Ideas City: A New Perspective

Telidoscope I made at IDEAS CITY!

The biennial IDEAS CITY Street Fest took place surrounding the New Museum in Soho yesterday.  I visited it completely unaware of the wealth of creativity and innovation I was stepping into.  From a The Sketchbook Library, to the Pool project set for the Hudson River, to the stunning 'elements of nature' costumes that whirled by, I left completely inspired.  The Street fest to me was like a teleidoscope (a kaleidoscope without the beads, the world around creates the beautiful patterns) it provided me with a renewed perspective and creative view on our city. (I even got to make my own teleidoscope at the Play Forum for Play City, an organization that tries to make daily life in the city more fun!) 

IDEAS CITY, founded by the New Museum in 2012, is a NYC festival of conferences, workshops and an incredible street fest that features over 100 organizations, projects and public events.  The idea behind the festival is that arts and culture are crucial to the growth of cities, making them better to inhabit and enjoy.  I only attended the Street Fest, but the exchange of ideas, proposals of projects and creative organizations blew me away.

Enjoy a taste of the Street Fest below, and DON'T MIS Ideas City next time around!

Continue to create, 

Margo Isadora

The Sketchbook Project:

A traveling library of Artist's Sketchbooks! Based in Brooklyn and travels around the country.  I purchased a sketchbook that I plan to fill and contribute this summer.  Love the idea to connect people from across the country through sketchbooks!

Fabric Artist, Amanda Bower's "Triangle Eyes"

Inside the booth with Amanda Bower's piece was a collection of "Instruments" This purple queen had wire hair that when brushed made music!

LES Girls club giving away seed bombs, to help regrow the shore destroyed from Sandy. 

Shoe Artist, selling his shoes and classes to learn how!

Lots of delicious food booths!

I screen printed a bag!

Love Yourself Campaign:

Wrote something you loved about yourself and folded it into an origami heart!

AWESOME glasses in a store on the festival streets!

Plastic Bag Mandala, being created there! Plastic bags pulled through fabric. Too cool

Incredible + shaped pool, proposed to be build floating on the river off of Brooklyn to filter water into the pool and start to clean the river water.  Read more about the pool that will allow New Yorkers to swim in the river for the first time in 100 years HERE!

What do you want in your city?!

Rachel and I enjoying the Street Fest!

PLAY and DIY Teleidoscopes!

The Elements of Nature walking down the Street!

Rain Chutes:

Reclaimed Army Parachutes to collect water in Africa. 

Their daughters ran the demonstration and had beautiful orange parachute skirts!

Nature's by again!

Returned home with new views, knowledge and a wealth of information to become involved in and inspired by these innovative organizations!

Find inspiring groups in your area that make your city a better place to live, work, and play!