We're very excited to announce our new workshop series for adults called "Course One - Party Revolution." This series is intended to give participants the foundational experience needed to become comfortable taking an idea from concept to working prototype and beyond using a high-tech toolset. We will help students bring together hardware and software in new ways to bring ideas “to life” and to show how to turn what seems amazingly complex  into something incredibly simple with the right perspective. 

Workshop Theme: Party Revolution
The workshop theme is one we think will be a lot of fun for everyone, but what does "Party Revolution" mean? That's up to you, really! What sort of crazy ideas do you have to make something that will wow your friends at a party, or enable you to make a party anywhere you choose? Perhaps it's a piece of interactive art, or a modular backpack with party lights and sound, or robotic party speakers with LEDs that you can have follow you throughout the streets. We'll help students ideate and prototype their idea throughout this workshop. It'll be a learning blast!

Structure & Pricing
The workshop is a six-part series of three-hour weekly evening classes. We have pricing options for individuals, groups of two, and groups of three -- in fact we highly suggest you find a partner to join you for this workshop if you can. ​The workshop price ranges from $549 to $899. See the table below for details.

And as a reminder, if you have a personal or work-related party/event coming up some time soon, consider hiring us to add some of our interactive LED art and lighting to make the event extra special!  We have a few rental packages available and are also happy to develop a custom rental solution with you.
Learn more about our rental services here. 

​Thanks!

The Sustainable Magic team is very excited to be a part of the upcoming STEAM Carnival -- a high-impact, high-voltage entertainment showcase fun for people of all ages. 

What better way to celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (aka STEAM) through the experience of a carnival? The Carnival will be filled with high-tech games, interactive installations, dynamic build zones, round the clock stage shows, lab demos, aerialists, artists, food, and more.

...And of course, the Magic Box!  

Sustainable Magic will be there with the Magic Box, exhibiting the tools and capabilities of our high-tech traveling workshop and also spreading inspiration with our interactive robotic LED art. 

So, please, join us: Come play Friday from 10am-5pm, and Saturday & Sunday from 10am-6pm at Pier 48 at AT&T Park.
​
Tickets available here and you can learn more about the event here.

We hope to see some familiar faces at the carnival. And if you're interested in helping out and volunteering some of your time please email us. There are perks! (And we can do this without your help!)

See you there!

​About Two Bit Circus, creators of the STEAM Carnival
STEAM Carnival is the creation of Los Angeles-based engineering entertainment company Two Bit Circus. This interdisciplinary team of artists, inventors, engineers, educators, and entrepreneurs is passionate about reimagining all forms of entertainment to inspire kids of all ages. Members of the team have been on-camera inventors for network television, built viral videos for rock bands, and have created massive spectacles for large brands. Clients include Amazon, Intel, the Girls Scouts of America, and Dave & Buster’s.

About Sustainable Magic
Sustainable Magic is a growing collective of technology-inspired artists, makers, and educators founded by Sean Stevens and Ashley Newton and based in San Francisco. We make interactive art to share and inspire people to want to create, then teach them how using our high-tech traveling maker studio, the Magic Box; we also create immersive interactive art experiences for public and private events. We seek to inspire and empower people to step out of their comfort zone and to learn new skills and approaches to creating, problem solving, and collaborating using high tech tools like 3D printers and laser cutters, Arduino and robotics. We help people have the confidence and capability to change "What if?" into "Let's try!" And, for those with more experience, we help them take it to the next level.

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Educational programming occurs in partnership with the 5th Annual Bay Area Science Festival. STEAM Carnival focuses on STEAM rather than STEM to emphasize the importance of art, highlighting its contribution to invention and innovation. Let’s inspire more creative thinkers and doers through playful, meaningful, immersive experiences!
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SAN FRANCISCO – 9.15.2014. 3D Printing, Programming, Addressable LEDs, Wearables, Robotics, Internet of Things... yes, the future is here -- but as of now, it's in the hands of the few. The last few years have demonstrated tremendous leaps in technical tools that put unprecedented power into the hands of the masses. Yet, while the Maker Movement is becoming mainstream, maker education is still in its infancy.

We’re here to change that with The Magic Box Kickstarter, ending September 24th (in nine days). The old way of the technology is about keeping secrets. We think that’s shortsighted. And Boring. That’s why we’re bringing the maker movement to your door (or local park or event) so that you can experience the difference for yourself.*

We are Sean Stevens and Ashley Newton, and we have crafted a new way to bring making to the next generation - whether it be with youth or adults, schools or companies. We have extensive experience teaching teenagers and adults with little to no technical background how to build nearly anything - from mechatronic flowers, robotic frogs that recognize facial expressions, immersive flight simulators that literally 'send you flying' and much much more ...

We’ve created a curriculum and format that's adaptable to anyone, anywhere. And now they're raising money to build a mobile maker space and media lab -- the Magic Box -- to go “door to door” inspiring and educating people. Here's how it works:

Sustainable Magic Cycle of Creativity and Inspiration

• Inspire. Inspiration is at the heart of our approach. We’ll act as a mobile art and innovation gallery, holding free, public, outdoor interactive exhibitions to show people what’s possible, and ignite curiosity and passion to learn the secrets of “how”.
• Create. We’ll enable experienced and first-timers to create amazing things using the awesome toolset of the Magic Box. 
• Educate. In our workshops, experienced, passionate creators & educators will guide people to create for the first time, or help advance the abilities of those with experience. We’ll empower people with knowledge and the ability to rapidly problem-solve. The result? More confident, creative, capable people throughout the world.

Inspiration leads to hard work and experience. Work leads to learning. We share our experiences and creations with others, who are then inspired to experience and work. The cycle repeats and grows. 

Would the iPhone exist without the Hitchhikers's Guide to The Galaxy? Maybe, but the world would be a little less wonderful. It takes inspiration to make things happen. And mentorship to realize you can do the same.

Magic is a metaphor for experiences we don't understand. As Arthur C. Clarke put it, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

Our response? "A Mage can conjure Matter, Intelligence, Light, Motion... and even Money. The power to transmute thought into reality…Science Fiction into fact. We can all have that magic." And that’s what we hope to share with the world through the Sustainable Magic Box: the magic of creation through the use of technology.

The Magic Box will be outfitted with a large laser cutter, 3D printers, hand tools, an Arduino lab, modular robotics components, sensors, crafting supplies, alternative energy, sound, video and lighting equipment. We will have the infrastructure to show people how to use technology to create more quickly than they ever imagined. And they're bring it to schools, maker spaces, fab labs, burning man, festivals, and venues near you*.

This is education far beyond STEM/STEAM -- and it’s not just for kids. We are flipping the traditional approach to education on its head, using inspiration to motivate people to want to learn and to work harder than they may have ever worked -- because if you don’t really want to do something, you’re not going to do it as well, as creatively, as quickly, or as effectively as if you really care.

In the real world, you learn to accomplish something. To make something happen. Something you want to make happen. We’re changing education into something that’s natural and fun -- that works.

The proof is in the making. These are some example projects / workshops we’ve helped people create in two weeks at award-winning MIT-associated NuVu Studio:

• Robotic Flight Simulator Video Game (Hardware & game software) 
  
• Robotic Frog with Computer Vision that Mimics Your Facial Gestures 
  
• Artistic portable party devices 
  
• Wearable tech fashion -- some so good they were presented at Boston Fashion Week 
  
• Dancing Robots (wee!) 
  
• Original robot flower!
  
• Synaesthesia (music transmuted into light patterns) 

Watch a video synopsis of some of these projects

Our Kickstarter ends in 9 days, and is 65% funded towards our initial goal of $18k, which is enough to get us started with a box truck and big laser cutter. But we have ambitious stretch goals to make the Magic Box a serious "beacon of awesome", quickly. We need all the support we can get to make this dream real. And we have many creative rewards ranging from workshops, parties, art, tech-bling, and time using our tools (laser cutter, 3D printer). Check us out and back us! 

About Sean Stevens and Ashley Newton

Sean Stevens loves to combine science, art and design to inspire people to go “Wow!”, to question the world around them. For the past three years, he's been teaching at award winning NuVu Studio in Cambridge, MA, running many two week long immersive workshops showing high school students that they can create world-class projects if they are willing to work for it. He also lead lighting for the Dr. Brainlove art car. Sean has been designing a modular pedal- and solar-powered party system over the years through sister project, Sustainable Sound, including a pedal-powered Burning Man art car 2010-2012. Sean's experience includes everything from creating real-time interactive audio/video environments to Robotics for Art to Biotech Automation to event organization and community building. He has also collaborated with well known artist Raghava KK on numerous projects including a project for TED. In 2007 Sean accidentally shut down the entire city of Boston with LEDs. 

Ashley Newton loves rainbows, robots, and LEDS, and teaching others to create! In two years, she has gone from not knowing how to make much beyond really yummy food and detailed but uninspiring market analysis reports, to making refined versions of the interactive robotic flowers, and various wearable art and fiber optic sculptures that commonly elicits the reaction, "OH MY GOD THAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL!” She began teaching workshops at NuVu Studio in Cambridge, MA in early 2013, helping teens invent and then realize awesome project ideas. Her journey through creating has transformed her sense of agency in the world, and led to a series of decisions to improve her life and others. (She quit her job in Market Research a year ago and moved to SF to focus on creating Sustainable Magic.) Ashley’s background is in Cognitive Science (Smith College) and Market Research.She also designed 3D printed fiber optic LED “neuronal nodes” and led the physical assembly and installation process for the Dr. Brainlove art car.

*Especially if you live in the bay area

We are super excited to announce that we will be debuting new art and existing favorites at the upcoming art and music event "Hacked Organic 2.0", hosted at Langton Labs (9 Langton St, San Francisco, CA) on Saturday April 26th from 6pm-1am.

We will be sharing many new works this evening, including our Tree Of Light -- a majestic fiber optic light tree with weeping willow fractal limbs and sound-reactive LED programming, as well as a brand new magical robot flower! We will also be bringing many of our other existing art works, including the large and small magic flowers, the Space Jellyfish, and the Illuminated Techno-Magic Calendar. Other surprises and additions will be there too!

Please join us and experience the magic of not just our art but the innovative and transformative art and music of many other amazing creators! This is the the second annual investigation of art and music dedicated to the melding of traditional materials and instruments and new means of utilizing them. We've gathered artist, makers, and musicians who've built their tools to best suit their needs, developed their own unique processes, and/or pushed their mediums to the greatest extent and we'd like to present them to you!

Langton Labs will be transformed into a fantastic art gallery, tea house, and musical venue for just one night. Prints and original works available for purchase. 

Details:

What!  Hacked Organic 2.0
WHEN! Saturday April 26th, 6pm-1am
Where? Langton Labs, 9 Langton St., SF, CA
WHY?! Because it's going to be fun and there will be amazing creativity shared!
COST? $15-20 sliding scale, at the door

Tea House by the Sound Cave Roadshow
Bar with unique cocktails, wine and beer

Artists:
TempoMachi (www.TempoMachi.com)
Sean Stevens and Ashley Newton of Sustainable Magic (www.sustainablemagic.org)
Jamie Emerick (www.jamieemerick.com)
Heather Marie Scholl (www.heathermareischoll.com)
Calli Beck (www.callibeckdesign.com)
Erik Walker (www.erikwalker.us)
Deborah Yoon (www.deborahyoon.com)
Elena Kulikova (www.elenakulikova.com)
Shawn Feeney (www.shawnfeeney.com)
Alex Ember (www.alexember.com)
Jade 7.0 (www.jade-esc.com)
The Invisible Underground (www.theinvisibleunderground.com)
Michael Garlington (www.michaelgarlington.com)
Jonathan Barcan (www.jonathanbarcan.com)
Moldover's MicroMasher (www.moldover.com)

Music:
Spoken Bird (www.soundcloud.com/spokenbird)
Daniel Berkman (www.danielberkman.com)
Shovelman (www.shovelman.com)
Emperor Norton (too new to have a website)
Nikki Borodi (www.nikkiborodi.com)
Cello Joe (www.cellojoe.com)
Mr Left & Mr Right+Kevin Land (www.mrleftandmrright.com)

Sustainable Magic was honored to be asked to share the Magic Flowers at the Flaming Lotus Girls' "Crossfire Synaptic Equinox" benefit. This will support installation of the FLG piece "SOMA" in San Francisco at Pier 14 on the Embarcadero.
It was an amazing event with great energy, art, music, people, and dancing - all in support of public art.
We can't wait to see SOMA at Pier 14!

Below are some pictures we snapped of the event and flowers!

San Francisco, CA,: Satellite66 Gallery Presents
-Nox Accendo-
An immersive low light group showcase of
local self-illuminated sculptures and electronic art

Closing Reception: Friday, Dec 6, 2013 6-10p
66 6th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

San Francisco, CA-Satellite66 will host the conclusion of our group art and technology installation with an immersive light environment. Much of the work is self illuminated and we’ll be leaving the lights off. This will allow the pieces themselves to create the space and help define your experience in Accendo Nox. We are pleased to present a group showcase of fantastical and practical innovative light sculpture and assemblage from 7 San Francisco based Artists. The closing reception and opportunity to take art home for the holidays will be held on Friday, Dec 6, from 6:00-10pm. 

Photos of the opening with the lights on can be seen here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/videoamp/sets/72157638092920525/ 

Featured Artists
Sean Stevens and Ashley Newton form collaborative Sustainable Magic which seeks to create beautiful interactive experiences in a sustainable manner. They build cutting edge interactive art that is highly energy efficient and integrate it with alternative energy power. http://www.sustainablemagic.org/ 

Liz Mamorsky works with wooden foundry patterns, circuit boards and all manner of electronic detritus to create her unique Artbots and reclaimed materials sculpture. Her SoMa studio, Lizland is packed to the rafters with boxes of stuff she uses to give new life to old technologies. It's been referred to as 'an adult's playhouse.' www.lizland.com 

Craig Dorety explores how vision is our dominant sensory input for the world we exist in. The human brain has built-in limits beyond which it cannot properly interpret visual information. He uses this limit to express the workings of the subconscious. Mathematics and engineering are processes which formulate physical space-time distortions: displaying static images through time while squeezing and folding the images’ space into 3-dimensional layers. www.craigdorety.com

Ray Sykes combines metal, light, mechanical and organic forms, interactive electronics, and mathematical relationships to create several series of unique wall sculptures and sculptural light installations.www.waywardengineer.com 

Jonathan Foote is an artist/technologist whose kinetic and light works explore perception and interaction using a range of sophisticated electronics, from vintage vacuum tubes to the latest semiconductors and actuators. http://rotormind.com/ 

Richard Humphrey is a working artist, teacher and self proclaimed expert on obsolete and discarded technology. As a junkyard enthusiast and capable mad scientist he breathes new life and creativity into the discarded digital detritus for your enjoyment.

Sonicscapes added by
Rich DDT - http://richddt.com/
StarPause - http://flavors.me/StarPause
Anthony Bisset - http://www.anthonybisset.com/

Satellite66 has been making arts and presentation space available at the intersection of central SoMa and central Market for over 2 years. This may be one of our last shows so please join us and support the arts!

Satellite66 is located at 66 6th st San Francisco CA 94103