LOCO COOL (1997)

Stockyard Institute uses a low-watt radio transmitter as a community radio initiative that enables the dissemination of stories, actions, and larger projects between people of the neighborhoods in which we worked. This initiative was built from LOCO COOL, an audio project in the Back of the Yards by Steve Ciampaglia and Kerry Richardson for Stockyard Institute.

LOCO COOL was a composite of audio stories that explored the development of experimental narratives and formatting with youth through writing and by teaching participants the technical components of audio and radio production. Narratives were shared and broadcast via FREE RADIO from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on Tuesday afternoons.

Early radio established an important relationship with the Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago and Lou and Dawn Mallozzi as well, Chicago’s premiere multi-audio production facility and folks. Radio and audio production continues to provide the single, most consistent, high quality content and more importantly, has capitalized on the young contributors dissemination of their stories and projects to a host of outlets (radio stations, galleries, museums and public spaces).