child: $30 for the adult and $25 for each child.

DEMONSTRATION

Capoeira Brasil will be performing a demonstration Wednesday, July 12th at 7pm at Strodtman Park, at the corner of 14th Street and Palm. Come on out and watch this amazing demonstration! Directions to demonstration: from Crown Candy Kitchen and The Urban Studio, go 4 blocks north on 14th Street until you hit Palm, Strodtman Park will be on your right-side across the street from the Confluence Academy.

Registration and Information

info@theurbanstudio.org

Phone: 847-226-8966 (Our land-line has not yet been set-up. Sorry for any inconvenience)

The Urban Studio Rehab Nearing Completion

2006-04-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

With the help of our amazing volunteer base, we have been rehabbing a storefront next door to Crown Candy Kitchen (incredible homemade ice cream and chocolates since 1913) in historic Old North St. Louis. The storefront will host youth art, music, and capoeira classes, movie screenings, concerts, events, community meetings and just generally bring a spark to the area. Before we started our rehab, the storefront had not been used for decades (right-side boarded up with green boards).

After 8 months of scraping, bashing, vacuuming, bashing some more, plastering, sanding, patching, and painting, we are nearing completion of our rehab. The space has a lot of character with exposed brick, a venetian plaster finish, restored wood floors, and a bright store front. In the days and weeks ahead, we'll be posting pictures of the project. We will be having a grand opening sometime near the end of May or early June, so check back for details. If you would like to be added to our emailing list for announcements of events, classes, art openings, and meetings please email us at info@theurbanstudio.org. Please also send us an email if you are interested in volunteering (teaching, mentoring, community art, etc.), coordinating events (concerts, movies, art openings...), or you would like to learn more.

Below is a photo of the storefront in mid-process. The colors we selected in the store looked much more drab on the street than we expected. Since this photo was taken, we went back to the drawing board, selected new colors and re-painted the store front. The process hasn't been perfect, but it has been a good process because we've learned a lot at every step. In our next update we'll post photos of the brighter store front and some internal before and after shots.

The Music Makers Series with THE SLIP!!!

2006-03-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

THE URBAN STUDIO PRESENTS:
Watch. Listen. Learn. A special session with The Slip!

The Urban Studio Music Makers Series provides rare opportunities to see world class musicians play their music, answer questions, demonstrate techniques, and tell stories in limited-seating sessions. March 29th, the Music Makers Series presents a special session with the Boston-based trio, The Slip. The Slip pushes musical frontiers incorporating world-rhythms, jazz, and electronic influences into their own brand of hard-hitting and graceful folk rock. The Slip, educated at Berklee College of Music, has an uncanny ability to seemlessly weave complex poly-rhythms into soulful songs that will make you get on your feet and knock you off your feet with their incredible musicianship. Listen to their music online: http://www.theslip.com/ In an era of HUGE record labels, enormous venues, and mediocre pop music, the Music Makers Series reconnects listeners and world-class musicians in special, closed-door sessions.

March 29th

5:30-6:30pm (Arrive early/limited seats)

Washington University Hilltop Campus

Teitjens Hall, 6500 Forsyth Blvd.

$10 general admission* / Free with a Wash U ID ($5 suggested donation for students)

SPACE IS LIMITED for this event. We strongly suggest you reserve a spot. To make a reservation email reservations@theurbanstudio.org with your name. Only serious reservations, please.

*All proceeds benefit The Urban Studio, a community-building art, music, and culture organization in Old North St. Louis.

Questions? Call 847-226-8966

Directions: Tietjens Hall is located at 6500 Forsyth Road, between Skinker and Big Bend. Tietjens sits on the south side of Forsyth, facing the main Washington U. campus. There is a stop light at the entrance to the Tietjens parking lot. There is parking in back and parking across the street. Arrive early and bring coins for the meters. The clinic will begin promptly at 5:30pm and end at 6:30pm to give The Slip ample time to set up for their evening show @ Cicero's at the corner of Delmar Blvd and Kingsland.

Hands-On Plastering Class, Jan. 28 & 29

2006-01-18T15:59:00.000-08:00

THE URBAN STUDIO PRESENTS: ZEN & THE ART OF PLASTER
Learn How to Repair Your Own Plaster (and save thousands of dollars)
with Master Plasterer, Eric Aulbach

The class is a 2-day, hands-on training that will empower YOU to do your own plaster work. This class is a very unique opportunity for St. Louis--there's nothing else like it!

Cracks Beware!
The class will cover the following topics:
-Getting the mix right: mixing procedures
-Lime vs. gypsum
-Three coat plaster: scratch coat, brown coat, and finish coat
-Plastering over brick and wooden lath: application procedures
-Plaster repair of cracks, holes, etc.
-Ways to speed up the setting process to save time
-Best ways to promote good bonding over various surfaces
-Intro to art finishes

This is a hands-on course! All tools and materials will be provided so that you can practice the various techniques of plaster application and repair throughout the 2 days.

Eric Aulbach
Instructor and Master of the Art of Plaster
When: Saturday & Sunday, January 28 & 29, Reception 8:30am, Class 9am-5pm, Eric will stay after for Q & A, Crown Candy lunch provided
Where: The Urban Studio, 2815 N. 14th Street, St. Louis, MO (1/2 a block north of Crown Candy Kitchen in historic Old North St. Louis)
Cost: $350 for this 2-day, intensive, hands-on course.

To enroll and for questions, call Eric: 314-479-1402
Space is very limited!

"Stream of Consciousness" Art Mural

2006-01-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

"Stream of Consciousness" is an installation art piece composed of over 200 works of art painted primarily by children and residents in and around Old North St. Louis.

Stream of Consciousness is located in the median on North Market Street between 13th Street and 14th Street, less than 1/2 mile from the Mississippi River. The installation depicts the interwoven history of the Pallid Sturgeon, an endangered species, and the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in which it lives. The installation represents a timeline past to present, from left to right. At the top is a sketch of the installation (the dark ovals represent the painted Pallid Sturgeons). As the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers have been altered from free flowing, braided systems to single-channel systems, Pallid Sturgeon populations have plummetted to levels that put this ancient species in danger of becoming extinct. At the end of this post you will find more background information and detail.

Stream of Consciousness provided an opportunity to educate children in our community about our important natural history; it served as a creative outlet for nearly 200 children and brought their creativity into the public sphere; it beautifies our neighborhood; and it is a source of pride for the child artists. Stream of Consciousness is currently 2/3 complete. See pictures below.

An implicit part of this project is a critique of the way we St. Louisans interact with our great rivers. Although the Mississippi River is only half a mile from our neighborhood, it is buried behind I-70 and heavy industry. Most children in our community have never been to the river.

This project is a collaboration between The Urban Studio, Ames Elementary School (with the artistic direction of teachers Anne Wirthlin and Alveta Nelson), and many near-north side community members. Thank you to the many volunteers that made this project possible.

More Background and Pictures

The Pallid Sturgeon is an old species that has existed since the time of the dinosaurs (approximately 70 million years) due to its strong ability to adapt to environmental change. For all of their known histories, the Mississippi and Missouri rivers flowed in many snaking, slow-flowing channels that looked like braided hair. However, in the last few hundred years, for the sake of barge traffic, farming, hydro-electric power generation, and other commerce, these rivers have been channelized into single channel rivers that flow fast; they have much fewer bends and curves than before; and they are interrupted frequently by dams. Scientists explain that this has destroyed most of the Pallid Sturgeon's habitat and thus has resulted in major declines in the Pallid Sturgeon population. With the Pallid Sturgeon's listing as an endangered species, some new river management measures have been adopted. One of these measures is the release of seasonal bursts of water from dams. The seasonal bursts are supposed to imitate natural seasonal flooding. It is hoped that the seasonal bursts will create some additional Pallid Sturgen habitat.

One scientist that we interviewed told us that the Pallid Sturgeon historically traveled huge distances up and down stream. Dams block this migration. He hypothesized that this inability to travel up and down the rivers may be the largest contributing factor to their decline.

The following pictures show Stream of Consciousness installed on the 1300 block of North Market Street!

Stay Tuned for Events at The Urban Studio

2006-01-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

The Urban Studio strengthens community through the creative process. Art, music, public space design, creative community events...all things community and all things creative. We are located at 2815 N 14th Street in the heart of the historic Old North St. Louis neighborhood of St. Louis.

Check back regularly for postings of classes, concerts, art events, screenings, meetings, and more at The Urban Studio.