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  Bill Coleman Entertainment January 14, 2013 at 9:35am

  In yesterday's Denver Post: The Day the Audience Died" by Ray Mark Rinaldi.

  "Doing has replaced looking at museums and galleries, but audiences aren't always up to the job of finishing the work artists start."

  http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_22349354/day-audience-died
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  Bill Coleman Entertainment January 10, 2013 at 11:27am

  Yes, it is solar powered with battery back up for night time operation.  I'm out the door for the National Stock Show Parade, more later.
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  Connie Mettler January 10, 2013 at 9:51am

  Obviously, Bill, you are not likely to run out of ideas! and it is fun to see all of your enthusiasm. Last fall I attended the Zapp conference and there were presentations on public art and how it can create community engagement. It sounds like you are definitely going in this direction. A purist would say that art festivals should only be about the art. I wish it could be so. Yet, it gets complicated. Building audiences for pure art is so difficult. In the Arts news you hear about the desperate struggles ballet companies, opera, symphonies and art museums are having to stay alive and meaningful in their communities. Opera is experiencing a new audience because the marketing director of the Metropolitan Opera has found a way to beam live opera into theaters across the country. Thinking about how to reach people is important. We all decry the fact that art is not being taught in our schools much any more. Art festivals have an opportunity to grow this next audience for the arts by exposing attendees not only to the fine work of the exhibiting artists but also to engage both young and old in creating art. One of my favorite examples of this has been the Youth Day at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College. Young people work year round to create work to sell on the day before the festival, creating "makers" and future artists, as well as an appreciation for creating.

  Another event that has really superb installation art that brings people to the show is the Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina, KS. Check that out!

  Do I spy solar powered panels on the Bubble Tower?
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  Bill Coleman Entertainment January 9, 2013 at 12:22pm

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  Bill Coleman Entertainment just now
  

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  Thank you Gloria!  Proper siting and operation of the BT is necessary.   With seven years under our belt we have learned how to make adjustments to the bubbles when needed.  Sometimes we even turn it not just down, but off until the wind shifts.  That is what we did  at the Lakes Festival of Lights in Las Vegas as the afternoon breeze bothered the car show.  The following year, we simply moved the BT over a few yards and had an ideal performance, rave reviews and no complaints.

  As to "art" or "ART"  Please tell me what do you think of this design?

  

  “The Rainbow Zeebra Bubble Tower is hand crafted
  from exotic Rainbow Zeebra hides.
  The rare, elusive Rainbow Zeebra molts and sheds
  its hide periodically and no Rainbow Zeebras were harmed
  to produce the Bubble Tower.
  Flowing bubbles explore the urban savanna as once
  iridescent herds of Rainbow Zeebras rambled on safari with their unicorn friends.”

  Hand colored zebra print banquet table cloths.

  To take it to the next step, I would like to find an economical choice of words to express the idea of a "community" bubble tower design.  That is were a group of people in advance of the event, design and fabricate a design for the bubble tower. Recently I learned the terms "knitting bomb" and "quilting bomb".   Are there other terms to describe this kind of activity? What I am proposing is  like a knitting bomb or quilting bomb, in that a community would create the design pieces and at the event we would come in and assemble all the pieces together and erect the Bubble Tower.  So it is community focused and takes the participatory aspect further.  And if we could also implement a web and social internet aspect as well, that would be good!  And add a photography contest !  Please let me know your thoughts.

  Cheers!
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  Bill Coleman Entertainment January 9, 2013 at 12:18pm

  Thank you Gloria!  Proper siting and operation of the BT is necessary.   With seven years under our belt we have learned how to make adjustments to the bubbles when needed.  Sometimes we even turn it not just down, but off until the wind shifts.  That is what we did  at the Lakes Festival of Lights in Las Vegas as the afternoon breeze bothered the car show.  The following year, we simply moved the BT over a few yards and had an ideal performance, rave reviews and no complaints.

  As to "art" or "ART"  Please tell me what do you think of this design?

  

  “The Rainbow Zeebra Bubble Tower is hand crafted
  from exotic Rainbow Zeebra hides.
  The rare, elusive Rainbow Zeebra molts and sheds
  its hide periodically and no Rainbow Zeebras were harmed
  to produce the Bubble Tower.
  Flowing bubbles explore the urban savanna as once
  iridescent herds of Rainbow Zeebras rambled on safari with their unicorn friends.”

  Hand colored zebra print banquet table cloths.

  To take it to the next step, I would like to find an economical choice of words to express the idea of a "community" bubble tower design.  That is were a group of people in advance of the event, design and fabricate a design for the bubble tower. Recently I learned the terms "knitting bomb" and "quilting bomb".   Are there other terms to describe this kind of activity? What I am proposing is  like a knitting bomb or quilting bomb, in that a community would create the design pieces and at the event we would come in and assemble all the pieces together and erect the Bubble Tower.  So it is community focused and takes the participatory aspect further.  And if we could also implement a web and social internet aspect as well, that would be good!  And add a photography contest !  Please let me know your thoughts.

  Cheers!
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  Gloria Irla Marlow January 9, 2013 at 11:35am

  Personally I LOVE it but I do see some issues it may cause depending on where you are placed and wind conditions mainly bubble residue on other artist's work.  In some cases no big deal but in others it can damage a piece.  As far as it being "art" I am sitting on the fence.  Yoko Ono had an exhibit at Cranbrook near my home years ago where she had an instillation of tea cups. The "art" came in when people broke the cups and the shards left to lay where they fell created the work.  When installations of  giant orange cloths hanging along a path can draw thousands of people, far be it from me to say a solar bubble machine is not art.  Does it evoke emotion? Yes  Does it make the observer want to take part? Yes,  is it inspiring? Yes.....So I'm saying, it's art in its simplest most natural form....go for it.  I'd love to have you near my tent
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  Geoff Coe January 8, 2013 at 7:54am

  I tell you what I'd do if I were you: I'd go bold.  Apply to get yourself on "Shark Tank" with a video and a business plan.
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  Bill Coleman Entertainment January 7, 2013 at 6:28pm

  HIGH! Geoff!  Great question.  To answer your question,

  The Bubble Tower has already been accepted at art festivals, (ARTsarben in Omaha,  and other shows) and asked to come back. Usually in combination with our Giant Parade Puppets. I believe their thinking runs along the lines, of yes it is art (40%) and if it keeps the kids busy and out of the venders hair, the parents will have a more enjoyable time, stay longer and besides, it gives folks and the media something exceptional to talk about. (60%)  In terms of marketing, the low hanging fruit for the last seven years has been civic festivals, county fairs, grand openings and the like. Here are 71 blog entries devoted to events where we have had the Bubble Tower.  Last year I was able to enter the educational market at Children's Water Festivals.   (!) The higher hanging fruit would be those such as the Scottsdale call to entry, and perhaps this one in Santa Monica:
  https://www.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=1212&...

  From the beginning, I've considered the Bubble Tower "art".  Growing this on a shoe string, we have yet to realize my first envisioning, but I certainly have had fun designing the various iterations: COW, COFFEE, Americana, Rainbow ZEEbra and others.  Being able to advocate for the use of solar instead of noisy, smelly generator powered festival entertainment and finding new uses for reclaimed materials is also important to me.  And besides, how else would I get invited to

  the Summerfest Arts Faire in Logan, UT,  the Columbia Festival of the Arts in  Columbia. MO, the Fort Dodge, Iowa  Blanden Memorial Art Museum 75^th Anniversary Celebration,  the Surprise Party in Surprise, AZ, and the Summer Solstice Festival in Anchorage Alaska ?!

  I've been sending out postcards, and a few emailed inquires, directly to festivals and fairs asking if the BT and our Giant Parade Puppets would be a good fit for their event.  We get  a few more yes's every year.  From time to time we find people who completely don't see the benefit, (Boulder Creek Festival, any festival in Arvada, CO) (or simply don't want to pay for it) but not real often.  I suspect that ratio may increase in the "ART" market unless I am very selective , which is as it should be.  Why bother folks or venues who are obviously not a fit.  By magazines, you mean like Sunshine?  Hadn't thought of that, wonder what would happen if I did?  Vic Gutman - Artsarben is the only promoter that comes to mind that ever responded to my postcards or emails.  Part of our marketing is to companies and non profits who are encouraged to use the BT as part of their branding at events- (Bellco Credit Union at the Colorado Irish Festival, others),  I would REALLY like to bring our mischief to some outdoor music festivals and concerts. Have done municipal "concert in the park" events with good results, but would love to do a multi day music festival as part of their ECO - GREEN component. Being in Denver, means we are usually 1000 miles away from the bigger events, so that is a challenge.  Thanks again for caring enough to help me through this questioning process.

  Cheers!

  B 
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  Geoff Coe January 7, 2013 at 4:45pm

  Bill, I watched the you tube link you provided above.  It's a very cool thing, no question about it.  What prompted my somewhat skeptical question is this: I'm not sure whether it's best suited as entertainment for the kiddos (and adults) at art shows that are trying to create a "family friendly" carnvial atmosphere in addition to the art, or whether it's something that could get juried into some shows with a somewhat more broadly defined pool of applicants than most shows have. 

  Is this your invention?  Are you trying to get it in front of the eyes of promoters, so you can be invited to be a "vendor" at such shows as opposed to an artist?  If you're trying to reach promoters, I would think you would do well to take out an ad in the art fair trade show mags.
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  Michael Reimer January 7, 2013 at 4:40pm

  i think what you do would have fit what they were looking for, but you don't know unless you apply. What they were looking for isn't what the majority of people on this site do and that application was very different from our typical applications.