20th Anniversary Processing Community Catalog Out Now!
Today we are happy to launch the Processing Community Catalog! Designed by New Info Studio, and edited by Lauren Lee McCarthy, Casey Reas, Qianqian Ye, and Nikki Makagiansar, this nearly 1000 page book celebrates the Processing, p5.js, and art+tech community.
→ Order a physical copy of the Processing Community Catalog
→ View and download the digital version on archive.org
What does being a part of the Processing community mean to you? We posed this question to the community and created a community catalog to celebrate all we’ve done together with Processing for the last 20 years! This includes Processing, p5.js, initiatives with Python, Ruby, Raspberry Pi, and related advocacy work. We’ve gathered submissions from contributors from all over the world through an open call in 2021. Contributors shared art they made, code they’ve written, events they organized, workshops they taught, sketches, writing, photos, screenshots, collages, posters, mini-zines, and more.
Below are some sneak previews of our community catalog:
Lauren Lee McCarthy, Qianqian Ye, Suhyun (Sonia) Choi, and Casey Reas hosted reading parties in Denver, Los Angeles, and NYC to celebrate the launch.
Would you like to host your own local Community Catalog Reading Party? Use this link to receive a copy of the Community Catalog to read and share with your community. Tag us and use the hashtag #ProcessingCommunityCatalog for us to share on our social media channels. Below is a guide for hosting your own Community Catalog Reading Party.
Guide for Hosting your own Reading Party
Here is a guide to get started, but you are welcome to run the event in any way you choose.
- Determine which venue you would like to use for your event. What is your local Processing community like, and how could the potential venue reflect this? How many people do you expect will turn out? Is the venue wheelchair accessible? A couple of suggestions for venues could be a local library, hackspace, bookstore, cafe, or computer lab!
- Here is a template for reaching out to a local venue:
Dear __________,
I hope this email finds you well! We are excited to announce that the 20th Anniversary Processing Community Catalog has finished production, which is a nearly 1000 page book that celebrates the Processing and art+tech community! This book includes open call submissions from our community members who wished to contribute any work they created using the softwares Processing or p5.js, as well as folks who wish to share work that is aligned with the mission and values of the Processing Foundation.
We are wondering if you had any availability of space to host a reading party for the Processing Community Catalog any date between (insert available dates here)? This event will take about (insert potential hours here) hours to host. You can take a look at photos of the LA Reading & Launch party below, to get a feel for how the event may run:
Social media post — Photos — Instagram Reel
Let us know if you have any questions or if you’re interested in this potential collaboration!
Thank you so much for your consideration and looking forward to hearing from you.
Best,
(insert your name here)
Make sure to contact venues in advance since many places book their availability months in advance! Ask them if you can also use their mics, tables, chairs, etc. and other equipment you think you might need in advance as well. Ask questions regarding access such as wheelchair, bathroom, scent, and other compliance to building codes to accommodate disabled people within your community.
3. Select a date and time that works well for your target audience and aligns with your timeline. When do people get out of work wherever you are? What are the regular work days? When do people get out of school, if you are hosting in a school setting?
4. Invite collaborators who are familiar or interested in the Processing Community to choose and read an excerpt from the Community Catalog. Based on the number of collaborators you invite, this will affect the schedule, so keep this in mind when scheduling your event! Collaborators can take a look at the digital copy of the Community Catalog here to choose their excerpt. Ask them to reply-all respond in the group email thread to let others know which excerpt they chose, so that there’s no overlap in excerpts read.
5. Promote your event! We recommend promoting at least 2 weeks in advance so that people can save the date on their calendars. You can choose to use our template flier below, or create your own! Tag us at @processingorg on twitter or instagram so that we can repost on our social media to help boost your post. Ask your local newsletter to help promote your event!
6. Here is a potential schedule template you could use below:
- Arrive 1 hour early to set up the venue
- Arrange chairs, tables, decor, etc. in a way that fits the vibe of your event.
- (Optional) Arrange the webcam and zoom video similarly to Mindy Seu’s reading of Cyberfeminism Index. The webcam should be a bird’s eye view of the Community Catalog from the table which you’ll be reading from. This webcam can be connected to a computer, which can be connected to a projector to have a projected view of reading the Community Catalog. You can also simply read from the book with fellow collaborators on the same table as well.
- Let people slowly trickle in within the first 5–10 minutes of the event
- Introduce yourself/selves to the audience and talk about the Processing Community Catalog
- Take turns reading excerpts from the Community Catalog with fellow contributors
- Allocate sufficient time for socializing, as these events provide an opportunity for guests to engage with you and each other
- Wrap up and yay!!! You did it! You just hosted your very own Processing Community Catalog Launch Party!
Hope this guide was helpful! Let us know if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Programs and Communications Coordinator, Suhyun (Sonia) Choi at sonia@processing.org with any questions!
