Come Think With Us

The Parker Electric Foundation grants space to not-for-profit makers for social/cultural/intellectual workshops, as part of its charter of developing distributed-cognition environments and tools.


A workshop here respects both the performer/artist/lecturer/social-giver and  the audience—whether focused or relaxing nearby.
Makers can try new ideas, variations, or just hone with repetition; audience members accept that as part of the Parker contract.
Viewers can sit and focus, or drift to the mezzanine for conversation or a game of pool; makers accept that as part of the Parker contract.

We’re hoping this brings makers the excitement and edge of an audience without the quiet gotta-do-it-perfectly panic.
We’re hoping this brings viewers the thrill of seeing innovation bare, and the satisfaction of nurturing it.

We grew up in SIGGRAPH, CogSci, VSS, InfoVis, UIST and other symposia where some of the best work happened outside the presentations, synthesizing concepts activated by them.
One of the Parker experiments is whether we can make this space a social tool that works like that on a tiny but regular (monthly? weekly?) scale.

Visit again to learn of other, overlaid experiments. There are many.





Upcoming Workshops

AI & Society: Issues in Data, AI and Society, March 22, 2024
Bay Area practitioners and researchers discuss current themes in AI and its societal impact.

Recent Workshops

The Sarah Bush Dance Company: Valentine’s Day Soirée, February 14, 2024
Several dance installations repeating on both the mezzanine and ground floor + a poet’s corner for note-writing mentorship

Wythe Bowart + Parker, Co-hosts: Mutual Introduction, February 3, 2024
Established Oakland artist and scenic/architectural designer/maker Wythe brings friends & colleagues

Shawl-Anderson Dance Center: No Death, No Magic: Year 4, January 27-28, 2024
S-A’s Dance Up Close / East Bay presents Danny Nguyen’s solo show

Orlando Xavier & Cortney + Parker: The Long and Short at Parker, December 21, 2023, 7:28 pm
Oakland punk legend OX & social-giver Cortney co-host performances, a clothing swap, and a gathering on the Winter Solstice

Parker community + friends: Un-Holiday Party, December 2, 2023
Our own refuge from the burgeoning seasonal commercialization, re-embracing the social truths it feeds upon (a fancy contextualization of simple secular fun...)

Bob Stein + Parker: Bob’s friends meet Brad’s friends—and Parker, November 9, 2023
Founder of the Criterion Collection, Voyager, the Institute for the Future of the Book, and now Tapestry brings West-Coast techno-humanists

Other Minds, prep for Festival 26: Rehearsal and Video Documentation, October 11-13, 2023
Musicians rehearsing Dominic Murcott’s piece “Harmonic Canon”




Cooperating Organizations

Parker is proud to be associated with
(in historic order)
Streaming Museum
The Julliard School
The Vida De Oro Foundation
Other Minds
Paul Dresher Ensemble
Blind Tiger Society
Shawl-Anderson Dance Center
Sarah Bush Dance Project





Founder

Brad at ParkerElectricFoundation.org