More About FIGMENT DC with Fred Simonton!!

Hello ladies and gents!! I had the opportunity to speak with Fred Simonton, one of FIGMENT DC's key players who's helping out to ensure that DC's first ever FIGMENT event will be a success. Keep reading to learn a little more about the whos, whats and whys of FIGMENT!!...oh and be sure to come out and support the event, September 29th, at the beautiful Yards Park in DC :).

W&I: How long have you been involved with FIGMENT and what part do you play?

Fred: I've been involved with FIGMENT DC since FIGMENT founder, David Koren, visited DC on February 8, 2012 to gauge interest in getting it going here. I joined the curator team at our second or third meeting, volunteered to assume secretarial responsibilities at the team planning meetings, and I work on some supporting graphic design. My wife and I built a cloth 12'x12' Twister board with 144 dots that we will bring to this year's FIGMENT DC. I attended FIGMENT NY in 2011.


W&I: Wow a 12' x 12' Twister board...that sounds fun!!! Can you break FIGMENT down for us? I have a hard time describing this event to people lol.

Fred: I like to think of it as an opportunity for people to discover that everyone is an artist, some just haven't found their medium yet. Getting people to interact with a diversity of materials, ideas, and methods is a significant part of FIGMENT, allowing them to garner insights organically without dogma. It seems that many people don't realize that so much of their favorite art is the result of practice and activity; great artists practice and refine their skills, allowing for inspiration to occupy a vessel primed for expressions of shared experience and insight. Every artist starts from scratch, following whichever passion or itch embraces them on their path.

For artists, FIGMENT is an opportunity to stretch boundaries and spread the spirit that drives them to bring forth their visions. We all have those ideas outside our normal range of execution that we'd like give a chance. FIGMENT is a perfect place to assemble some new general concepts, materials, and techniques - and work with unforeseeable collaborators to bring forth a new avenue of expression.

W&I: Why did FIGMENT decide to come to DC?

Fred: FIGMENT is an organic community event that can begin in a new city when a team emerges who want to take on the task of making it happen. A number of the FIGMENT DC 2012 crew were familiar with FIGMENT NYC, and were excited to step up when David Koren suggested that DC might be a great addition to the line-up. Indeed, we are looking forward to unleashing much enthusiasm in this very creatively fertile metropolitan locale.

W&I: What can visitor's expect when they attend a FIGMENT event?

Fred: Visitors can expect a wide variety of novel sights, sounds and smiles. They will find themselves interacting with new ideas and people, free to enhance the space according to their own intuition and desires. They should expect to leave with a buoyant spirit and possibly a new creative outlet. 

W&I: Why do you think it's important to hold events like FIGMENT?

Fred: It is an opportunity to give the community an experience focused 100% on creativity and participation. I perceive it as a notion of creation, the reality that everyone's experience is very real and a fertile source of beautiful potential. I believe free volunteer-driven art is an important component of the growth of any community, an amazing way to give back to a world that has nurtured so many of us. 

W&I: Any final words to get the people excited and motivated to come out and participate in DC's FIRST EVER FIGMENT event?

Fred: It is widely accepted that every day is unique and special, another chance to inhabit the miracle of life. FIGMENT DC is an amazing opportunity to see this wisdom embraced and exemplified in a beautiful space. It is very likely that dormant instincts will spring to life in many attendees and contribute to an exponential growth in our community's artistic output and unity. It is going to be wonderful to be there from the beginning of this ride.

W&I: That is just beautiful. He has a way with words doesn't he?lol Get excited people!! And if you will be in the DC area, be sure to come on out September 29th to the Yards Park. You can check out more information on FIGMENT and read my other FIGMENT posts by visiting the FIGMENT DC tab up top. ALSO, you can donate to my Kickstarter campaign...if you feel led to...and help bring my FIGMENT DC project, ENVISAGE, to life. There are rewaaaaaards lol. Information for my project can be found in the sidebar or that tab up top I mentioned. Thanks again to you Fred for this AWESOME interview!!!  

Mark your calendars.

Stay Inspired.