Continuing Participation with "LIVE" Blogging

On Saturday, May 21^st my role for the Public Raffle was to be a "LIVE" blogger during the On the Line event. I chose to feature a couple of set-up activities from the event to be included as posts, since the raffle concept is integrated with the other programming that is scheduled. By communicating Edith’s previous structure for the Public Raffle (refer to March 29^th and April 1^st, 2016 blog posts) to Christopher and Kelsey, University of California, Riverside Anthropology students, I became aware of their familiarity with the area of Casa Blanca and memories of clotheslines. To stay focused on the multi-voice initiative that began this blog, I extended their participation beyond managing the raffle at Casa Blanca Library.

Public Raffle - Clothesline Objects

During the drawing of the raffle, I refrained from interviewing the raffle winner. We did have a casual conversation and I offered the opportunity for him to include a post concerning his experiences with the winning clothesline objects from the raffle. I understand with this approach there is a chance of not obtaining any future content, but I wanted the raffle winner to feel comfortable with sharing his experiences on a public post and have a chance to utilize the objects. The malleable characteristics of the blog offer an unlimited time to post as long as the blog is live.

Other technical aspects that I have considered from my experience of "LIVE" blogging are the strength of the Internet signal and unedited video footage. Posting unedited video footage to the blog posts made me consider my content for the post. I chose activities that offered more action related scenes than conversational pieces between participants. I believe the activities lend themselves to the unedited footage style, while documenting a few of the preprogramming events. There was not a strong Internet signal in the garden area of the Casa Blanca Library to upload video and images efficiently to my blog draft. I had to spend time in the library to upload and post. While this element is out my control it does affect the timing of my post and the media contents availability. My four posts are suitable for the shorter time-period event and type of accessibility of the Internet.

Started Collecting Names

Collecting names for the public raffle. Drawing will be at the end of the programming at Casa Blanca site.

Correspondence from Arlanza Library

            The public raffle was part of the March 5^th On The Line one-day event at Arlanza Library in Riverside, California. University of California, Riverside Anthropology major, Edith Macias managed the whole raffle at the Arlanza Library.

            My correspondence with Edith began when I received an email with an attached image of the signage for the raffle.

 

Photo Courtesy of Edith Macia

          Our correspondence continued with me emailing her questions of how she managed the raffle, how was the participatory aspect received by the public, any interesting conversations about the raffle concept with clotheslines or the California state legislation with the “Right to Dry.”

            I intended to incorporate Edith’s experiences into my writing, which was planned to be posted on the On The Line website. This writing was part of my preliminary proposal to aid in the documentation of the background and experiences from the raffle.

            In her email Edith shared with me how she organized and managed the raffle. I was pleased that my proposal was not followed like instructions, but more as a loose structure. One example of the methods Edith used at the Arlanza Library location was that she collected names on paper for the raffle drawing instead of distributing prefab raffle tickets. Edith mentioned how her signage was effective by having the public approach her about what was being raffled off.

            As I began my first stage of writing, the bilingual signage is what provoked more questions about the participatory elements of the raffle. I knew Edith’s experiences came from either her research with the neighborhoods near Arlanza Library or she could have been some how familiar with the area.

            I knew my single author approach was not appropriate, since I did not attend the March 5^th program. From my previous experiences with new media and research with digital humanities, I proposed to Edith and Susan Ossman, Director of On The Line program, that a blog was better suited for presenting the multi-voiced experiences and research from the raffle. Susan and Edith accepted the blog idea. 

            This blog, On The Line 2016 Public Raffle, has been launched to be a collaborative way of writing about the public raffle, while utilizing new media to extend the participatory concept from the public physical location (the library site) to virtual social spaces. 

 

References

Fox, R. ed. (1991) Recapturing Anthropology Working in the Present. Santa Fe, School of American Research.

Lippard, L. (1973) Six Years: The Dematerialization of the Art Object from 1966 to 1972. Berkeley, University of California Press.

Okely, J. & Callaway, H. eds. (1992) Anthropology & Autobiography. London, Routledge.

                   

Pink, S. ed. (2012) Advances in Visual Methodology. London, Sage.               

Preliminary Proposal & Logistics for a participatory element for 2016 On The Line a Riverside, California based program

 

Preliminary Proposal           

I am proposing an open raffle as a participatory element for one of the 2016 On the Line one-day long exhibitions. The raffle concept will be in conjunction with the local community aspect of being held at a specific library site and the celebration of the statewide legislation to hang laundry in California. The raffle can also be viewed as a participatory element toward the engagement with discussion about laundry lines and understanding the On the Line exhibit.

The raffle will offer the opportunity for visitors of the On the Line outdoor exhibit to win the objects needed to personally participate in the statewide legislation. All the basic essentials to dry laundry outside will be the raffle prize. These objects include two packs of wooden clothespins, clothespin bag, a length of clothesline, two metal eyehooks (for hanging the clothesline) and a laundry basket. 

Preliminary Logistics

I am proposing a morning and an afternoon raffle drawing during the timeframe of the On the Line outdoor exhibit. The raffle timeframe can be for a half-hour to forty-five minutes before the drawing of the laundry line essential prize. The reasoning behind a short time frame for each raffle drawing is the timeframe of the one-day event and to include the public/ visitors that will be coming and going from the library site. This allows two chances to participate during the day event.

            The specific raffle times can be included with the marketing of the one-day event. During the event, students from University of California Riverside and/ or event volunteers can hand out free raffle tickets (1 per person) and communicate the prize, time and specifics of the raffle drawing as well as the art to be viewed/ corresponding events. Carrie will provide both prizes and raffle tickets. In addition, she will conduct the raffle drawing.   

Documentation and Archiving

            To document and archive this participatory element of On the Line, I (Carrie) will provide a text concerning the background and the participatory element of the event for the On the Line web presence. I would like to also collaborate with the person in the photo or video role of the exhibition to have images include with my text.