David Schalliol is a visual sociologist living in the Midwestern United States. Co-author of The City Creative, director of The Area, Associate Professor of Sociology at St. Olaf College. http://davidschalliol.com http://theareafilm.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3mmzrdsv2nk2vOne week from today, check out "Absence" at Stable Gallery, Liverpool, England, which features Isolated Building Studies alongside some other great photography. Artist talks to follow on Saturday: https://openeye.org.uk/whatson/absence/30 May 2026 00:13 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmzrdsv2nk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3mlnscaxrq22rThe Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis opened its doors on May 1. Since 2010, I've been following the organization who created the museum and wrote a blog post about the opening: https://davidschalliol.com/blog/2026/05/12/introducing-cami/12 May 2026 12:33 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnscaxrq22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3mf6polcafk2wI really enjoyed this conversation I had with L. Kasimu Harris, now on MAS Context: https://mascontext.com/observations/vanishing-black-bars-lounges-an-interview-with-l-kasimu-harris19 Feb 2026 04:05 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf6polcafk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3m4ceuaaquc2mJoin me at this free screening of the H.C. Westermann movie with filmmaker Q&A at @filmnorth.bsky.social on Friday, November 14 at 7PM: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/westermann-screening-at-film-north-tickets-183982995391929 Oct 2025 02:15 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4ceuaaquc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3ly7k45jz4c2zI'm happy to have my photograph of Dennis Maher's Assembly House 150 help illustrate this piece about the importance of adaptive reuse. https://www.dezeen.com/2025/09/04/adaptive-reuse-future-skill-sets-experts-advice/07 Sep 2025 01:30 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3ly7k45jz4c2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lxu3b5yedk2qMy new interview with socially engaged furniture company Ishinomaki Laboratory on MAS Context: https://mascontext.com/observations/ishinomaki-laboratory-a-furniture-company-with-a-deep-social-mission02 Sep 2025 12:05 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxu3b5yedk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lma4oiddm22yThis Thursday! Join Paola Aguirre Serrano at the @trylon.org to learn about community activism in the face of the largest mass closing of schools in the United States. [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Apr 2025 14:00 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lma4oiddm22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lkitioyh6k2rA great feature on Amanda Williams in the @nytimes.com: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/arts/design/amanda-williams-george-washington-carver-profile-art.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4U4.L_Ar.3dReSCjd4LlP&smid=url-share&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZHi5BFtBSZbrmwPxKRaGiq7RdKbHz_XI9qJDzGV6-xR8FLU7UYnD4wzRg_aem_t2aZXwJaD9dOYXtMkxltQw16 Mar 2025 14:19 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkitioyh6k2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lk47qog7ms2vIker Gil shared a great series about the high-rise façades of Benidorm, Spain: https://mascontext.com/observations/chasing-the-sun-the-coastal-high-rises-of-benidorm11 Mar 2025 13:54 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lk47qog7ms2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3ljl3f7tkdc2hWhat happened after Chicago closed an unprecedented 50 public schools in 2013? Join urban designer Paola Aguirre Serrano for a screening of her film "Beyond Closure" at @trylon.org in Minneapolis on April 8. Organized by MAS Context. Details: https://www.trylon.org/film/beyond-closure/04 Mar 2025 18:21 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljl3f7tkdc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3liz237kwpk2tMaking photographs for Alison Cuddy's new feature on a former CTA power station turned artist live-work space was a lot of fun. See the whole article: https://mascontext.com/observations/from-utility-to-art-the-history-of-1544-north-sedgwick-street25 Feb 2025 14:09 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3liz237kwpk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lidvek4s722dIn Minneapolis? Stop by the Eagles on Thursday for an experimental performance/reading/screening event. I'm going to show a short film or two.17 Feb 2025 04:19 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lidvek4s722dhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lhwflt7uls2kArturo Soto's Border Documents is available now from @eriskayconnection.bsky.social. For some context, check out our December conversation: https://mascontext.com/observations/exploring-the-specificities-of-place-from-panama-to-oxford https://www.eriskayconnection.com/border-documents/11 Feb 2025 19:32 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhwflt7uls2khttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lhsc2qtw7k2oVisiting the ever amazing @artshantyprojects.bsky.social this weekend reminded me of this piece I wrote for Weathered about the possibilities of frozen cities, which included Art Shanty Projects: https://withstanding.substack.com/p/the-possibilities-of-a-frozen-city10 Feb 2025 04:18 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhsc2qtw7k2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lhmpxspkf22kMAS Context's newly expanded Reading Room is now open in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. More info: www.instagram.com/p/DFxvwxVOexm/07 Feb 2025 23:11 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhmpxspkf22khttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3lgwltsu22k2zTaso's Hair Studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin30 Jan 2025 03:59 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3lgwltsu22k2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3leq4emyers2yIf you haven't seen our documentary film "The Area," big news: it has an encore broadcast tomorrow night! In the USA, watch it 8PM EST on #WORLDChannel or stream it anytime until January 17 on @pbs.org, WORLD Channel, or #AmericaReframed. Here's a viewing link: bit.ly/ARF_TheArea. http://bit.ly/ARF_TheArea02 Jan 2025 03:16 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3leq4emyers2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/metroblossom.bsky.social/post/3ldurtio6gs25Arturo Soto and I sat down to discuss his artistic practice regarding the built environment and how people experience and represent it: https://mascontext.com/observations/exploring-the-specificities-of-place-from-panama-to-oxford22 Dec 2024 06:25 +0000at://did:plc:ded6mifg2bubvngekq4ktlrm/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldurtio6gs25