Here is an insight into one of the Drop City artists Shelby Menzel.
IN THE EARLY 1960’S A MAN BY THE NAME OF BUCKMINSTER FULLER (1895_1983) WAS KNOWN FOR DESIGNING GEODESIC DOMES, WHICH USED MINIMAL RESOURCES WHILE CREATING A MAXIMUM INTERIOR SPACE. HE WAS AN INVENTOR, POET, PHILOSOPHER, MATHEMATICIAN, ARCHITECT AND ENGINEER. FULLER URGED PEOPLE TO THINK GLOBALLY AND ACT CONSCIENTIOUSLY TO BETTER MANKIND THROUGH A “DESIGN REVOLUTION”. HIS LEGACY HAS INSPIRED ARTISTS, ENGINEERS AND THINKERS AROUND THE WORLD.
IN 1965 AN ARTIST COMMUNE IN COLORADO KNOWN AS DROP CITY WAS CREATED USING MANY OF BUCKMINSTER FULLER’S ARCHITECTURAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL IDEALS. DROP CITY WAS TO FUNCTION IN A “SYNERGETIC” INTERACTION BETWEEN PEERS TO CREATE EXPERIMENTAL ARTISTIC INNOVATION.
COMUNE HAS LAUNCHED ITS’ OWN “DROP CITY” GALLERY. HOUSED IN A STRUCTURE OF RECYCLED STEEL SHIPPING CONTAINERS, THE SPACE IS INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL DROP CITY ARTIST COMMUNE IN THE EARLY 60’S, AND BRAINCHILD OF COMUNE ART DIRECTOR, COREY SMITH.
DROP CITY WAS INTRODUCED TO ATTRACT LIKE–MINDED CREATIVE PEOPLE TO THE COMUNE ARTIST COMMUNITY AND COLLABOARTE ON SPECIAL PROJECTS THROUGH COMUNE’S CLOTHING BRAND. WITH PARTICIPATING ARTISTS INCLUDING HUNTER LONGE, JASON LEE PARRY, NOAH AND NATHAN RICE, SHELBY MENZEL, JIMMY FONTAINE AND GARETH STEHR OVER TIME DROP CITY WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE ITS’ COMMUNITY, CREATIVE PLATFORM AND INFLUENCE.
