In this workshop, we will explore “energy spheres” (radial gradient portraits of people, places, or things) through creating them as gifts for friends or family using a prototype of a new tool. In doing so, we will attempt to transform the traditional circular image format often used online, such as in phone contacts, profile pictures, avatars, etc., into an a more resonant and poetic experience — similar to an aura portrait.

This is an *in-person* event happening in NYC put on by Rhizome at HEART, located at 442 Broadway in Soho, NYC, from 4-5pm. Laurel is giving a lecture previously from 2:30-3:30pm, which you can join as well. Accessibility note: Unfortunately, the area the lectures are happening in has 2-3 small steps. However, the workshop area is fully accessible via elevator.

Tickets and more info ↗

Some background: In 2019, artist Elliott Cost published a contacts page on his website, which extended into corresponding avatars in his phone and computer's Contacts app. Since then, they have been continued by Laurel in various forms, including making a prototype of a sphere-making tool in collaboration with Soft. Energy Spheres also exist as natural phenomena (like full rainbows) in the world, and have been explored by artists in various forms previously, as documented in an ongoing Are.na Channel, which you are welcome to contribute to.

In this workshop, we will explore compiling a private Are.na channel (collection of things) as a gift for someone specific, as outlined here. What makes a good gift, and how can we transmit this digitally? We'll explore various formats and starting points for considering your Are.na channel as a gift, as well as working time and dialogue.

• 10am PST on Saturday, 12.21.24
• 1pm EST on Saturday, 12.21.24
• 7pm CET on Saturday, 12.21.24

Register for this workshop ↗

Some background: With Are.na, Laurel began the Are.na Gift Shop a couple years ago. A timeless question we've been asking ourselves is... what makes a good gift? Cab says, "the best gift is when it’s something you want and you’re positive that the other person would want it too, because you can feel there’s an overlap of what you can both feel excited about." Meg reflects, "I think good gift givers are also very good at listening and then remembering that one thing you said that one time about wanting something." Anyway, it's nice to think that others are keeping you in mind while going about their everyday lives.

In this workshop, Laurel will lead participants through ideas of how to consider a calendar as a gift. Specifically, we'll create a digital Google Calendars for the year 2025 as a gift for friends or family. We will also explore how Google Calendar can not only be used for logistical planning, but also become an everyday, ambient surface to archive, view, and circle back to special images, writing, and memories.

• 10am KST (Seoul) on Sunday, 12.22.24
• 8pm EST (NYC) on Saturday, 12.21.24 (day before)
• 5pm PST on Saturday, 12.21.24 (day before)

Register for this workshop ↗

Some background: We believe Google Calendar is a vastly unexplored surface for gifting, publishing, and expression. In the context of this workshop, we'll explore gifting. In the year 2020, Laurel along with Laura Coombs and Mindy Seu worked together on a surprise birthday gift (among other projects). This gift was a time capsule of memories from friends and family for the next year, assembled as a Google Calendar. We are also inspired by the work of whitespreadsheet.online, who hosts workshops exploring expressive possibilities for Google Spreadsheets. And Jisu Lee explores digital calendars regularly, as the image in the flier is a screenshot from her forthcoming 2025 calendar. We want to host a workshop so you can use Google Calendar as a container for gifting, and we can consider other possibilities for ways to express gratitude through time and everyday tools.

• Gifting Workshops on Are.na ↗
• Gifting Workshops IG Post ↗
• Laurel's website ↗