Public Media Institute / Co-Prosperity Sphere

[uds-billboard name=”PMI”]In preparation for Version 12, an international arts festival and month-long urban experiment, Public Media Institute (PMI) is currently seeking “collaborators and partners to help us re-imagine the tactical urbanization of our hood.” Proposal are due March 1, 2012. 

Public Media Institute (PMI) / Co-Prosperity Sphere (C-PS)

Address: 3219-21 S Morgan Street, Chicago, IL 60608
Email: edmarlumpen@gmail.com
Website: http://www.publicmediainstitute.com / http://www.coprosperity.org
Phone: 773-837-0145
Open Hours: by appointment 

Our mission is to create and incubate innovative arts programming and cultural infrastructures to transform people – socially and intellectually – through the production of festivals, art spaces, events, exhibitions, community projects, artifacts and media.

Public Media Institute is committed to the region’s cultural ecology and is evident through our series of programs, spaces and projects.

 The programming includes two annual international arts festival, Version and the MDW Fair. With over 1000 participants a year, the festivals act as filters for experiencing a wide variety of cultural programs, artist-run initiatives and projects.

PMI publishes several periodicals including Proximity Magazine, the international arts and culture journal, as well as Lumpen magazine, Materiel Magazine and the community newsletter The Bridgeport International.

 Public Media Institute showcases emerging and established artists from Chicago and around the world in our network of art spaces and partner organizations. Our main exhibition facility is the experimental cultural center, Co-Prosperity Sphere: a 5,000 + sq ft visual arts and performance space. Two additional spaces–Eastern Expansion and Northern Exposure–act as ancillary exhibition spaces. PMI also operates an artist residency program, traveling exhibition series, an artist-led art school, an international artist exchange program, public art programming and other projects and initiatives.

How is the project operated? For-profit, nonprofit, artist-run, etc.
Nonprofit.
How long has it been in existence?
PMI: 2001 C-PS: 2007
What was your motivation?
see above
Number of organizers/responsible persons of the project.
1-3
How are programs funded? (membership fees, public funding, sponsors, etc.)
All programs are funded by admission fees, subscriptions, ad sales and donations.
Who is responsible for the programming? (Curators, Directors, etc.)
Ed Marszewski, Rachael Marszewski and guest curators.
Number and average duration of exhibitions/events per year.
20 (2 week) exhibitions.
What kind of events are usually organized?
exhibitions, festivals, classes, screenings, live performance
How is your programming determined?
We curate and produce most exhibitions based on submissions or from our standard programming calendar. We also allow guest curated shows.
Do you accept proposals/submissions?
yes
What is your artistic/curatorial approach?
We are very open. We will not do student shows unless supervised by a university.
What’s working? What’s not working?
It’s all working pretty well. We need to raise more funds to pay our bills!
What kind of role do you hope to play in your local art scene or community?
Our organization kicks ass.
What idea are you most excited about for the future?
Incubating neighborhoods and industrial districts.