4 10/04/2008 http://adriennefritze.com/ 10/04/2008 140 2008 is a time of ridiculous extremes - it seems we operate in a world of ever-widening gaps: between the have's and have-not's; the religious and the "spiritual"; the optimists and the pessimists; the left and the right; the arts-mongers and the technologists. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by people from every category of life who energize and sustain themselves by using tools from a wide variety of seemingly opposing interests. Recently I partnered my company, Working Artists LLC, with two leading edge organizations in disparate fields: Yelp.com, a consumer review site (Real People, Real Reviews); and the Software Association of Oregon. We three produced two exhibitions drawing from these 3 different cultures to explore as a united team our evolutionary role in ensuring interspecies survival. We learned a lot. About each other, and about ourselves. The story I present is told in 5 part-harmony – each part presenting a unique takeaway from all that we learned in producing rdEVOLUTION [http://workingartistsonline.com/rdEVO] – the project that encompassed it all – and the challenges we set before 4 instantaneously created teams made up of artists, business owners, technologists, thinkers and doers, bakers and candlestick makers. In Part 5 of the tale I’ll tell, one last challenge will be made to the Ignite Portland audience. Adrienne Fritze is a self-made woman – that is, self-made inside the context of a community that consistently contributes to the process. She carries different titles at different times, with the following the most consistent and meaningful to her: Mom to two amazing people, Mentor to other amazing folks, Artist and Entrepreneur. You can find out more about her at: http://adriennefritze.com And about her work at: http://workingartistsonline.com Adrienne Fritze 70 Working Artists Network and Adrienne Fritze, Artist/Social-Entrepreneur 10/04/2008