A number of years back, the Long Now moved their offices to the current space at Fort Mason. Part of the reason they picked the spot was that the ground floor could be a small museum, showcasing the Long Now's work the public, including the many tourists passing by.
However, although many passed by, not many actually came in. After some years, they decided to give people another reason to come in, one that has worked for centuries: caffeine and alcohol. So, via their "brickstarter" campaign, [1] they raised money to redo the historic space. (FYI, I'm a donor.)
It worked out wonderfully. I was in there the other night and every chair was full. And not just of random drinkers, but many people clearly interested in what was going on. Around the orrery [2] was a group of people animatedly discussing its purpose. People were looking at the exhibits. In front of one of the patrons at the bar was a fat Roger Penrose book.
And I should add that this wasn't a "pivot". All of the Long Now's projects still go on as before. And having their own venue has allowed them to expand their lecture series from once a month to almost weekly.
I was skeptical when the idea initially came up, but as a donor, occasional volunteer, and long-time fan, I think it has worked out wonderfully. Their mission, after all, is to get people to think about he long term, and the first step of that is getting their attention. Thousands of people per year now visit that wouldn't have. To me that's a win.
A number of years back, the Long Now moved their offices to the current space at Fort Mason. Part of the reason they picked the spot was that the ground floor could be a small museum, showcasing the Long Now's work the public, including the many tourists passing by.
However, although many passed by, not many actually came in. After some years, they decided to give people another reason to come in, one that has worked for centuries: caffeine and alcohol. So, via their "brickstarter" campaign, [1] they raised money to redo the historic space. (FYI, I'm a donor.)
It worked out wonderfully. I was in there the other night and every chair was full. And not just of random drinkers, but many people clearly interested in what was going on. Around the orrery [2] was a group of people animatedly discussing its purpose. People were looking at the exhibits. In front of one of the patrons at the bar was a fat Roger Penrose book.
And I should add that this wasn't a "pivot". All of the Long Now's projects still go on as before. And having their own venue has allowed them to expand their lecture series from once a month to almost weekly.
I was skeptical when the idea initially came up, but as a donor, occasional volunteer, and long-time fan, I think it has worked out wonderfully. Their mission, after all, is to get people to think about he long term, and the first step of that is getting their attention. Thousands of people per year now visit that wouldn't have. To me that's a win.
[1] http://blog.longnow.org/02014/09/22/the-interval-brickstarte...
[2] http://longnow.org/clock/orrery/