Nerd Nite NoHo

Hello everyone! I’m getting really stoked for our next Nerd Nite (and OK, partially because I’m giving one of the talks). We’ll be back at Eastworks in our usual spot near Rif’s with food and drink available, as always. Monday, July 7th, 7PM, $3. Please spread the word! And now, the talks:

Communes, Communications, and Community
How the Counterculture and Commune movements of the early 1970’s influenced the internet age, computers, social media and other aspects of life in the 21st century.

Craig Issod was a early member of The Farm, the most successful commune in the USA. He and his cohorts went on to create many of the guidelines, inventions, and innovations which drive modern media and society.

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In a World of “In a World”: The Voice-Over Industry, Revealed
Encountering voice-overs is one of the most ubiquitous experiences you never think about. Go behind the mic with a 20-year veteran.

Mo Lotman is a voice talent with two decades of credits in commercials, narrations, e-learning, games and radio.

We had an amazing time at Brick Coworkshop for NN7. One of our presenters, Richard Richardson, shared with us his creation of the beautiful Three Sisters Sanctuary in Goshen. Now we have an opportunity to go there together on Sunday! Swing by anytime between 1 and 4, bring a picnic lunch, a blanket, and even a bottle of wine if you are so inclined. Explore the sanctuary and socialize with your fellow Nerd Niters. Open to all (except dogs, alas). I hope to see you all there. Directions and more info at ThreeSistersSanctuary.com.

Mo, your Nerd Nite host and organizer.

We’re very happy to expose Nerd Niters to the cool Brick Coworkshop in Holyoke. This is an old industrial-turned-maker space right on the canal with a great vibe. Drink and food will be available! Come check it out on 6/2, 7PM, $3. 420 Dwight St., Holyoke. A view of the lot and entrance is here.

Please tell your Holyoke friends so we can get a nice crowd for our two talks:

Tin Men, Dragons, and Fairies…Oh My!: Goshen’s Three Sisters Sanctuary
Part sacred space, part found-object sculpture garden, Three Sisters Sanctuary is a one-of-a-kind created landscape of stone, iron, grass, and glass. Peek behind the magical curtain of this inspiring work of environmental art with its creator.

Richard M. Richardson is a visionary folk artist, stone engineer, and dragon builder. His art connects healing energy, inspiration and creativity in nature’s sanctum.

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From Weirdo to Wanted: How to Find Your Tribe
Being in the wrong place with the wrong people is stifling and can make you feel all sorts of crazy. This is the story of how one person found her tribe and how you can too.

Angela Lussier is a speaker, consultant, and author of The Anti-Resume Revolution. She helps others create a conscious, confident, courageous life.

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Also! Not only will you hear about Three Sister Sanctuary, you can go there with Nerd Nite! On Sunday, June 8th, we will be having a purely social Nerd Nite picnic at the Sanctuary. Put it in your calendar, more details soon.

Hey folks, we’re mixing it up and bringing the fun to the upstairs at the High Horse on Monday, May 5th at 7PM. $3, 21+. Really looking forward to having Nerd Nite in such a great space with great food and drink. Tell your Amherst friends. And now, the talks:

Cluster Facts: A Down-to-Earth History of Cluster Ballooning
Trying to get airborne under a cluster of gas-filled balloons is reckless, irresponsible, and sometimes fatal…unless it’s done right. Follow sky-struck amateurs, glory-seekers, and scientists through eighty years of audacious adventures.

Mark Karpel takes breaks from his psychology practice to write about people who think big and get carried away. He drove the chase van for the first cluster balloon flight across the English Channel.

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An Artist’s Alchemy: The Process of Inquiry
How does art grow from concept to reality? Learn how one artist’s generative research propels ideas forward, incorporating such disparate elements as Filipino tribal tattoos, bullfighting costumes, and Pokemon.

Donnabelle Casis is a painter with an MFA from the University of Washington. Her work has appeared in Seattle’s CoCA, The Tacoma Art Museum, and most recently at UMASS’s Hampden Gallery.

We had a fantastic crowd for Nerd Nite on 3/24–a few people called it the best Nerd Nite yet! Thanks to our presenters Greg Saulmon and Ian Cheney. Stay tuned for info on the next Nerd Nite!

Hey everyone, we had such a good time at Eastworks that we’re going back there for our next Nerd Nite! In addition to the wine and beer I’ve been told there will be someone from Riff’s who will be running food back and forth so this will make it easier for you to relax and enjoy our two amazing talks:

Monday, March 24th, 7PM, $3
Eastworks, Suite 160
Easthampton, MA

The End of Darkness: light pollution and the disappearing night
What do we lose, when we lose the night? With time-lapse imagery, animation, and excerpts from his Emmy-nominated documentary, filmmaker Ian Cheney reveals the surprising effects of excess illumination on human health, wildlife, and the human relationship to the stars.

We had another incredible turnout on 2/10 for Nerd Nite. Many thanks to our presenters Erik Cheries and Megan E. Labonte, plus our sweet DJ Steve Truempy, who was spinning some very cool album sides all night. Stay tuned for info about the next Nerd Nite!

Nerd Nite 4 is on the way and we’re spreading the love around the Valley by bringing it to Easthampton for the night! We’ll be in the mill-chic Suite 160 space at the righthand side of the Eastworks building. There will be a bar with wine and beer and hungry nerds can walk across the hall and order food from Riff’s. That’s Monday, February 10th at 7PM. Now, our awesome talks:

The Good, The Bad, and The Baby: The Developmental Origins of Moral Thought
Where do our moral intuitions come from? Are humans born with a basic sense of right and wrong? In this talk you’ll hear about some of the surprising discoveries scientists have made about the moral lives of babies. The results may surprise you.

Erik Cheries is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at UMass Amherst. He is a cognitive scientist who studies infants as a way of examining how the mind works.

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How I Shot Myself 366 Times and Lived to Tell the Tale: A Year in Self Portraits
Learn how one multi-talented artist makes creativity part of her daily life. Megan E. LaBonte shares her 366 project in which she took on self portrait every day for a year.

Megan E. LaBonte is a photographer, costume designer, make-up artist, dancer, painter, and sculptor whose work has been performed and shown throughout the Valley.

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We had an amazing turnout for the 3rd Nerd Nite at the Deuce. Many thanks to Alan Weisman and Mary Witt. Stay tuned for more information about the next Nerd Nite!

We are extremely excited about our next Nerd Nite. After the holiday hooplah is over, come join us for two talks that will span the very global and the very personal. That’s on Monday, January 6th at 7PM at the World War II Club (The Deuce). We had so many folks last time that they are putting us in the big back room. Let’s fill it! Our talks:

Counting Down, Gently: How many people can fit on a planet without capsizing it?
Go to the front lines of Earth’s population boom with an award-winning, bestselling journalist and author who has traveled the globe to document how far we’ve strayed from sustainable growth and what it might take to get us back there.

Alan Weisman is the author of Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth? and The World Without Us, an international bestseller translated into 34 languages. He lives in Cummington.

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Working in Layers in the Creative Process
Learn about how one artist and musician uses layering in both media to make finished, textured pieces with depth. Focusing on the parts that will make up the imagined whole, a singer, bass player, and painter draws parallels between complexities in these different forms of expression, sharing examples of each.

Mary Witt is an abstract painter and member of the Oxbow Gallery whose work has appeared there and elsewhere throughout the valley. She performs regionally with the jazz-swing band the O-Tones.

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Keep up-to-date on the next Nerd Nite by signing up on our mailing list to the right! You will receive no more than 2 emails per month.