opening the field

Commons is an increasingly popular term that seeks to express a very old idea, that some things belong to everyone, and together form a community of shared resources. But what constitutes the cultural commons? To what extent are ideas, art and culture created, cultivated and owned in an increasingly networked world?

On June 3rd Works Progress and the Walker Art Center collaborate to kick-off Open Field, a three-month exploration of the cultural commons. At this free Thursday evening program, five thinkers from different disciplines will share ideas and pose questions using media-rich, interactive techniques. Additional games and activities designed by Works Progress will encourage participation by Walker visitors, who will help to author a new crowd-sourced definition of the cultural commons.

A social hour will follow the program, with conversation, drinks and dancing in the Walker Art Center's new Open Lounge.

Participating speakers include:

• Laura Musacchio, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota's department of Landscape Architecture
• Caroline Woolard, Artist and Co-founder of Our Goods
• Jon Ippolito, co-founder of Still Water, a New Media program at the University of Maine
• Sumanth Gopinath, Assistant Professor of Music Theory at the University of Minnesota's School of Music
• Michael Edson, Director of Web and New Media Strategy at the Smithsonian