Hibernation Mode

Hey friends,

You may have noticed we've been quiet around these parts lately. The Parley--just one incarnation of our many dreams for connecting creative people in this city--has been in hibernation mode. Don't let that fool you into thinking we've been resting on our laurels: Max and I still have plenty of awesome and inspiring projects keeping us busy independently, and for the time being we're going to continue to focus on those.

This little note is just to say thanks for the support you've given us so far. We hope we can continue to include the broader creative community in our projects, and that you'll continue to involve us in yours.

You can find out more about what Max is doing on his forthcoming Tumblr, and you can track my footprints to Eyes Open. "The Parley" or not, we'll see you soon.

Photos from 1HR Mag #4

Thanks to every one of you who made it out to Hole in the Sky on Monday night! We had a great time as always, and we're working hard to get the art together & cleanly scanned for your viewing pleasure. A few of the less rectangular projects that were produced have proven to be minor challenges for the scanner at Parley's Super Secret HQ--mine included, sorry Max!--but in the meantime here are some of the photos that Ally Behnke and I managed to capture during our too-brief time together. HITS has a few more photos, so be sure to check them out, and keep up with their great projects in the future!

1HR Mag @ Hole in the Sky on 6/27!

On Monday, June 27th, at 7 PM we're launching the next edition of 1HR MAGAZINE, our irregular hour of wild creation, companionship and fun fueled by music. Yours truly will be hosting, and we'll be teaming up with the recently resurrected DIY space Hole in the Sky (they're on the second floor at 2110 5th St NE, Washington, DC, 20002) to write, collage, photograph, draw, and whatever else we can dream up in the course of an hour. You can see past iterations of what we've put together up here.

As always, upon completion we'll hang up our work for display to get a look at what we've been able to put together, and we'll spend a little time observing and getting to know each other better. The following day the work will be scanned and put into PDF form for download & distribution.

This is a collaborative art project, so we encourage everyone to bring their own pens/pencils/markers/laptops/notepads/paper/glue/crayons/scissors/tape/old magazines for cutting, pasting and remixing + starry eyes for seeing the world in new ways. Feel free to bring light snacks as well!

We're really, really excited to be working with the great folks at Hole in the Sky. As always, 1HR is a free event, but we encourage donations to help HITS with their ongoing renovation project. 

RSVP now at EventBrite! Max and I can't wait to see you there!

Giant Balloons? Awesome.

When was the last time you looked at your neighborhood from a different point of view?

Maybe 150 feet in the air? Suspended by a dozen rainbow-hued weather balloons?

This past Saturday Max and I had the opportunity to do just that. Our good friend Will Claybaugh--the coolest math teacher you never had--invited us to join a few of his students in testing out a little bit of applied physics.

Justin gets lifted with a little help from his friends.It was a hot day in Northern Virginia, but Will's hard-working Launch Team labored through the humidity & sweat to make sure their awesome project got off the ground--literally!

The neighbors came out to witness the quirky miracle of DIY human flight, the Fairfax County Police insisted they'd take a ride if they weren't on duty, and a participant's prosthetic limb was sent high into the sky--because why not?

Thanks to Will and his amazing Launch Team for a great afternoon of fun, adventure, and science: they helped make the world a little more awesome.

More photos soon!

Max enjoys the view Do It Yourself is good. Do It Together is better.
Will & the launch team get ready to pop our balloons.

Big balloons need a LOT of helium.

Sky Captain Will & the Valiant Balloon Launch Team.

DC Flag Tattoo Day - In the Flesh!

Here at Parley Super-Secret Headquarters, we hold Washington DC near and dear to our hearts- not only because we ourselves are tucked away within its nurturing confines, but also because history has rarely seen such a city-state: Rich in art, technology, design, culture, and social thought of all kinds, we're proud to call this place our home.  But, in the end, it's the people who make the place, and we're sad that DC residents still don't have equal voting rights. That said, the fabulous Allyson Behnke has decided to do something about it, just in time for Flag Day, which falls tomorrow. Come to Dupont Circle to show your support for DC voting rights, get inked with some sweet temporary DC flag tattoos, and paint humongous "Give Me a Vote" hands.  See below for the full press release and video interview by Brandon Bloch with Ally Behnke, DC City Council member Brian Weaver, and DC's Shadow Representative, Mike Panetta:

It is well known that thousands of District of Columbia residents past and present sport DC flag tattoos. George Washington, whose family crest is the source of the DC flag, could never have predicted that so many would passionately adorn themselves to show their civic pride. The “Three Stars and Two Bars” has come to symbolize over 600,000 Americans who may neither enact their own laws nor elect voting representatives to the House and Senate. Organizers hope to celebrate the DC Flag and bring attention to the tattoo phenomenon to raise awareness of DC’s status in Congress. Come celebrate the DC Flag!

WHO: Inked, non-Inked, and all who LOVE DC
WHAT: Flag Day DC Celebration; Speakers sponsored by DC Vote; Art sponsored by Give Me a Vote and Albus Cavus; and additional surprises!
WHEN: Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 6pm to 8pm 
WHERE: Dupont Circle, Washington DC, USA,
“Home of Taxation Without Representation”

AFTERPARTY: ESL, 1212 18th St NW, 8pm-12midnight, DJ Nightkrawler

Follow the conversation on Twitter #DCFLAGTATTOO. 
Share DC Flag tattoos on line http://DistrictLove.com/ 

Visit http://DistrictLove.com/FlagDayintheFlesh for more information.