Weekend project: leave a mix tape, take a mix tape at Menil Park

Local artist Jacob Calle’s latest project is a box in Menil Park where strangers can exchange compilation mixes with each other. Affixed to a tree in the park next to the Menil Collection in Montrose is a box where strangers can exchange anything from mix discs, cassette tapes, or even jump drives to share music for others to discover. (Photo: Jacob Calle) less Local artist Jacob Calle’s latest project is a box in Menil Park where strangers can exchange compilation mixes with each other. Affixed to a tree in the park next to the Menil Collection in Montrose is a box ... more Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Weekend project: leave a mix tape, take a mix tape at Menil Park 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Local artist Jacob Calle’s latest project is a box in Menil Park where strangers can exchange compilation mixes with each other.

Affixed to a tree in the park next to the Menil Collection in Montrose is a box where strangers can exchange anything from mix discs, cassette tapes, or even jump drives to share music for others to discover.

It’s not unlike the “leave a book, take a book” boxes which are popular in the Little Free Library network across the country.

“It's a way of making friends and sharing common interests and discovering new bands, the old way,” Calle says.

The box is not hard to find, given its bright colors.

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“I've painted the front of it like the Sex Pistols album cover, but instead it reads ‘Nevermind the radio here's the jukebox,’ to make it stand out,” Calle says.

Houstonians might remember Calle’s previous project, an evolving mural featuring characters from ‘The Simpsons’ on the front of his friend’s upcoming music and comedy venue on Houston’s east side.

Is Calle worried about the thing being abused, i.e no one leaving and doing all taking?

“It's all on the honor system so hopefully people don't ruin it,” he says.

He’s written a blog entry about the jukebox project, reminiscing about discovering new music through friends across organic channels in the days before the Internet when everything was immediately delivered to your ears.

“I did not have the privilege of Pandora or the Internet to feed me the next big thing. My friends and I had to work for it and once we found our favorite band it was well deserved,” he says.

Maybe someone will find their next favorite band at Menil Park this weekend.