I finally revamped the website to add an events page because the 2025 event season has begun! First this year is the Maker’s Muse Festival in Chico, CA on March 21 and 22 hosted by Maker Radio at Chico Fab Labs. It will be two days of music, art, street fair and speakers including a fashion show, firedancers, comedy and food vendors and a free community event. Anartist and our Butte county liason Brent Warr of Compass Rose came to me about putting together his own event after the Third Eye Carnival in Pueblo, CO, which Steve Poikonen of AM Wakeup and I have been saying we want to see people to throw their own all over the place, at maker space, art gallery and venue Chico Fab Labs where he’s a member, and now we’re having the Maker’s Muse Festival! I’ve been providing remote assistance with booking speakers, making the website and flyer, promotion and anything else I can help out with while Brent has been doing a huge amount of work on the ground. I am absolutely floored by the dedication of the people who are putting together their own events on the ground on their home turf. Our co-founder Angela did an absolutely amazing job planning and pulling together both of the Third Eye Carnivals in Pueblo, CO, the first of which was a successful proof of concept. Without her work who knows where we would be. She is a fine example of just going out and creating the things you want to see in the world instead of just pointing out the obvious and complaining with no real action. Brent has been doing an absolutely amazing job pulling everything together for the Maker’s Muse Festival too. He’s been doing on the ground work like scheduling music and comedians, relaying messages, getting the street shut down for the full day and street fair on Saturday, even securing the shitters. Angela and Brent are fucking rock stars for putting together their own events. Of course thanks goes out to Jeff Madeen, owner of the Blo Back Gallery in Pueblo, CO and Erin Banwell, owner of Idea Fab Labs in Chico, CA, for providing the venue space and for teaming up with everyone for absolutely fantastic, and meaningful, events, and all the on the ground assistance on their ends. And without Steve Poikonen, Teace Snyder and AM Wakeup, I don’t know how many of us would have gotten it in our heads that we can just go out and create our own events and now people are going to be throwing their own all over the place. This is just the beginning and it’s so exciting to see! And honestly there would be no Anartist Collective without AM Wakeup. I always had this vision for an art collective and, if I’m being honest here, an Ubuntu philosophy-style parallel society, but I never came across the right kind of people and it didn’t seem likely I ever would. If it weren’t for Steve Poikonen and Pasta Jardula starting their own morning show at the exact time I was recovering from knee surgery all alone and totally isolated I never would have gotten in the chats, met some really awesome people who are so amazingly talented, started helping out with AM Wakeup, finding my tribe and starting The Anartist Collective. I know where this all leads if we all stick to our principles and with each other because authenticity is the highest vibration after all, even more than love. Without all the great people in the AM Wakeup community and support well before I even started The Anartist Collective I wouldn’t be here doing this at all and I truly thank and love every single one of you.
Speaking of Steve Poikonen and AM Wakeup, just a couple weeks after the Maker’s Muse Festival on the west coast Steve, Ryan Cristian and Scott Armstrong will be throwing Third Eye Nashville on the east coast in Portland, TN April 4, 5, and 6 just 30 miles from downtown Nashville’s for Steve and Ryan’s co-birthday party! It’ll be three days of music, comedy and podcasters out in the woods starting with the birthday party Friday night with camping available on-site. You can find more information on the Third Eye Nashville events page including guests and where to buy tickets.
I really can’t wait until I start adding more events to our new events page! If anyone has any events they’re throwing on their own and you want to get it out there throw me the information and I’ll make you an events page and list it with all the others! You don’t have to be a member of The Anartist Collective either. My main goal with our events page is for everyone to have a spot where they can find like-minded events in a place near them. It doesn’t have to be associated with the Third Eye Carnival or The Anartist Collective to get listed. If you’re interested just email me at shelly@anartistcollective.com and we’ll go from there!
One last thing before I end this update. Friend of the AM Wakeup and The Anartist Collective LonestarViz has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for a printer for me and The Anartist Collective so I can get started on expanding operations of the collective for all of the artists. If you would like to make a donation towards a printer and the set up supplies you can go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-shelly-olmsteads-artistic-collective. Thank you so much for running this fundraiser for us!
