Update 2/27: We are now at $4,345 in cash donations and 2,165 in kind for a total of $6,510!!! We did it! Thank you! That was amazing and the show of support was overwhelming and wonderful. I can't begin to express the depth of my gratitude. We'll take photos and keep posting!

Here is what the donor sign will say:

Mother May I…? was made possible through the generous support of:
Reed Alexander, Sookmee Almquist, Kimberly G Armstrong, Adam K. Berliant, Michael Beugg, Big Cat Productions, Elizabeth Bojanowski, Paris Boyce, Martha Brockenbrough, Rhea Coler, Nichole Dement, Mike Dominguez, Brenda El Kadi, Ann Fabrizio, Karen Farrer, Lesli Franklin, Amy Freimiller, Joyce Gehl, Susan Golick, Amanda Greer, David Guilbault, Joy Hagen, Susan Haller, Elatia Harris, Wendy Heipt, Jane Hesslein, Ellen Hochberg, Ming Holden, Rena Ilumin, Jerzy Boyz Farm, Doris Jurisson, Jessie Kaarbo, Karen Kane, Daniel Kany, Divya Krishnan, Kymata Dental Arts, Alisa Lahti, Ingrid Lahti, Rebecca Larson, Ann Laughlin, Leland Leichman, Wendy Laird, Xyta Lucas, Kelly Jo MacArthur, Richard Mann, Ed Marquand, Heather McHugh, Microsoft Corporation, Constance Miller, Heidi Molbak, Jo Moniz, Alice Myers, Roger Nachman, Jesse Nahan, Gerry Neely, Lynn Nichols, Charles G. Nordhoff, Margit Oberrauch, Paul Owen, Ian Page-Echols, Amy Pearce-Hayden, Sheri Plybon, Poetry Island: Care4Caregivers, Joe Pontoski, Sarah Pontoski, Amy Price, Charlie Rathbun, Syed Raza, Joseph Roberts, June Sekiguchi Jennifer Sill, Alyson Stanfield, Stanfield Art Associates, Elizabeth Strauss, David Szlag, Linda Tofle, V8Media, Chloe Vrijmoet, John Vrijmoet, Xyta Vrijmoet, Ken Wagner, Alan Wasserman, Jennifer Weiler, Wynne Weintraub, Suze Woolf, Tiger Zane, Ellen Ziegler, and The Allied Arts Foundation.

Update 2/21: Today my third mailler went out. I'll keep you posted on what happens! Thank you. And to make it easier, I've added a DONATE button here!

Update 2/20: We're now at $3,200 in cash donations and $1,300 in kind. Wowie! Tomorrow morning my final appeal goes out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it can bring us over the theshold we need.

This is the newly minted post card for the upcoming Brooklyn show.

2/15 Update: I'm so excited to report how close we're getting to the $6,050 goal! As of this morning we've raised $2,992 in cash donations and $1,300 of in-kind donations! $1,758 left to go! Thank you so much for your support!

2/13 Update: WoW! I'm amazed, humbled, and grateful to report that in 5 days we've raised $1,766 in cash, and $1,300 of in-kind donations. 14 days left to raise 3K! Halfway there! Thank you!

2/11 Update: The new idea is corporate sponsorship. If any of you know anyone in a position at a company who is within the decision-making to sponsor this project please let me know, and, if possible, provide introductions.

2/9 Update: Today you helped me raise $1000 in cash and $1,300 in-kind donation, with my adjusted budget and equipment, I now need to raise $4,300! Thank you for all of your support! Thanks to you I'm 1/3 of the way to reaching my goal!

For the third year in a row I entered the Brooklyn Artists Waterfront Coalition (BWAC) www.bwac.org juried show, the largest artist-run, not for profit organization in Brooklyn. This year I whispered a silent prayer, “please don’t pick me!” It’s not that I didn’t want to go. After all, being accepted into the BWAC is not only an honor, but a tremendous opportunity: Every year the BWAC books a superstar curator to be the juror of their annual arts competition. It’s an occasion to put my paintings in front of some of the leading curators in the world, like Nat Trotman Associate Curator from the Guggenheim (2011 juror) and Anne Strauss Associate Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2010 juror).

still from the studio installation 2011. To listen to the whispers and see video footage, click on image, it will take you to the installation page on my website.

This year, instead of submitting paintings as I did the two previous years, I opted to enter an interactive audio installation titled  Mother May I…? that debuted  in my studio last February for one night only and with borrowed equipment. Which is to say, my ducks aren’t exactly in a row.
 
But with your help they can be.
 
On Thursday, February 2, 2012 the BWAC announced that Mother May I…? had been selected to be in the show—now just a few short weeks away. Great, right?!

Show Details:

Wide Open At Brooklyn Waterfront Artist's Coalition
?76 Degraw St. Brooklyn NY 11231 (718) 596-2506/7 www.bwac.org/visit

Opening Reception March 18 - April 2
Gallery open weekends from 1-6

 
You’re right. It is great. Mother May I…? addresses one of the most fundamental human needs: that of belonging. Using visual and aural cues that demarcate a site-specific space, visitors must assess how far they are willing to go, and at what cost. An interactive sound installation, Mother May I…? combines mounted speakers, a camera, and motion detection computer programming that set off a series of pre-recorded reprimands as visitors trespass unseen boundaries. As audiences cross the line from one section to the next, structured sentences (“Get Back! “Watch where you’re going! “ and What’s the matter with you?”), or worse, mere onomatopoeias (“ugh!” “tsk tsk”), shame, cajole, mock, and ultimately provoke visitors into action. Knowing the boundaries—whether you’re willing to break them or not—is central to attaining and maintaining health, security, and economic wellbeing. Mother May I…? explores the social constructs that are at the heart of this experience in a playful and ultimately cathartic way.
 
I would love to share it with a Brooklyn based audience.
 
There’s only one problem. I don’t own any of the equipment. And I have to fly my team there to install the site-specific art. Oh, and this is happening one month from now!
 
I have to overcome major financial and geographic boundaries to get this work to New York and I need your help. The good news is that within 24 hours of hearing of my acceptance I procured fiscal sponsorship.

What does it mean? It means is that anything you donate to me through Allied Arts Foundation is fully tax-deductible! 
 
I have to raise a minimum of $6,050 in the next two weeks to take Mother May I…? to New York. This year the juror is Charlotta Kotik, Curator Emerita of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the l993 United States commissioner for the Venice Biennale. And when Kotik jurors your work in, you’ve gotta do it. It’s a game changer.
 
Make your tax-deductible donation online through my sponsor, Allied Arts Foundation. Donate by credit card at www.alliedarts-foundation.org/ Clicking "DONATE" will take you to Allied Arts PayPal account. Once you've filled in the relevant information you'll have a chance to review then specify my name (Kate Vrijmoet) or that of the project (Mother May I…?) by clicking “HOW SHOULD YOUR DONATION BE DIRECTED?”
 
If you prefer, you can donate by check instead by specifying my name in the subject line and mailing to the Allied Arts Foundation:
 
Allied Arts Foundation
4111 E. Madison Street, #52
Seattle, WA 98112
 
Every donation made by February 25 will be thanked directly via wall signage at the exhibition.
 
As a special incentive, for every donation of $500 or more I will surreptitiously slip your name into the audio recording amongst the whispered voices when its re-recorded for the next iteration of the installation. For example: “Get back John Smith!” or “Watch where you're going Jane Doe!”
 
Want to know where your funds will go?
 
$600 will buy an airline ticket
$200 will buy the camera
$150 will buy a speaker
$110 will buy a night of lodging
$75 will buy an hour of my creative technician’s time
$50 will buy a day's meals
$40 will ship a box
$30 will buy a set of cables

Here are other important ways you can help:
·      Spread the word. Email this fundraising letter to your friends and colleagues and help this campaign go viral.  Forward to a Friend
·      Make In Kind Donations. Take a look at the equipment list on the budget and consider donating something in kind
·      Network. Post this fundraiser to  Google+, Twitter, FaceBook, StumbledUpon
·      Follow along. Check out my blog here at katevrijmoet.com/main-menu-pages/blog/ I’ll be updating it as I get updates from Allied Arts Foundations about donation totals
 
Mother May I…? is about moving forward in spite of the voices in our head, learning where and how we break the rules, and ultimately figuring out when it’s worth the risk.
 
Which of course means that I have to do this.
 
Thank you for your support!
                                                                  
Warmest Regards,
Kate Vrijmoet       

Show Details:

Wide Open at Brooklyn Waterfront Artist's Coalition
76 Degraw St. Brooklyn NY 11231 (718) 596-2506/7 www.bwac.org/visit

Opening Reception March 18 - April 2
Gallery open weekends from 1-6

Mother May I…? at BWAC Expense Budget: Funding Goal with Fiscal Sponsorship: $6048.00*

Item                                                           quantity          unit price              total

Gobo lights                                                     3                 169.00               507.00
Speakers                                                        4                 150.00               600.00
GoPro camera                                                  1                 204.00               204.00
Canopus ADVC55 DV Converter                           1                 168.00               168.00
Mac Mini                                                         1                 625.00               625.00
Monitor                                                           1                 150.00               150.00
Cables                                                            2                   35.00                70.00
Grounded Extension Cords                                 2                   14.00                28.00
Pivot Surge Protector                                        1                   25.00                25.00
Lumber                                                           #                   #.##                30.00
Security Hardware (brackets)                             32                   1.80                57.60
Straps                                                             1                   14.03                14.03
Hardware                                                         #                   #.##                15.00
Shipping and insurance                                      16                 40.00               640.00
Flight for Computer programmer                          1                 600.00               600.00
Flight for Kate (in kind donation)                         1                 600.00              (600.00)
Hotel                                                               2x3=6          110.00               660.00
Transportation/subway/cab/bus/airport shuttle      #                   #.##               125.00
Per Diem                                                          2x4=8            50.00               400.00
Artist Salary (donated)                                      130                75.00           (9,750.00)
Technician (donated)                                         60                 75.00           (4,500.00)
                                                                      7                   75.00               525.00
Construction/studio manager(if included)              60                 50.00           (3,000.00)
Studio space (donated)                                     1                1081.00            (1081.00)
Maraketing (in kind)                                         #                 150.00              (150.00)
TOTAL                                                                                                       5443.63
*This number was reached by dividing the total expenses by 90% to reflect the 10% admin fee of the Fiscal Sponsorship.