Madagascar Institute

Madagascar Lingo

cautionMike — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:59:54 +0000

madagascar squint: welding process perfected at the madagascar institute which eliminates the need for eye protection.
This term (as far as i know) was coined by touch.
gear

Obtainium: free crap (off street, donated) we magically turn into “art”.
NotAmerica: anywhere but here
Veronica

Jet Bike Photos

cautionMike — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:49:05 +0000


									
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popesiversary xi: the siege of mada

hans — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:16:46 +0000

To mark Popesiversary! it was essential to reproduce the effect of standing around in the cold while dodging fireworks aimed directly at the eyes. We opened fire from the backyard up to the fortified windows of the third floor. The window opened a crack and answered with a steady stream of roman candles. And no, Jess was not the ringleader.

(all photos by Jess Bruder)

On VBS.tv’s Motherboard

hans — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:29:55 +0000

VBS.tv recently came by and spent the afternoon hanging out at the shop, and dug thru our archive of video footage, and put together a pretty nice little video about us:

Madagascar Inst. on FaceBook

cautionMike — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:03:29 +0000

I set up a Facebook ‘group’ for Mada a month ago. There are 322 members. Note – this is a public group.

It’s a great way to disseminate information.

Basement Archeology

hans — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:25:23 +0000

We did an amazing dig thru layers of crap in the basement, dug up some
old pictures, found old lunches, chucked all sorts of things that
everyone agreed should have been chucked many years ago, and saved
lots of useful stuff (crazy, right?).

New developments:

* you can actually see and walk the whole corner by the breakers/
lighting shelves

* the upstairs lightswitch now turns on a light in the basement! no
more walking thru pitchblackness guiding yourself to the powerstrip by
memory!

Today we get to make the space better! The trash purge is done, its
piled up at the front of the shop. Here’s a little snippet of the
result:

Classes!

Hackett — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:41:32 +0000

Classes are back, finally, after years and years of exile in fake idea land. Right now, classes include leatherwork, absinthe making, sewing, electrochemical etching of brass and steel using household ingredients, and, (of course) two types of welding (easy and ugly/ hard and elegant) taught by Artstars with a disturbing range of personalities. Check back every now and then, as the list of offered classes will grow and grow as people get their shit together and commit to teaching.

Go to http://madagascarinstitute.com/classes/ to see what we have to offer, and sign up quickly at classes (at) madagascarinstitute (dot) com, as space is limited.

To get all fancy and Web 2.0 (are we still on 2.0? I am old, and ten years out of the tech world) use the comments to let us know what kind of classes you wish we gave, and if the desire seems to be out there and the ideas aren’t too laughable (like: no fire spinning. No creepy dude magnets, or any classes that involve touching other people. No improv. Nothing even remotely “spiritual” or containing the word “feelings”. The word “potential” should only be used in the EE sense.) we will try and make a class happen. In exchange for giving us a great idea we can use to profit, you get nothing, but you will get the opportunity to pay to learn stuff. Which is good. For us, at least.

The world needs jet-powered carnival rides.

Julia Solis — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:36:28 +0000

Interview with Hackett about pulse jet engines and more: http://thefastertimes.com/jetpacks/2009/10/09/this-guy-might-build-a-jetpack-or-at-least-a-hovercraft/

Teach a Class at MADA this Winter!

lis chere — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:11:56 +0000

Teaching classes at Mada will be awesome and you will get paid. Want to teach one? Here’s how:
What should I teach?
Classes can be literally anything that you can teach in the shop. Popular classes in the past have included welding, screenprinting, machining, sewing, etc, as well as craft workshops, or more advanced technique classes. Classes are generally two or three hours, but it is up to you to determine how much time you need to teach your class. If you are teaching a skill that requires more knowledge/practice, consider making it a multi-week class. This is for two reasons: a) we make more money and b) many of these people who pay to take a class may come back to monkey on your projects. Wouldn’t it be nice if they had a solid foundation in not breaking tools when they come to work for you? Oh yes it would!
Also feel free to think of creative class formats. If you are working on, say, a jet engine, it is perfectly permissible to teach “How to Build a Jet Engine” as a several week class. Just bear in mind that if people are paying to be your monkeys you have to actually teach them stuff and not just send them on beer runs and have them sharpen drill bits. Also, then when they do come back to monkey they will somehow feel like they are getting something for free, which will be amazing for us.
How Much do classes cost?
Classes are mainly priced based on undercutting 3rd Ward. A general guideline for class cost should be based on the skill, and on how many people can attend the class. For example, a welding class should cost approximately $25-$30 per person, per hour, and should be limited to 6 students. A soapmaking workshop, for instance, should be limited to about 12 students and should cost approximately $15-$20 per student per hour. Some classes can come with a one or two day shop pass, this has yet to be determined. Madagascar Institute gets 50% of the money for the class, and YOU, the fabulous instructor gets the other 50%. It is up to you to propose a student limit for your classes, and we’ll work with you to arrive at the appropriate price. To this end, teaching a class does not count for your shop dues. If students will need consumable materials, this should be an extra “materials fee.”
When do classes take place?
We are shooting to launch classes by mid-January, and start advertising them by December 15. It is up to you to figure out when (what days, what month) you would like to offer your class/es. Evenings and weekends are the best times for classes, and be sure to put second and third day/time choices for scheduling. We will send out requests for class proposals seasonally every 4 months or so.Do you have to be a shop member to teach a class?
You do not have to be a member of the Madagascar Institute to teach a class here (as long as you know what you are doing, and don’t make things break), but current members get the priority in terms of scheduling.
I’d like to teach the same class in March, and again in April.
Great! Please fill out a separate form for Section 1 and Section 2 (just dates and times are needed, no need to re-type your description, etc.)
I can’t wait to teach a class!! What do I do? Fill out this form, and return it Lis & Rivka at art.that.hurts@gmail.com CLASS PROPOSAL FORM for January, February, March, April

Name:
Class Title:
Brief description:

Class Format (i.e. how many sessions, how many hours per session)

Limit to how many students?
What days/times would you like to teach this class?
First choice:
Second choice:

What tools do you need to teach this class?

Do we have these tools and are they in good working condition?

Is there a materials fee for your class and will you be able to purchase these materials? (i.e. $20 for silk screens and squeegies)

In what area of the shop will your class be held?

*******Please return this form to art.that.hurts@gmail.com******

Vote for Jet Bike Video

cautionMike — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:28:34 +0000

Vote for the Jet Bike video everyday between Nov. 4 – Dec. 6 so we can when fabulous prizes.