Help Make BAASICS.3: The Deep End Possible

In 2011, I co-founded BAASICS (Bay Area Art & Science Interdisciplinary Collaborative Sessions), a series of San Francisco-based evening programs that brings together artists, scientists, and interdisciplinary thinkers to present engaging multi-media lectures and performances. Each BAASICS program is built around a particular theme, with participants given the green light to express their brilliance and share their passions in ways that don't always involve a Powerpoint presentation and a microphone. All BAASICS programs are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. We aim to make the contemporary arts and sciences more accessible and less esoteric, thereby inspiring guests to think about how the two spheres relate to one another and to society at large. To date, we've put on two successful programs, BAASICS.1: A Live Animal (July 2011) and BAASICS.2: The Future (June 2012). Our third program, BAASICS.3: The Deep End, will take place at the ODC Theater on May 6, 2013.

We're currently awaiting word from the IRS about official 501(c)3 non-profit status. That designation will allow us to apply for large grants (the non-sequestered ones, anyway!) and to take the first steps toward budgetary sustainability. In the meantime, the funding for these free programs comes from small grants (which supported the second program), in-kind donations, and contributions from individuals and Bay Area businesses. With the money we've scraped together and help from a lot of good-hearted people, we've made exciting things happen on a shoe-string budget...but BAASICS remains a labor of (art-science crossover) love and optimism, and we still need your help to make these events happen.

We recently launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign, and I'll be grateful for any Hungry Hyaena readers that can help out. Every little bit helps; no amount is too small. If you're unable to pledge, spreading the word is moral support, and I'd love it if you'd share the campaign with your scientist and artist friends -- heck, with anyone, anywhere!

For more information, visit our Kickstarter page or our main website.