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Got stress? April is National Stress Awareness Month and it's coming around the corner. Luckily, there is a low-cost, fast-acting and highly effective treatment available: It’s called “art,” and the directions are simple... for maximum effectiveness, use as often as needed!

 Are you creating art or other projects as often as you should? Feel like you need to find the perfect partner in crime to get rolling? Well, there's no time left for excuses; join us at ALPHA! 

ALPHA is an event for everyone who creates. ALPHA is a place to experiment and try new things... a place to launch new projects, to collaborate, to improve and refine existing projects, to dive in and create something new and unexpected, to reinvent yourself completely as an creator. We know you already understand participatory art, so here's your chance to do it more deeply, with other creators, with any medium you can dream up.

In the past we've enjoyed a miniature museum, a wine tasting workshop, turning trash into art, sneaking a peek into the future from a roving psychic, creating our own sparklers, howling at the moon, investing in some UnReal Estate, acting in a short film... 

For ALPHA 2015, we currently have a black box theater space that needs to be filled with collaborative performances, a photographer who seeks subjects for fanciful portraiture, a workshop to help you build a construct with pleasing aesthetics to burn, the Star 400 Tent that wants to be danced in, an effigy to be burned, and more!

ALPHA 2015 will be our third annual ALPHA event, held at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, Maryland, from April 24-26, 2015. The event is produced by FIGMENT, the not-for-profit that creates free arts events in 10+ cities around the world. 

Tickets are on sale now at alpha2015.eventbrite.com; prices are increasing Tuesday, March 24th at 12:01am, so put your order in now! There are cabins and meal plans also available.

Full information on ALPHA at figmentproject.org/alpha.

2014 has been an amazing year... FIGMENT was in 10 cities in 3 countries, impacting some 250,000 people. We appreciate everything that you have done to get us here... your creativity, your volunteerism, your financial support.

We hope we can count on you to support FIGMENT once more before the new year. 

You may have heard that last week FIGMENT decided to decline a donation for the first time in our history, from the Santacon event in NYC. It was a difficult decision, but we want to maintain our integrity focusing on free, family-friendly events that celebrate creativity and build community.  

To make up for this gap, an anonymous FIGMENT supporter has offered to match all donations we receive until 12/31. Your tax-deductible gift to FIGMENT today will be doubled. Please help us one more time before 12/31. Your contribution today will do twice as much to reach people with participatory art and build community around creativity. 

From everyone at FIGMENT, we want to wish you and your community a peaceful and regenerative holiday season!

David Koren
Executive Director

Photo (c) 2014 Anthony Collins, FIGMENT NYC

We're very happy to invite you to ALPHA 2014! ALPHA 2014 will be at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, Maryland, USA, from April 25-27, 2014.

We had a blast last year at our first ALPHA... and we look forward to building on what we started and creating another awesome event that is all about bringing creative people together to make and share awesome projects. Full information on ALPHA is on the website.

Tickets are on sale NOW!

We encourage experimentation! You can register your workshop, meet-up, performance, demonstration, installation, or whatever by following the link in the email you will receive after your purchase your tickets.

To appear on our map and event schedule, your project or event must be submitted by April 17, 2014. We can't wait to see what you're bringing!

Cabins and meal plans are on sale now, too... And those prices won't go up. So if you'd like to lock in your favorite cabin at Ramblewood for you and your friends, you can.

Once you purchase your ticket, you'll receive an email with the link to submit your project for ALPHA. Everyone is expected to bring a project of some kind. Please submit your project as soon as you can so we can figure out where everything goes, but certainly by April 17, 2014.

As ALPHA is an experiment, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, innovation, creativity, contribution, and passion... So please let us know your ideas for how to make the event as awesome as it can possibly be at [email protected]!

We look forward to creating the fantastical with you at ALPHA 2014!

The first-ever FIGMENT Chicago was a wonderful success! Missed it? Check out this great video by Chicago Public Radio! We can't wait for Chicago 2014! 

Please join us for the kickoff to the FIGMENT NYC 2013 event, FIGMENT's 7th Season on Governors Island, and the official opening of the Head in the Clouds Pavilion on Saturday at 11am at the Parade ground! Come out to hear from Executive Producer David Koren, FIGMENT NYC Producer Andrea Kirk, and original songs by Son of Ed, including a new song about FIGMENT's principles! Jason Klimoski and Lesley Change, designers of Head in the Clouds Pavilion (winner of the 2013 City of Dreams Design Competition) will officially open the pavilion the public. We look forward to celebrating with you!

WHAT:
FIGMENT NYC 2013 Opening Event

WHEN:
Saturday, June 8, 2013, at 11am sharp
(please take the 10am ferry from Manhattan to be there on time)

WHERE:
Head in the Clouds Pavilion
in the middle of the Parade Ground
Governors Island, NYC Harbor

QUESTIONS?
Want to add something or bring something for the kickoff?
Email us at [email protected].

See you at the FIGMENT NYC 2013 Opening Event!!

This is it! Come tomorrow 10AM, the magical getaway that is Governors Island will be transformed into a ginormous playground of participatory art. For two days, artists and participants are invited to stretch their own boundaries when they interact with works in every imaginable medium including sculpture, installation, performance, music, workshops, games, experiences, site-specific pieces, social experiments, requests, challenges, guided meditations, performances based on audience input, sculptures that move or respond, heart-stopping technological innovations that change the way we see the world… and any combination thereof. In the words of The Village Voice: "FIGMENT has become one of the most exciting arts weekends within ferry distance of Manhattan." Check out our 2013 artists and projects here—and then come and see for yourself what the buzz is all about, at FIGMENT on Saturday June 8 and Sunday 9. See you on the island!

Want to volunteer at the event and be part of the Team? Sign up here for a shift on Saturday or Sunday!

Can you believe FIGMENT NYC is only a week and a half a way?  Can't wait to get to Governors Island and celebrate Participatory art? Why not start the party early and help us finalize the setup of our summer-long installations andweekend event? Our Minigolf Course, Sculpture Garden, TreeHouse, The Head in the Clouds Pavilion, and general build teams are always looking for able bodies and generous spirits to be part of finalizing construction! No building experience necessary! Whether you want to hold a drill, a paint brush, a hammer, or a hand, there is a job for you.

Sign up for a morning or afternoon shift and find yourself in the inner sanctum of pre-FIGMENT participation on what are looking to be some fantastically sunny days on a fantastical island! If you would like to be part of bulding the pavilion, please sign up here or send an email to [email protected] for any questions. Want to help build/paint/touch-up any of the amazing summer-long projects or help with stage building or signage making? Sign up here!

In addition to pre-event support, we also need volunteers to help during the event. Those of you who volunteer your precious time during the event will receive a gorgeous FIGMENT 2013 T-shirt and an amazing experience to boot! Sign up here for June 8th and 9th shifts. Thank you for your support, we look forward to seeing you all on June 8-9 for the best FIGMENT NYC event yet!

in the middle of the Parade Ground

FIGMENT NYC is almost here! Our seventh annual FIGMENT NYC event on Governors Island will take place on June 8-9, from 10am to 6pm. Check out the event details here. We'll be posting details on specific art projects and performances soon. FIGMENT NYC marks the unveiling of the 2013 City of Dreams Pavilion, "Head in the Clouds" by StudioKCA, as well as our interactive sculpture garden, and artist-designed minigolf course.

Coming to FIGMENT NYC? Let us know on Facebook, and invite your friends! While we're at it, please like FIGMENT NYC on Facebook, and follow FIGMENTNYC on Twitter for frequent updates.

Want to help make FIGMENT NYC as awesome as it can be? Sign up to volunteer, and come and join our FIGMENT team, artists, and volunteers for the last FIGMENT NYC Meet and Greet before FIGMENT NYC, on Monday, May 20, from 7-10pm at Sidebar, on 15th Street and Irving Place. We'll have lots of FIGMENT NYC postcards for you to help spread the word about FIGMENT NYC to everyone you know!

See you at FIGMENT... if not sooner!

If you're in the South this weekend (May 18-19), join us at FIGMENT Jackson! This is our third annual event in the wonderful city of Jackson... Full details are here. See you there!