dear pals

many of you have been asking about HBML, questions like “when is HBML open?” and “is HBML still a thing?” and “i went by HBML and it was closed” (which is not a question but oftentimes has an implied “what’s up with that?” tagged on). WELL I’LL TELL YOU. it’s good news.

towards the end of last year we applied for and received a grant to go on a much-deserved vacation for 3 months. in that time we are trying to relax, but also trying to line things up for the whole next year, which is going to be pretty bonkers if even a quarter of the stuff we’re planning (which i kind of want to talk about but shouldn’t) makes it past the woodshop stage. we will reopen on april 1st with splendor and a rededicated whateverness, the store rebuilt and reorganized and powerhousey, real six million dollar man.

the grant in question was from the farmers’ and mechanics’ league trust, a group in worcester that pays a little bit every month into a fund and then meets at the end of the year to figure out what to do with the money. other grant winners this year were the raven free school and the stone soup computer co-op. totally heartwarming and inspiring.

OTHER NEWS:
HBML won a BOSTON ART AWARD (which is actually for all of new england except connecticut), for “best installation 2008″. what rules is we didn’t win for any specific installation, we just won for being a weird mess all the time. identify with that!

I have been invited to belgium the spring to show a video and give a lecture on the store at the MUHKA, which is the big museum of modern art in antwerp. i’ve been brushing up on my flemish, but all i know how to say is dirty in a way i don’t entirely understand. i’ll return with a new video in which i get slapped over and over again.

we have hired a grant writer, susan sakesh, who in addition to being awesome and fun to hang around and on top of her game, plays trombone on the last fat day record (which is, sad to say, seemingly the last fat day record). she’s also in that amazing marching band the what cheer brigade.

in conclusion, the store is on vacation, things are going really good. the economy’s down, the community’s up. the technology, the magic, the quantity and quality of people around me who are firing all cylinders and breaking down every wall: these things are all nuts. it’s an exciting time to be an artist / businessman / idea person / anyone!