July 2009

Hey Y'all,

This month's issue of the AVI e-news is dedicated to the topic of space for artists.  There are some amazing space projects in motion in different communities, and a few are highlighted below.  We believe that these programs, and others like them, benefit not only the artists involved, but the whole community.  Such spaces are eligible to apply for the national LINC Initiative's "Space for Change," program  Please read the "Space for Change" article in this month's issue, as there may be current and future opportunities for your community's involvement.

We also congratulate many artists on recent fellowships and recognitions this month (check out the left-hand column).  However, I'd also like to recognize that more than 50 of you have begun attending entrepreneurial development classes through the AVI.  Awesome.  I would also personally like to thank Axel Forrester for her service on the AVI steering committee.  Axel has accepted a teaching position in London, and will no longer be able to make steering committee meetings.  Her wisdom and dedication to helping fellow artists have been incredibly valuable, and she'll be missed around these parts.

As always, feel free to call, email, or stop in with ideas or questions.  In fact, I'd love to hear from anyone who is interested in working on next year's Artists' Retreat.  I used up all my good ideas this year.  I'd also love to hear from people who are using Web 2.0 as a part of their creative process, as we're including a panel of such folks in our Statewide Arts Conference strand in September.

Enjoy the issue!