Save Wonderland!
2011 - Performance / Activism
From 2010 to 2011 I lived and worked in the Wonderland Art Collective in Astoria, Queens, New York. I lived and created in a gorgeous space complete with ballroom, bar, roof deck, two kitchens, etc., alongside 16 other fellow artists.
When the landlord decided to renovate the building, he evicted the collective. Myself and other artists fought this effort.
Through hosting fundraisers, building a Save Wonderland website & web campaign, and creating a mascot for the endeavor (dubbed the Wonderbot 5000) I played a pivotal role in the attempted saving of the dying collective. Though we eventually settled with the landlord, and indeed lost Wonderland, the legacy and dream lives on in the hopes of a future collective art space.
Here is a link to the NY Daily News story on the campaign in which I am pictured and quoted:
Group of Queens artists hoping spirited campaign can save their 'Wonderland'