More Attractions at Kurt Perschke's Chicago RedBall Project. Day #6.

Chicago, IL USA: What’s amazing is that The Ball, although Stationary (for a Movable Piece of Sculpture that has already visited 6 Prime Locations in Chicago) attracts People that ensures that it’s a Small World after all.

The Case in point happened in the early Morning of Wednesday, September 10, 2008 as Kurt, Rebeccah & Monica set up The Exhibition in front of The Seventeeth Church of Christ, Scientist @ Wacker and Wabash, on the North Fringe of Chicago’s promenading Loop District. I found my Way to the Street by 9:20 AM and began watching The Interaction of City-People-Places & Things evolve. Since People Watching is tantamount in this Project, I was checking to see what People may be wearing Target Wear, since Target is the Sponsor of this Exhibition. All of a sudden from out of ‘The Blue’ (We could say) was a young Man (20-something and tall as could be – probably 6 feet in height) dressed in a suit with a crimson shirt on, appeared. How nice of him to ‘dress’ for The Ball, I thought to myself. As he approached the stone block where I was seated with my trusty Amphibic Mascot, GORF, I mentioned that ‘The Ball’ attracts White Collar & Blue Collar Men, but his (indeed) was the First Red Collar to come within Distance. This Excerpt was according to my Timing there though, no one else’s.

We began chatting. Kevin was on his Way to an Interview to teach English as a Primary Language and felt ‘RED’ would be a Color to make his Interviewer remember him. Now that is a colossal Idea since Lasting Impressions are necessary to make a favorable Imprint a Recruiter. I may have to buy a Red Dress at Target next time someone gets wise enough to interview me.

TO CONTINUE: Kevin mentioned he was formerly from St. Louis, at which time I exclaimed: “My Gosh! So is Tony, Kurt’s Camera Man & Film Director!” What do you know!” As I spoke, he stood there, a bit puzzled staring at one of the Souvenir Booklets (in a huge corrugated box) and made mention that he remembered The Name:

– KURT PERSCHKE –

but not The Ball. At which time, Kevin stated that he just returned to The USA after a Stint in Korea teaching English and KP’s Name did look familiar. “Did he have an Art Exhibition in Korea?” Once seeing in the Souvenir Booklet that The Ball had toured Korea, I said that ‘The RedBall’ had and let’s go over and talk to Kurt about that since I didn’t know that answer. Most times People can ‘ASK’ me anything since those are my God-given Initials and if I don’t know The Answer I will make one up, but I was floored on this one and didn’t want Kevin to miss an Opportunity to have a Dialogue with The Artist. Minutes later, a lively and long Conversation pursued. Freed up, I then introduced Kevin to Tony since they both had the St. Louis, Missouri Tie-In. All this happened on a Corner of a City Block in Chicago, which again proves that Chicago is The Cross-Roads of America.

Later, Kevin re-recited a Quote he had made to Kurt that went (sort of) like this:

“If you can’t make it RED; make it Big.
If you can’t make it BIG, make it Offensive.”

Well, so much for unclear Comparisons, but two-thirds of the Verbiage was ‘On Target’ we could say.

WHAT THE REAL ‘TARGET’ IS:
And that it’s all in The Timing. That was such a Cool Encounter, I just had to immortalize it here.

HISTORICALLY (somewhat Hysterically):

Wednesday was a Real People’s Day @ The Ball. People were all over The Street(s). This RedBall Station was actually a Medley of Intersections that were ‘Honorary Ways’ bordered by Wacker Drive (240 North) & Wacker Place (232 North) which were bounded by Yitzhak Rabin Place and Jerusalem 3000 Way. To the North was the new, crystallizing Trump Tower and to the West was the 80 year old Merchandise Mart (the Greenest Building in Chicago). Such is the Contrast and ‘Way’ it goes. This electric and electic Mix mixes well from all Points of Interest.

The Ball was positioned near The Entry to The Church. “Looks like RedBall is finding Religion” I subtlely mentioned to Kurt who was busily setting up The Exhibit. “At least for a Day,” he answered. On September 3RD, RedBall spent its Day at the newly constructed Spertus Museum located a nine Blocks southeast. Today, it was experiencing a Christian Flavor. Although The Ball is not traveling outside Chicago Proper (this Time), the Ba’Hai Temple in Wilmette would make for an incredibly awe-inspiring Setting as that Temple looks like the Taj Mahal of Cook County. RedBall crosses all worldly Religions and Denominations by ‘The Way’ it is met and greeted.

ENTER: PHIL

Phil Smith of Laughlin/Constable (a Full Circle Branding Company of 30 years strong) located a Stone’s Throw (or should We say: A RedBall’s Toss?) decided to do some pre-Work Creative Enterprising. Evidently, his Company’s Logo is a RedBall. As a promotional, they’ve got boxes full of the(se) foamy, squeezy hand-sized Rubber Balls that Typists use to exercise their Fingers from Hours of non-stop Word Processing. When I first spotted Phil, he was laying flat on his stomach in front of RedBall (in a rather nice shirt and pair of pants that he may have purchased at Target, the Sponsor of RedBall/Chicago 2008) with one of these Balls (imprinted with Laughlin/Constable Insignia) in bold White Letters. He was studying The Scene and taking a Series of Photographs of the Differences in Size. This Angle is what People in Branding/Advertising/Marketing do: I call it the BAM Effect. So does Emeril. Phil laid there for a good Five (5) Minutes, being the Perfectionist he is…And, seeing this as a Photo Opp., I asked him if I could take a Picture of him taking a Picture of The Ball. As an Amateur Photographer, I thought this was a terrific Way to (better) hone my Cameratic Skills (or Lack of Skills). Plus, it opened up a pleasant Conversation between the Two of us, all brought on because of The Ball.

ENTER: LOIS

Was it here Coincidence, Fate or Logic that when I first arrived at The Ball, the Key Person who opened the Door of The Church to Kurt, Tony, Rebeccah & Monica was Lois (who I had not seen in Three Years since she got married). We had a fab Reunion and chatted about what We had been doing the Last Three Years and how the Time really flew past. To answer that Question that began this Paragraph, I would say it was probably Fate that brought us together, because after all, We were outside a Place of Worship…

A FRIENDLY LADY ENTERS REDBALL GROUND(S):

Lastly, for the 90 Minutes I spent at The RedBall Project on Wednesday, a friendly Lady asked me to pose in front of The Ball. Not shy, I did. I told her I’d take her Photo in front of The Ball, too, but she said she has been “following The Ball” and that she already had some Photos of herself in front of it, but one more could not hurt any. When I handed her Camera back, I kiddingly told her: “Next time wear Red Fingernail Polish. It will show up much better for any future Close-Ups.” Extremely outgoing, I then told her to get her Souvenir Book autographed by Kurt himself…This could become a Collectible on Ebay, you know.

THE MAXIMIZED REDBALL EFFECT:
After all, Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project is more than a 250 Pound Rubber Ball with Bounce,

IT’s what helps People remember other People;
IT takes you back to your ‘Red Rubber Ball Days;’
IT creates Memories;
IT can introduce & encourage New Friendships;
IT allows (ample Amounts of) Creativity to flow;
IT breaks the Proverbial Ice;
IT all jells; and
isn’t that what IT is all about?

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RedBall Report for Wednesday, September 10, 2008 by:

ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Koopersmith’s Global Communications
“People read What Adrienne writes about…”
&
GORF Werks Central
‘Home of The Grin Reaper’ – ‘The Icon of The Green Movement’
Chicago - chicaGORF – Illinois USA

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FUTURE REDBALL PROJECT DATES:
The ‘Street Treats’ Continue in Shades of Red on and at:

September 12, 11 am – 6 pm: LaSalle Bridge (LaSalle @ Wacker Avenue)
September 13, 11 am – 6 pm: Damen Avenue & North Avenue
September 14, 11 am – 6 pm: Chess Pavilion, North Ave at the Lakefront
September 17, 2008 11 am – 6 pm: Union Station & Jackson
September 19, 11 am – 6 pm: Hyde Park Art Center (5020 South Cornell Avenue)
September 20, 10 am – 5 pm: IIT’s McCormick Tribune Campus Center (3201 South State St.)
September 23, 11 am – 6 pm: 19 S. LaSalle Street
September 24, 11 am – 6 pm: Federal Plaza (230 S. Dearborn Street)
September 25, 11 am – 6 pm: Chicago Cultural Center (78 East Washington Street)

Posted: Thursday, September 11, 2008 – 1:23 PM CST