Yet the lack of community engagement was a shame, because if anything, the Bubble is the purest of local creative spaces with regard to vision and purpose. "Arts on an unedited level" is how cofounder Garo Gallo describes the space's mission to New Times on its one-year anniversary. A statement like this certainly augurs some disarray. But what many didn't notice is that the venue's charm always lay within the chaos, betraying an unabashed individualism and anarchic creative identity.
Lucky for us, there appears to be a renewed enthusiasm for this special place. Events are lining up and projects are coming together, according to Travis Newbill, co-organizer of the Bubble's latest party, the Oneness. If you've never seen it, the Oneness sums up a lot about the space -- like how most events there seem to embody some hippie union between Albert Einstein and Siddhartha Gautama. Check this: The Oneness intends to dissolve our constructed notions of "time and separateness." Groovy, right? Films will be shown wherever they were shot in the venue; Newbill will play music from his entire catalog, liberating the songs from the angsty ghosts of high school past. (We've heard these tunes, and we like 'em.) Olga Volkus, co-organizer with Newbill, will invite attendees to contribute to her installation, allowing it to evolve over the course of the night. Loads of other artists, including Susan Buzzi, Valyn Calhoun, Rachel DeJohn, and Monica McGivern, will showcase photography, paintings, and sculptures. Amy Shaw, Xela Zaid, Adna, and Evan Rowe, among others, will provide the musical backdrop, which should be folky, rockin', noisy, and danceable -- all at once.
To become one with the universe, show up at the Bubble (810 NE Fourth Ave., Fort Lauderdale) Friday at 6 p.m. It costs $10. Visit oneness111111.wordpress.com, or contact Newbill at 954-494-6467.
Fri., Nov. 11, 6 p.m., 2011
