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11:11
ecosystem
Notes, ideas, essays, and thoughts from Erin Stone, co-founder and Executive Director of 11:11 Projects. This is where I write about what I'm seeing, what's inspiring me, and what I'm still figuring out.
Six Rounds Backwards
“Hey, Betty. Do six rounds backwards. Don’t touch anybody.” That was the challenge, the dare. Open skate at Skateland in Northridge, the floor full of people, and me, thirteen or fourteen years old, already gaining speed. I went backwards through the whole crowd, threading between bodies, and skated back to him wound up. “I did it. Hell yeah, I did it. Didn’t nudge a single shoulder. What you got for me next?” The guy handing out dares was one of the instructors at Skateland’
Erin Stone
Nov 59 min read
Infrastructure, Not Luck
For me, working in art was just a dream until I met my first mentor. That's the moment it stopped being an idea and became a life. Someone who was already living it took the time to usher me in. They shared the wins and the losses, and actually explained how money gets made in a creative career. Nobody had ever explained that to me before. Before that, I was talented, I had grit, and I had a whole lot of "I'll figure it out as I go." In my early twenties, that meant living pa
Erin Stone
Jul 77 min read
A Network, Not a Nucleus
The more I find myself in conversations across Los Angeles - rooms where culture is being mapped, funded, and discussed at scale - the more I understand why 11:11 has always been difficult to explain. For years, when people asked what we do, I would list it out. “Exhibitions, murals, events, youth programs, community building.” It was all true, but it never quite answered the question. Even people who had known us for years would pause when trying to describe us to someone el
Erin Stone
Apr 117 min read
Zach Morano
Third House Artist Spotlight Interview by Danielle Batac “I found out about Third House when my art was featured in MOLT, a group show that happened a while back. As soon as I showed up, I thought that the space was insanely cool and the community was great! Living in the valley, you sometimes feel very isolated from other areas of Los Angeles where there are established galleries and a more prominent art scene. Yet, Third House was here, carving their own identity and space
Danielle Batac
4 days ago3 min read
Six Rounds Backwards
“Hey, Betty. Do six rounds backwards. Don’t touch anybody.” That was the challenge, the dare. Open skate at Skateland in Northridge, the floor full of people, and me, thirteen or fourteen years old, already gaining speed. I went backwards through the whole crowd, threading between bodies, and skated back to him wound up. “I did it. Hell yeah, I did it. Didn’t nudge a single shoulder. What you got for me next?” The guy handing out dares was one of the instructors at Skateland’
Erin Stone
Nov 59 min read
The Alour Zine Fest
Community Artist Spotlight Recap and Interviews by Danielle Batac This summer, 11:11 Projects hosted a cohort of high school interns as part of a Bloomberg Philanthropies and LA County Arts initiative. Every week, alongside the jobs at their respective worksites, these interns met at Third House Studios and learned valuable skills in communication, collaboration, and community. They attended panels with art professionals from varying fields, and went on enriching excursions a
Danielle Batac
Sep 175 min read
Infrastructure, Not Luck
For me, working in art was just a dream until I met my first mentor. That's the moment it stopped being an idea and became a life. Someone who was already living it took the time to usher me in. They shared the wins and the losses, and actually explained how money gets made in a creative career. Nobody had ever explained that to me before. Before that, I was talented, I had grit, and I had a whole lot of "I'll figure it out as I go." In my early twenties, that meant living pa
Erin Stone
Jul 77 min read
A Network, Not a Nucleus
The more I find myself in conversations across Los Angeles - rooms where culture is being mapped, funded, and discussed at scale - the more I understand why 11:11 has always been difficult to explain. For years, when people asked what we do, I would list it out. “Exhibitions, murals, events, youth programs, community building.” It was all true, but it never quite answered the question. Even people who had known us for years would pause when trying to describe us to someone el
Erin Stone
Apr 117 min read
Through Sherman Way
Written by: Erin Stone, 11:11 Projects Co-Founder/Executive Director We used to flip a plastic trash can lid upside down, sit inside it, and push each other down the hill. It was a moderately steep residential street. Burning plastic under our legs. No supervision. Just gravity and asphalt. From my house you could just see more houses. Stucco and driveways repeating themselves block after block. I grew up across from an elementary school, and that campus was my entire geograp
Erin Stone
Feb 126 min read
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