Synth Library Portland

ABOUT S1

S1 is a multidisciplinary art space in Portland OR. Visual art, music workshops, dance parties, sound art, artist residencies, a Synth Library, and more have all found a place at S1 in the past 4 years. Not quite an institution, not quite a DIY space, not quite a community center, but entirely artist and volunteer run, S1 has prided itself in supporting artists and projects that are not supported by other institutions or spaces in the region. S1’s volunteer staff are dedicated to sustaining and facilitating art projects in our community. Whether it’s international visiting artists realizing an exhibition, or local artists learning how to patch a modular synthesizer, S1 is excited about learning, growing, and sharing art and resources with our community.


Lu Yim  performing during CVLLEJERX: ropa vieja - photo by Renée Lopez


OUR CAMPAIGN & UPCOMING PROGRAMMING

We are excited to launch our fundraising campaign for our fall and winter programming and hope you’ll consider supporting us! The next few months are packed and your donations will help us make these events, performances, exhibitions, residencies, and workshops the best they can be. But, as you can imagine, all of these cost money to realize. There are artist expenses such as travel and stipends, workshop materials, supplemental resources for the Synth Library, and less fun, but equally important things like rent, permits, and other operating expenses. There are so many events and programs to be excited about, but here’s a small taste of the artists and events to look forward to:

Wizard Apprentice  (Oakland, CA) & Julius Smack  (Los Angeles, CA) artists-in-residence performing with Diviner  (Portland, Or)
Friends of Noise  teen screen printing workshop and all ages show
Anna Luisa  (Los Angeles, CA) Xina Xurner  (Los Angeles, CA) & Amenta Abioto  (Portland, OR)
Jamondria Harris (Portland, OR), artist-in-residence
Ase Manual  (Union, NJ)
Dash Lewis  (Richmond, VA) artist-in-residence
Kevin Holden  (Portland, OR) artist-in-residence
Andrea Sisson  (Los Angeles, CA) artists-in-residence
New Year’s Eve Celebration

Plus, we have a great offering of workshops through the Synth Library, which is a resource unique to S1. It provides hands-on access to modular synthesizers and other electronic instruments, DJ equipment, recording tools, and other resources for people of all experience levels. We have workshops for beginners and experts alike, so whatever your skill level or interest, there’s bound to be a workshop for you. Here is a peek at what is to come:

Monthly Introduction to Synth Library workshops with an array of our Synth Library Facilitators (including workshops for female and non-binary folks)
Bimonthly Introduction to CDJ workshops with Reid Stubblefield  & Daniela Karina  (including workshops for female and non binary folks)
Noise Therapy with Felisha Ledesma 
Modular Drums with Baseck 
Introduction to Ableton Series with Jerry Joiner   & Richard Laws 
Eurorack Sequencing with Alex Ian Smith 
SEA MOSS  workshop series
Pro Audio Set up & Cable Making with Chris Cahill



i/C/U curated by Hiba Ali hypertext piece by garima thakur  - photo by Mario Gallucci


As excited as we are about all of these artists and events, it is, however, with mixed emotions that we announce this will be the last season of programming with Felisha Ledesma and Alex Ian Smith as Directors. As the founders and directors of S1 Felisha and Alex have been organizing, administering, and programming material for S1 since we opened our doors in 2014. They have been an unstoppable force creating space and opportunities for artists and musicians alike to share their passions with the Portland community. In 2016, Felisha and Alex joined Alissa Derubeis in realizing the vision of a one of a kind resource, the Synth Library. Two years later, S1 and the Synth Library are continuing to symbiotically provide exposure, education, and accessibility to those who need it most. Undoubtedly this will usher in some changes and transitions for S1 and our community, but we’re excited about the prospect of changing and adapting to serve the community. Though we can’t yet say what these changes might look like, you can trust S1 to continue providing the programs and resources you’ve come to appreciate. We’re excited about the future and we hope you’ll share it with us!


keyon gaskin & Felisha Ledesma during S1's night at Subharmonic photo by André Middleton


HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2018

2018 was an exciting year for S1. One major accomplishment this year was facilitating the launch of our first sister organization, the Synth Library Prague. Now, the same types of tools, education, and advocacy are available in the Czech Republic. Building upon this newly established international community, we were lucky to host a number of artists who traveled from the Czech Republic for “Czech Week;” a weeklong series of workshops, lectures, improvisations, and collaborations led by Bastl Instruments  and other members of the Czech synth community.

Part of S1’s mission is to foster collaborations and partnerships with other creative institutions in order to reach beyond our immediate community. This year we had the pleasure of working with PICA  to create two incredible events. In the spring, we presented Subharmonic - a symposium of sonic arts showcasing Portland’s diverse and unique sonic art community. More Recently, S1 participated in PICA’s TBA festival, transporting the energy and excitement of a late night S1 party into an internationally recognized art festival. We even brought the fog machine!

As a part of Portland’s unique art landscape, S1 cherishes such collaborations and partnerships with outside organizations. Friends of Noise  is another such organization we’ve been honored to partner with. Each month, Friends of Noise hosts an all ages music workshop, followed by an all ages music show. It’s been so much fun providing space for younger folks to be excited, learn, engage with, and share music with one another.home school , a free pop-up art school in Portland, has also been a frequent collaborator that has helped bring performances and exhibitions together in our space. This year, programming included NC based artist N-Prolenta  as well as, i/c/U/: Connection & Control ; a group exhibition which was the culmination of a home school class taught by Hiba Ali .

Other highlights included our 4 year anniversary celebration with local, national, and international musicians and artists over the course of 3 days in June; a local artist-in-residence program with CVLLEJERX  which ended in a two day fashion performance  called ropa vieja; a spectacular live set by Lea Bertucci  with light and projection by Ed Bear.. and many many more.


Synth Library workshops at the Moog house in Los Angeles - photo by Moog


WE NEED YOU!

Because S1 is entirely volunteer run, you can imagine such consistent programming might be difficult to execute. However, S1 volunteers have successfully programmed  a dynamic, diverse, and consistent lineup of artists and events and remain dedicated to carrying this momentum forward . It’s truly amazing to look back on what we’ve accomplished as an entirely volunteer run organization, and we greatly look forward to what’s ahead. This is where you come in!, To continue providing such programming, we need your help! Your contributions support an important and vital resource that enriches our community. As a non-profit 501c3 organization, all donations are tax deductible. We hope you’ll consider making a donation today!


Thank you!
-S1

S1 opened its doors in May of 2014. In the months and years since, we have been able to take our place in a global community of artists, musicians and teachers—providing space and resources for local, national and international artists to explore and experiment. S1 is run entirely by volunteers, and it is through dedication and passion that we are able to execute our wide breadth of programming.  

As a member of a global community or artists and organizations, 2017 offered S1 staff opportunities to travel to places including the Czech Republic, the U.K. Canada, and more. These trips were opportunities for S1 to connect with like minded artists and spaces around the world, but also opportunities for our staff to showcase their art and teaching skills to new and diverse audiences.

This year has also seen marked growth for the Synth Library—a one-of-a-kind, low-barrier-to-entry library of world class music equipment. This year S1 hosted 25 workshops through the Synth Library on topics ranging from introductions for beginners, to more specialized topics for advanced participants. We also offer workshops for students to build their own electronic instruments. The Synth Library has grown since 2016 to include over 200 pieces of music equipment donated from over 45 companies.

In April of 2017 S1 began a two and half month relocation to our new home in the Roseway neighborhood. Despite this closure, S1 has still hosted over 55 events in 2017. These have included art openings, performances, classes and talks; all of which engaged an increasing number of individuals in active knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

As we face the uncertainty of Portland’s shifting prospects and rapidly-changing cultural landscape, we need your help more than ever. S1 has always prided ourselves as a space that allows the community to participate in ways that are accessible, but in 2018, new city ordinances and event regulations are forcing us to rethink and reshape the way we fulfill our mission and continue our programming (read more about Portland’s new event regulations here: https://www.opb.org/artsandlife/article/ghost-ship-fire-portland-art-spaces/).

We are seeking donations to help pay for the coming year’s programming. This includes, but is not limited to artist fees and expenses for artists in residence, renovations (bathroom and studio upgrades), as well as rent and other overhead costs. Even small donations help us reach our goal. Thanks for supporting S1!