See It: The Community being helped

There is a need in our community that has developed over the last decade that has been steadily ignored in the dogged pursuit to maintain the status quo. This need is for a community arts center that has evolved to meet the needs for a new kind of community – a community that has become centered on the latest technological advances. We have moved our style of communication and our sense of community to text messages, emails, and social networking websites. The North Texas area is a hub for technological advancement with companies such as Texas Instruments and Perot Systems, among countless others, but the structure and presentations in community arts centers in the area have remained for the most part stagnant.

The North Texas area has experienced a drop in the attendance of traditional art galleries, but popping up in their stead are exhibitions, lectures, and even universities studying and examining the combination of visual art and technology as it changes and becomes such a large part of our daily lives. A painting hung on a wall or a sculpture on a pedestal has become mundane, leading to a progressive lack of interest on the part of the average member of the community.

The art works being created have evolved into new media works, but the galleries have stayed the same and in most cases do not have the equipment or know-how to incorporate new media works into their exhibition schedule. New media is visual art either created or displayed in a way to reflect recent technological change. From Gordon Young’s copy machine collages to Nic Nicosia’s surreal video narratives, new media has become the majority of art work created in this day in age.

Simply New Media is in the process of creating a community arts center to address just this need. With a background in non-profit arts administration and technical arts presentation, Simply New Media has the experience and passion to carry through this idea to its full fruition. There are no other organizations, non-profit or otherwise, looking to fill this need in the community.

We are looking to you for your support in bringing this community arts center to the North Texas area. With your generous donation, Simply New Media will be on the way to creating a venue, offering educational and exhibition programming to the North Texas community.

See It: The Community being helped

Enter Erica Basco and Yokie Bertos. We're two high school with a passion for three major things: Social Change/Activism, Working with and leading teams of people, and film. It just so happens that these three things tie into each other about as perfectly as possible. The ability of film to carry and convey a message is virtually undebatable. Film captivates audiences, and opens their eyes to what ever message that film happens to be conveying. Erica and I, we have a message to get out. Film is just the way to do that. Mental health issues are something that Erica and i have both had extensive experience with. I, even, at one point i the past year was institutionalized after being diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. this is something we wish to educate the public on. So may people still fail to understand mental health issues, and many people are still afraid to talk about those problems. Like I always say, If i had cancer, I'd tell people. That is a medical condition Why is depression any different? Another issue we will focus heavily on in this film is definitely that of discrimination. This is going ot primarily be in the area of gender discrimination, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. The presence of this discrimination, and how it cultivates mental health problems will be heavily focused on in this film. Currently, this film is untitled. However, a sizable portion of the screen play has been written. i should note that the screen play is being written according to film industry standards. this film will focus on the lives of two teenage individuals. The story conveyed in this film is meant to be raw, and real. Essentially an unglamorized account of two lives, and what struggles that endure. It is our intention to create this film, hold screenings, and submit it at local, and national independent film festivals. Both Erica and myself are somewhat experiences in the production of movies, and we both plan to pursue careers in the field after college.Despite the seeming scale of this project, it is with out a doubt somethign we can handle.