Caleb Schaber
Encyclopedia
Caleb Schaber born Caleb David Schaber, was an American artist and journalist best known for his participation in the Seattle Monolith
project at the beginning of 2001 and his run for mayor of Seattle later that same year.
. He attended school at the Gifted and Talented Academy in Fairplain and enrolled at Lake Michigan College
at the age of 16. He graduated Lake Michigan College in 1991 and moved to Seattle in 1993. He enrolled at the University of Washington
in 1995 with a major in anthropology and a minor in art, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002.
off the 167-foot high George Washington Memorial Bridge
while intoxicated. He broke his back and spent nine days in the hospital. A steel rod was used to repair his back. He is one of only 30 people to have survived the 15-story plunge in to Lake Union
from the bridge.
While studying for his degree at the University of Washington, he wrote for the school newspaper The Daily
. One of his articles was titled "Flatulence is natural - free a fart". Many of Schaber's articles generated responses from the readers.
Schaber was a bartender for the Blue Moon Tavern
and while he worked there he painted images of the presidents above the urinals in the men's room. Schaber said, "We called them the Presidential Fountains. People could go in and cast their ballot." He enjoyed modern art. He owned a custom built guitar made from an old bike that was showcased at Make Magazines Best of Maker Faire
2008. He owned an art car
,and was involved with the Burning Man
group of artists. He worked on the political news show Deface the Nation with Jeff Pearson, the director of Pirate Radio USA
.
's movie 2001: A Space Odyssey
. There was no indication of how it got there or who put it there. The event made front-page news in The Seattle Times
. The media dubbed the object the Seattle Monolith
as the news traveled across the United States and other nations.
On January 3, the monolith disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared. The monolith was later found on an island in the middle of Seattle's Green Lake
. Schaber came forward as a spokesperson for a group called Some People, who created the monolith, stating they had installed the artwork but didn't know who moved it to Duck Island. The group wanted help to retrieve the artwork and asked for permission to have it reinstalled at Magnuson Park. Schaber became a bit of a celebrity during this period and remarked that "We're just pleased that we were able to send a positive message out to the world from Seattle."
and he thought the city should have a permanent tent city for the homeless. Gus Hellthaler, owner of the Blue Moon Tavern, helped with Schaber's campaign.
A scholarship in Schaber's name was established for the study of visual arts at Lake Michigan College.
Seattle Monolith
On New Year's Day 2001, a replica of the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey appeared on Kite Hill in Seattle's Magnuson Park. The Seattle Monolith was a guerrilla art installation by a group of Seattle artists calling themselves “Some People”.-Timeline:...
project at the beginning of 2001 and his run for mayor of Seattle later that same year.
Early life
Schaber was born March 23, 1973 in Niles, MichiganNiles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
. He attended school at the Gifted and Talented Academy in Fairplain and enrolled at Lake Michigan College
Lake Michigan College
Lake Michigan College is a regional two-year community college located in Berrien County, Michigan. The main campus is located in Benton Township, Michigan, on US-31/Napier Avenue, and regional campuses are located in Benton Harbor, Bertrand Crossing , and South Haven. The main campus is bordered...
at the age of 16. He graduated Lake Michigan College in 1991 and moved to Seattle in 1993. He enrolled at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1995 with a major in anthropology and a minor in art, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002.
Life in Seattle
Shortly after moving to Seattle, Schaber did a cannonballDiving techniques
Numerous techniques are used in the sport of diving. In 2011, SocialTechPop chronicled diving in American pop culture.-Cannonball:The cannonball is a technique in which the arms and legs are folded into the body during the dive. It may be done from the diving board or the side of the pool. The...
off the 167-foot high George Washington Memorial Bridge
George Washington Memorial Bridge
For other bridges of the same name, see Washington Bridge .The George Washington Memorial Bridge is a cantilever and truss bridge that carries Aurora Avenue N. over the west end of Seattle's Lake Union between Queen Anne and Fremont, just east of the Fremont Cut...
while intoxicated. He broke his back and spent nine days in the hospital. A steel rod was used to repair his back. He is one of only 30 people to have survived the 15-story plunge in to Lake Union
Lake Union
Lake Union is a freshwater lake entirely within the Seattle, Washington city limits.-Origins:A glacial lake, its basin was dug 12,000 years ago by the Vashon glacier, which also created Lake Washington and Seattle's Green, Bitter, and Haller Lakes.-Name:...
from the bridge.
While studying for his degree at the University of Washington, he wrote for the school newspaper The Daily
The Daily of the University of Washington
The Daily of the University of Washington, usually referred to in Seattle simply as The Daily, is the student newspaper of the University of Washington in Seattle, USA.-History:...
. One of his articles was titled "Flatulence is natural - free a fart". Many of Schaber's articles generated responses from the readers.
Schaber was a bartender for the Blue Moon Tavern
Blue Moon Tavern
The Blue Moon is a tavern located on the west edge of the University District, Seattle, Washington, that has been visited by many counterculture icons over the years. It opened in April 1934, soon after the repeal of Prohibition in December 1933, as the first and oldest still-extant tavern in the...
and while he worked there he painted images of the presidents above the urinals in the men's room. Schaber said, "We called them the Presidential Fountains. People could go in and cast their ballot." He enjoyed modern art. He owned a custom built guitar made from an old bike that was showcased at Make Magazines Best of Maker Faire
Maker Faire
Maker Faire is an event created by Make magazine to "celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself mindset".-Past events:The first was held April 22 – 23, 2006, at the San Mateo Fairgrounds...
2008. He owned an art car
Art car
An art car is a vehicle that has had its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression. Art cars are often driven and owned by their creators, who are sometimes referred to as "Cartists"....
,and was involved with the Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
group of artists. He worked on the political news show Deface the Nation with Jeff Pearson, the director of Pirate Radio USA
Pirate Radio USA
Pirate Radio USA is a 2005 documentary film written and directed by Jeff Pearson, with musical director Mary Jones. Its running time is 82 minutes in length.-Summary:The film showcases illegal radio, or pirate radio in America...
.
The Seattle Monolith
Early on New Year's Day 2001, a monolith mysteriously appeared on Kite Hill in Seattle's Magnuson Park. The monolith was similar to the one in Stanley KubrickStanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's movie 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
. There was no indication of how it got there or who put it there. The event made front-page news in The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
. The media dubbed the object the Seattle Monolith
Seattle Monolith
On New Year's Day 2001, a replica of the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey appeared on Kite Hill in Seattle's Magnuson Park. The Seattle Monolith was a guerrilla art installation by a group of Seattle artists calling themselves “Some People”.-Timeline:...
as the news traveled across the United States and other nations.
On January 3, the monolith disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared. The monolith was later found on an island in the middle of Seattle's Green Lake
Green Lake (Seattle)
Green Lake is a freshwater lake in north central Seattle, Washington, USA, within Green Lake Park. The park is surrounded by the Green Lake neighborhood to the north and east, the Wallingford neighborhood to the south, the Phinney Ridge neighborhood to the west, and Woodland Park to the southwest...
. Schaber came forward as a spokesperson for a group called Some People, who created the monolith, stating they had installed the artwork but didn't know who moved it to Duck Island. The group wanted help to retrieve the artwork and asked for permission to have it reinstalled at Magnuson Park. Schaber became a bit of a celebrity during this period and remarked that "We're just pleased that we were able to send a positive message out to the world from Seattle."
Race for mayor
In April 2001, Schaber declared his intention to run for mayor of Seattle. Although he did not believe he would win, he took the race very seriously. He felt the police department should have cops on the beat in local neighborhoods. He supported the MonorailMonorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
and he thought the city should have a permanent tent city for the homeless. Gus Hellthaler, owner of the Blue Moon Tavern, helped with Schaber's campaign.
Combat journalist
In 2004, Schaber traveled to Iraq as a combat journalist embedded with the Nevada National Guard. Schaber covered the war on the front line. Schaber spent ten months covering the war in Afghanistan when he was embedded with the Indiana National Guard in 2006.Death
On April 17, 2009, Schaber died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Gerlach, Nevada. Schaber had been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder for several years. Memorials in Schaber's honor were held in multiple places across the country, including:- Buchanan, Michigan
- Reno, Nevada
- Seattle, Washington
- San Francisco, California (Ocean Beach)
- Gerlach, Nevada (Frog Pond)
A scholarship in Schaber's name was established for the study of visual arts at Lake Michigan College.
See also
- Seattle MonolithSeattle MonolithOn New Year's Day 2001, a replica of the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey appeared on Kite Hill in Seattle's Magnuson Park. The Seattle Monolith was a guerrilla art installation by a group of Seattle artists calling themselves “Some People”.-Timeline:...
- Burning ManBurning ManBurning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
- The Daily of the University of WashingtonThe Daily of the University of WashingtonThe Daily of the University of Washington, usually referred to in Seattle simply as The Daily, is the student newspaper of the University of Washington in Seattle, USA.-History:...
External links
- Official website
- Northern Nevada Newswire, Schaber's news company at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Caleb Schaber's blog from the war in Iraq (2004)
- Caleb Schaber's blog from the war in Afghanistan (2006)
- Caleb Schaber's blog from the war in Iraq (2007)
- Caleb’s New Stuff, Schaber's site at WordPress
- mkultra.bz, Caleb Schaber's vanity site at the Internet Archive
- Caleb Schaber's MySpace page
- Schaber and the Seattle Monolith (2011)