Letter from the Founder
"LIFE WITHOUT INDUSTRY IS GUILT,
AND INDUSTRY WITHOUT ART IS BRUTALITY."
-JOHN RUSKIN
Dear Friends and Supporters,
After a loving year of labor, I’m pleased to introduce you to Aktionsart - the one and only nonprofit in Seattle dedicated to art and technology.
As many of you are aware, Aktionsart has always produced experimental film, video and new media art projects through consulting revenue. I discovered, upon relocating to Seattle, that there was no existing organization here solely focused on the rapidly evolving landscape of art and technology. These conditions are unacceptable for a leading city at the center of the global tech industry. The opportunity is vast.
I revisited Aktionsart's mission and vision to address this pressing challenge and received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS in September. Expanded programming will now be funded through grants, corporate and cultural partnerships, and charitable donations. Our vision is to create a world-class contemporary arts organization that actively researches and experiments with new systems of production, exhibition and distribution. In an age when digital media has dramatically disrupted the traditional museum and gallery model - from presentation and collecting strategies to market economics - this is no simple task.
Core programming is nomadic and antidisciplinary, growing steadily as we develop dynamic partnerships with local and international arts and cultural organizations. This format will continue throughout 2015 as I research sustainable business models and opportunities for a permanent space.
Our work is cut out for us and we cannot do it without you! Below are three ways to get involved, followed by recent milestones and goals for 2015.
Many thanks for your time and continued support,
Julia Fryett
Founder // Aktionsart
The TRANS/PORT program imports and exports new media art to diverse locations in Seattle and beyond.
AKTION ITEMS
- BOARD AND ADVISOR NOMINATIONS: Currently recruiting Seattle-based, fundraising board members and advisors. Email nominations to info@aktionsart.org
- PARTNERS: Seeking strategic, interdisciplinary partnerships with nonprofits and businesses around the world who share our vision.
- DONATIONS: Philanthropy is essential as we begin to fill this crucial hole in Seattle’s art ecosystem. Your fully tax-deductible gift to the Aktionsart Fund provides vital support to core programming.
Harun Farocki North American Premiere at Black Box 1.0
2014 MILESTONES
- BLACK BOX: First international festival in Seattle to showcase experimental film, video and new media art. BLACK BOX 1.0 was organized in partnership with the Seattle Art Museum and Seattle International Film Festival.
- TRANS/PORT: Nomadic exhibition program that imports and exports new media art into public and private spaces. The first project in Seattle is AKT1, a shipping container donated in November by the Seattle Design Center.
- ARTS TECH MEETUP: Community platform for investigating collaboration and experimentation in the arts, technology and design.
- INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL PARTNERSHIPS: Kortfilmfestivalen (Norwegian Short Film Festival) and AMFEST (American Film Festival in Russia, sponsored by the US Embassy Moscow).
- BOARD & ADVISOR DEVELOPMENT: Welcoming Ivar Smedstad (Atelier Nord, Oslo) and Amanda McDonald Crowley (Bemis Center for the Arts, Eyebeam)!
Black Box 2.0: May 6 - June 7, 2014
2015 AGENDA
- BLACK BOX 2.0: Second edition of the festival includes additional locations, partners and events spread throughout Seattle. Curated in collaboration with Anne Couillaud.
- BOARD AND ADVISOR DEVELOPMENT: Recruiting Seattle-based, fundraising board members and advisors.
- EXPANDED PROGRAMMING: Nomadic and traveling exhibitions, development of residency and commission programs, educational projects, annual fundraising gala.