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Description
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xxxxxThis is one of the many converted warehouses in DUMBO, but unlike most of them, it does not have some corporate developer's sign out front promising transformation into luxury condominiums or a boutique shopping center or the latest concept restaurant. The entrance to its grounds is marked by a wildly colorful double helical arch with a steel scroll sign that reads "Chimaera Art Space!" above "chimaera.org" in smaller letters.
xxxxxThe warehouse is moderately large and heavily decorated with graffiti art in various styles--some of it recognizable as the work of renowned local street artists. A pair of monstrous scrap metal sculptures, perhaps still works in progress, flank the entrance. The building itself has undergone significant renovation recently, complete with wiring, plumbing, and a modular partitioning system. The grounds, too, have been cleaned up, ramshackle fences torn down and rusting detritus removed in favor of reclaimed (and brilliantly repainted) outdoor furniture ringing an impressively engineered firepit.
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| Structure and Purpose
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xxxxxFounded in 2014 by a small group of anarchists, Chimaera has outgrown its origins as a small art skills- and equipment-sharing space. The collective that runs Chimaera seeks to provide an affordable space for artists and community members to teach and learn, create art, host events, and build community.
xxxxxThe Chimaera collective maintains a wide range of art equipment available for community rental, studio space, event space, as well as offering low-cost classes in things from painting and carpentry and glassworking and circus arts to direct action organizing and community first aid.
xxxxxChimaera is a worker-owned collective. All members are joint and equal co-owners of the organization and space, and have an equal say in collective decisions.
xxxxxIt is not required to be a member of Chimaera to use their space, take their classes, or hold events there -- the overwhelming majority of people who interact with Chimaera will never be members. Becoming a member of Chimaera is either a) an enormous time commitment (think, taking an unpaid second job) or b) very expensive; membership is an ongoing commitment to putting in the necessary work of maintaining the project.
xxxxxClasses cost money, but are offered on a sliding scale; the same for renting time (or training) on some of the specialized equipment or private studio time. People who want to simply come and hang out, bring their own tools, chill on the couches, sketch, socialize with other artists, are free and welcome to do so without joining.
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| Space
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xxxxxThe only standing space the collective maintains is a large converted warehouse in DUMBO with an also-large semi-enclosed courtyard space out back. The warehouse has several dedicated classroom spaces, an industrial kitchen, a second floor with private studio space as well as storage space and bathrooms with showers. There are dedicated work spaces for woodshop, metalsmithing, glassworking, screen printing, and bike repair; there are modular work spaces that can be left wide open for practices such as dance or partitioned for privacy as people work on projects like painting; there is a wide range of prop and fiber arts tools. They have been looking recently into purchasing the adjacent warehouse to expand and have room for a better darkroom as well as a machine/welding shop and digital fabrication.
xxxxxChimaera's event space is available for public rental, though they do have a very stringent nondiscrimination policy and will not rent space to anyone whose event or organizational goals contradicts it. Members can also block the renting of the space to anyone they think is too out of line with their general ethos; in practice this tends to mean that outside of apolitical art events/shows/parties a lot of what events they host tend to come from organizations that lean left to extremely left.
xxxxxChimaera is not an explicitly mutant-run or mutant-targeted space -- mostly just a bunch of punks and hippies and artists from all sorts of demographic backgrounds. They do have a number of extremely high-profile mutants and mutant activists among their members, which has gotten them A Reputation in the community for being a safe place to hold mutant-friendly events, but the majority of Chimaera's members ICly are still human.
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| Important Events
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- Evolympics - A series of mutant-only athletic games meant to raise funds for Evolve Cafe.
- Something Different - An art show specifically meant to showcase the talents of obvious mutants.
- Artfight - Monthly art event, a kind of dueling live art show sort of like a cross between Pictionary and pro wrestling.
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| Roster
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| Chimaera Arts
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| Neighborhood
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DUMBO, Brooklyn
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| Type
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Arts Co-Op
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| Hours of Operation
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n/a
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| Mutant-friendliness
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A+
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| Logs
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| Date
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Title
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Cast
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Mentions
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Tales, Glorious Tales
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Anahita, Karida, Kamil
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Khalil
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Punch More Nazis
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Joshua, Steve
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Life and Destruction
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Ryan, Amo
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Spencer, Jax
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Out of Context
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Anahita, Joshua, Lumin
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Hands On
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Jax, Lumin, Ryan
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Taylor, Lucien
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Eyes Only
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Joshua, Winona
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Lucien, Matt, Flèche
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Second Thoughts
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Lily, Definitely Joshua
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Joshua
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Eternal Family
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DJ, Lily
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Hive, Dawson
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(Re)connecting?
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Anahita, DJ
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Dawson, Polaris, WInona, Maya, Jamie, Leo, Lucien
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Unfinished Work
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DJ, Steve
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Dawson, B, Tony
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Recursive Loop
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Joshua, Lily
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Hive, Steve, Tag
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What You Own
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Polaris, Wendy
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Erik
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In Which a Birthday Celebration and a Conference Call Both Necessitate Additional Fortification
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Daiki, Taylor
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Hive
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Build Something
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DJ, Lily
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Eternal Progression
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DJ, Polaris
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This Is War
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DJ, Hive, Jax, Lily, Polaris
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Radical Mandate
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Daiki, Jax, Lily
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Exchange Rate
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Lily, Ryan, Skye
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Taking Up Space
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Jax, Lily
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Nefarious Scheme
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Polaris, Wendy
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Everyday Fashion
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Daiki, Marinov
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Reverse Fashion Heist Mutual Aid
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Jax, Marinov
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Make the Season Bright
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Jax, Spencer
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In Memoriam
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Jax, Steve, Tag
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More Involved
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Jax, Kieow, Lily
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Community Spread
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Daiki, Marinov?
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Art Crime
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Jax, Tag
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Up in the Air
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Rasa, Sarah, Steve
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Drawn Out
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Alex, Desi, Jax, Tag
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Worth It
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Jax, Steve
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Sight Unseen
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Sarah, Shane, Steve, just a touch of Ryan
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Start Big
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Flicker, Steve
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Art and War
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Akihiro, Sarah
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Legacies
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Akihiro, Polaris
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Glamor
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Daiki, Ryan, Steve
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Networking
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Flicker, Sarah
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Aging Gracefully
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Akihiro, Steve
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Getting There
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Jax, Steve
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On That Gay Shit
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Ion, Sarah, Steve
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Friend Zone
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Hive, Flicker, Steve, Jax
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Be Normal
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Flicker, Jax, Rasa
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In Which an Artist Is Introduced to Wonderland (Minus Any Kind of Rabbit Holes)
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Taylor, Sarah, Daiki
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Stains
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Jax, Steve
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It's Complicated
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Ryan, Steve
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Talk It Out
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Dusk, Steve, Ion
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Fine Artists
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Charlie, Ion, Tag
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Usual Kind of People
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Flicker, Steve
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Ancient History
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Jax, Steve
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Better Place
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Flicker, Steve
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