PREVIOUSLY FEATURED MEMBERS
Mear One
There are artists who paint with the intention to be the best, or to make a ton of money, some to become famous, but MEAR questions the intention of each of his individual works, asking is this a worthy concept; and what is the outcome of such a work that speaks to the masses. This is an involved process in which MEAR’s hopes are to bridge a gap between what is common and that which isn’t. To raise a responsible conversation on the topic that is displayed, i.e. the painting. MEAR is literally working on communicating some of what we as society have forgotten or are unable to see.
As intense as that seems this is the quest of MEAR’s life as an artist. MEAR sees himself as a messenger as well a spiritual warrior using his imagination as a communication device. MEAR has often said that life is like an elevator in which there are uncomfortable silences experienced by those on the ride. Usually we keep to our selves in a state of shame choosing not to speak. If MEAR walked into that same elevator with a canvas depicting the most explicit vision, almost everyone on that elevator would take part in a conversation around the piece. Conviction and Integrity are words that describe his process. No matter what vision MEAR transcribes through his imagination, there is the deep connection between his thoughts and feelings and the work which MEAR teaches as well as learns. This brings the concept of sharing and receiving into light and finds purpose as an artist.
Kenji Williams
Kenji Williams is a director, composer, filmmaker, music producer, and classically-trained violinist. Bella Gaia, his astoundingly moving multimedia show, is his way of helping to spread the message that we only have one planet to call home. Using sophisticated scientific visualizations powered by NASA data, Bella Gaia uses live onstage musical performance, large-scale visuals, cutting-edge technology and a thought-provoking stream of crucial scientific data to showcase the amazing art and culture heritage of civilizations inhabiting Earth. In addition, Bella Gaia incorporates satellite imagery, timelines and data to elucidate the impact of everything from climate change to air traffic. Williams hopes to develop a Broadway version of the show, as well as a TV documentary and more. The possibilities are endless and the message—the survival of our species and our host planet—couldn’t be more urgent. “I think in general this project was made for me,” says Williams. “Evolution is a theme in everything I do. I always go back to this fundamental topic and the future of planet Earth. Maybe that’s just my destiny.”
A world bridger of music, visual arts, science and unique storytelling, Williams has collaborated with international DJ John Digweed, evolutionary philosopher Ken Wilber, world famous painter Alex Grey, the Gates Planetarium (Denver Museum of Nature & Science), Ballet Philippines, and is exposing his solo work to large music festivals around the world such as the Smithsonian Folklife festival, & Glastonbury festival (UK).
Classically trained in Violin since the age of 7, Kenji Williams performs live etherealstyle violin, with a laptop, keyboard and drum machine. Tracking Kenji’s multimedia career, from classical violin training, to his early influences in Detroit and European techno, to a BFA in Film Production, and touring with Dub Hip Hop Reggae bands and trance group Medicine Drum, while simultaneously producing and directing films and music videos, the combination of ingredients that make Williams’ art fuse into an exotic and tantalizing audio visual experience.
Collaborating with the most respected artists of our time, Williams is re-shaping the context of communication arts by pioneering
new worlds of musical composition and performance, while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of film & visual communication, and combining them on the stage. Considered by many as a "next level" multimedia artist, Kenji Williams delivers unique and out-of-this-world experiences to audiences worldwide.
Paul Livingstone
Paul is an international performing artist, composer, educator, ensemble leader, writer/lecturer and activist. In the creative tradition of North Indian classical music, Paul has been rigorously trained for the past 25 years in India and the US to play and improvise in the classical raga (traditional melodic forms) system on sitar. He studied under the living legend of sitar Pandit Ravi Shankar after learning extensively under Amiya Dasgupta & Rajeev Taranath at the California Institute of the Arts where he earned his undergraduate & masters degrees in world music. Paul founded and directs the Sangeet School of World Music and was on the faculty of Cal Arts teaching Indian & Raga Jazz music for 5 years. Paul has received numerous awards, grants and international fellowships for musical innovation and education.
An American born in Beirut of missionary parents, Paul lived in India for one year at the age of fifteen initiating his path into Indian music and culture, a trip that had an indelible impact on his social and spiritual psyche. With performances & collaborations in India, South East Asia, Europe and Latin America his performances are known for his virtuosity on sitar and a colorful array of world strings including instruments of his own design. His musical mediums span from the meditative and exciting improvisational realms of Indian classical music and original ‘ragajazz chamber music’ to contemporary expressions of ‘raga rock’ infused with popular rhythms of funk, reggae, hip hop, gospel & diverse folk traditions. In all Paul’s work he strives to directly engage audiences through consistent themes of peace & unity, mindfulness & transcendence, social responsibility & justice.
Paul has studied in depth many other diverse traditions of world music (including African, Persian, Brazilian, Mexican, Javanese & Balinese gamelan & jazz. Paul also plays fretless & scalloped guitars & requintos of his own design. His numerous collaborations in the realm of world music crossover have laid the foundations for his highly creative approach to composing, improvising & education. This approach of ‘world music synthesis’ blending diverse global traditions in a compelling cross-cultural sound, reflect his innermost social, political and spiritual values.
Paul has composed music for film, television live theater and dance as well as producing 4 cds his own music both classical and a wide variety of original music. Pt. Ravi Shankar commented on his debut cd ‘Arohi’ as a “very effective & impressive approach.” He has played with a wide range of world music and jazz artists & ensembles. Recording & performance credits range from popular artists Ozomatli, Cypress Hill, Alanis Morissette & Beck to diverse jazz and world music virtuosos such as Swapan Chaudhuri, John Bergamo, Kenny Burrell, Ali Jihad Racy, Pedro Eustache, Abhijit Banerjee, Geetha Bennett, Poovalur Sriji, Liän Ensemble, Miroslav Tadic, Ravikiran, Prince Diabate and Jagan Ramamoorty. He has been featured in the L.A. Times and other publications.
Paul’s recordings are available! (experience his music on cd & via audio downloads)
Arohi, acoustic creative world music
Salaam Suite, contemporary grooves & unity suites
Vinaya, Raga Puriya Dhashree, Kedar & Durga
Classical Ragas in Concert, Raga Marwa, Vatchaspati & Anandi Kalyan
Creative Capital
What happens when arts funding meets venture capital? Creative Capital happens. Their aim is to establish partnerships with artists in five fields: Film/Video, Innovative Literature, Emerging Fields, Performing and Visual Arts. Instead of just writing a check, Creative Capital makes a long-term investment in an artist, focusing on four key areas: (1) supporting the project over time with financial support, meetings and counsel; (2) supporting the person beyond the project by building internal infrastructure and capacity; (3) strengthening the artist’s community by facilitating relationships and fostering creative dialogue; and (4) engaging the public by providing information about funded projects to as wide an audience as possible. Creative Capital also leverages and adapts established techniques in micro-finance; for example, if a funded project turns a profit, the artist must pay a portion of the proceeds back to Creative Capital to fund the next project. That’s one check every artist would love to write!
Good Eye Video
Good Eye Video is a film company founded by Dan Lane to tell the stories of non-profits, educators and communities through video. From a project as small as building a classroom to a cause as big as curing cancer, Good Eye Video spotlights the incredible work that is being carried out by non-profits across the globe. Their aim is to help communicate with stakeholders through high-quality, creatively produced content.
Dan’s commitment to social justice expands beyond Good Eye Video – he has been involved in a variety of homeless outreach activities, including work at the Friends 15th Street shelter and Coalition for the Homeless & First Step Job Training Program in New York City. His independent writing/directing projects include Eco Magic, a show on sustainable design, The Entomologist Frowns, a narrative short film, as well as a music video for the artist Robot Goes Here. Dan holds a B.S. in Television Radio and Film from Syracuse University.
Erin Moore joined Good Eye Video in 2009, bringing with her the collaborative and progressive spirit of independent film. Previously, Erin worked as a Creative Executive for Lucky Monkey Pictures’ New York office, where she coordinated various aspects of development and production for a large slate of feature film projects. At Lucky Monkey she oversaw the intern program as well as post-production on the upcoming film CITY ISLAND. Erin attended Barnard College at Columbia University in New York City, where she received a B.A. in Political Science & Film Studies.
Currently, Good Eye Video is working on an extensive filming project in Kenya. During a 2007 trip to western Kenya to create video for a non-profit that was building schools, Dan was humbled and inspired. He thought he could use his communications skills to help communities in the region advocate for their projects. Now, almost two years later, Dan and Erin return to Kenya to create videos for an array of local stakeholder non-profits whose missions range from marketing local handicrafts to clean energy micro-loans. Good Eye has partnered with Building Futures, Inc. to create a fundraising campaign with Kickstarter, to engage and connect friends, family and colleagues with the work they will be doing. “It has been an incredibly affirming experience to see people step forward to support our work,” says Erin.
Dan and Erin are excited for this next adventure and thirsty for the inspiration that always comes when they bear witness to good people doing good things. You can follow (and support!) Good Eye Video via their Blog, Facebook, and Twitter.
Roger Ross Williams
Roger Ross Williams produced and directed the Academy Award winning short documentary, MUSIC BY PRUDENCE. He is a television news, documentary and entertainment producer, director and writer who has lived and worked in New York City for the past twenty-five years. As a television news and documentary director and producer he has worked for ABC News, NBC News, MSNBC, BBC, CNN and PBS. Mr. Williams has produced entertainment shows for ABC, CBS, Comedy Central, Food Network, Sundance Channel, TLC, VH1 and Michael Moore’s Emmy Award winning series TV Nation.
He has directed prime–time reality shows for ABC and CBS and produced a documentary series for Discovery Networks and a lifestyle series for Scripts Networks. He has won numerous awards including a NAMIC Vision Award for his television special Moroccan Style and the National Headliner for Best Human Interest Feature for his documentary New York Underground.
Williams has a gift for discovering moving human interest stories, and this is reflected in his current Oscar winning work "Music By Prudence."
MUSIC BY PRUDENCE tells the harrowing story about Prudence a young disabled woman in Zimbabwe. She has spent most of her life being overlooked and ignored with people choosing to see only her disability instead of her as a person. As in many African countries babies born with disabilities are believed to be as a result of witchcraft, and Prudence’s grandparents wanted her to die to rid the family of the curse. Thankfully Prudence’s mother did not believe in witchcraft and instead she left her husband and brought Prudence to live with her mother.
With her grandmother Rachel, Prudence flourished and developed a beautiful singing voice. By the age of seven years, Rachel began to feel the strain of bringing up a disabled child and decided it was better to send Prudence back to live with her father who had abandoned her for a better chance in life. At home Prudence was neglected and ignored but her silver lining came in the form of education in attending the King George IV School & Center for Children with Physical Disabilities. From here Prudence developed into a talented songwriter and then a teacher.
"My producer lives part-time in Zimbabwe, and had seen [Liyana] perform. She wrote to me and told me she saw this amazing singer that she thought would make a great story," says Williams, "she put me in contact with Inez Hussey, the director of Prudence’s school. Inez sent me footage of the band and of Prudence. I watched the tape and knew that I had to make a movie about them and about her."
Steve Connell
An acclaimed actor, renowned playwright, and a National Poetry Slam Grand Champion, Steve’s work has been hailed by critics as “Powerful Theatre”, “Hilarious”, and “Brilliant”. Considering himself as much an activist as an artist, he is passionate about using his voice to make a positive impact in the world.
As a poet, he has won numerous national and regional slam championships (including 2002 Hollywood/ 2003 LA Poetry Slam Champion, 2003 National Champion (team LA)). He has created original pieces for such organizations as People For The American Way, Global Green, AIDS Care, the Sierra Club, the American Cancer Society, and many others. His work has been featured on a wide variety of media outlets, including ABC World News, Good Morning America, MSNBC’s Hardball, HBO’s Def Poetry (twice), MTV’s World AIDS Festival, BET’s Lyric Café, as well as Oprah Winfrey’s celebration of Maya Angelou’s 75th birthday and Quincy Jones’ Lifetime Achievement Award celebration. He performed at the Marian Anderson Awards in an evening honoring the life and work of Norman Lear and Maya Angelou and recently had the great honor of being invited to the Whitehouse for a special celebration of Poetry and Spoken Word.
He served as both poet and creative director for two national spoken word tours - The Underground Poets Railroad, created in the aftermath of 9/11 as a way to raise money and awareness for the families of fallen African American firefighters; and Norman Lear’s Declare Yourself, a voting initiative, that registered over a million voters in its’ first year. Because of the political nature of some his most beloved work, Steve has had the honor of performing at private events for Sen. Hillary Clinton, (by special request of Quincy Jones) and President Barack Obama, (by special request of Oprah Winfrey).
During the 2008 election year he worked with Rock The Vote, Declare Yourself and Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Foundation (for the second time), to release several different pieces online, focusing on the importance of voting, the environmental crisis, and the power of the individual to create change. These pieces featured Steve alone and with his longtime creative partner Sekou (tha Misfit). One of these pieces, “Take America Back”, produced by Mark Johnson (creator of PLAYING FOR CHANGE), brought them to the Inaugural festivities where they had the honor of performing with such luminaries as Jamie Fox, Joan Baez, and Michael Franti.
In addition to “Take America Back”, his collaborations with Sekou have garnered both critical and audience acclaim. Upon seeing their play, “no easy choices”, at the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival, they were commissioned by the American Civil Liberties Union to create a new performance piece that they unveiled at the annual ACLU Membership Conference. They followed that with Unabridged, a series of recorded and filmed poems that can be seen on the ACLU website (aclu.org/unabridged). Last year, ACLU teamed up with the PEN foundation to do a series of panels in LA and Miami called “artists against a surveillance state.”, where Steve and Sekou were invited to share their work with such greats as Nikki Giovanni, Art Spiegelman, and Billy Collins.
Their play, The Word Begins, (dir. Robert Egan) was developed at the prestigious Ojai Playwrights Conference and completed its first national run in Fall 2007 at the Signature Theater in Washington, DC where critics hailed it as “explosively funny”, and “…a stunning show on the cutting edge of modern theater.” It played to sold-out crowds nightly and was subsequently nominated for 3 Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Original Play. Also, Steve’s hit one-man show, 40 Days, was called “breakneck, mind-boggling theatre” and a “world premier tour de force.” and received rave reviews from the LA Weekly (Pick of the Week) and Backstage West (Critic’s Pick).
Over the last few years, Steve has been growing only busier, and in 2010 he shows no signs of slowing down. He recently joined forces with an organization called P.A.V.E. to raise awareness about the dangers and prevalence of sexual abuse. For them, he created a poem cycle, called “Angel Rising”, and it was so well received that they are now hard at work on developing an album and ten-city tour for 2010. He kicked off the new year at the world famous PUBLIC Theatre in New York, where “the Word Begins” was featured as part of the Under the Radar Festival. His new play, “The Danger of Being Known”, recently featured in an Emerging Playwrights series in Los Angeles, will hold a series of public readings at the end of February.
After that closes, in March, he heads to China, where he will be one of the headlining artists at the Bookworm International Literary Festival. Upon returning, in April, he has just been commissioned to create work to World Premier at the 1st annual Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival. In addition to all this, and the “Angel Rising” CD, he is working hard to finish a new live album and a book that he hopes to release soon.
The Center for Social Media
The Center for Social Media at American University in Washington, DC investigates, showcases, and sets standards for socially engaged media-making. They are a leader in the field, organizing conferences and convenings, publishing valuable research, creating codes of best practices, and incubating media strategies.
Pat Aufderheide is the Director of the Center, a professor in the School of Communication, and a member of Meaningful Media’s Advisory Board. In addition to leading the charge at CSM, she is the author of Documentary: A Very Short Introduction, The Daily Planet, and Communications Policy in the Public Interest. Her specific area of interest is copyright and fair use, one of the primary programs at CSM.
CSM recently released a white paper written by Aufderheide and Jessica Clark, Director of their Future of Public Media Project, called Public Media 2.0: Dynamic Engaged Publics. Based on four years of research and funding from the Ford Foundation, the report argues that multi-platform, participatory media will be central to democratic life in the future. It also suggests that public broadcasting could play a central role if the medium is properly restructured and supported. The report shows how experiments in Public Media 2.0 are emerging across sites and sectors -- from political debates on Wikipedia, to environmental discussions in Second Life, to community-based media shared via mobile phones. The Future of Public Media web site even showcases the tweets that come in regarding Public Media 2.0.
"Tomorrow’s public media will be media made by, for, and with the public, but it won’t happen by accident," said Aufderheide. "This report provides a map of opportunities and ways to make the most of them."
Some key concepts from the report about public media 2.0 include:
- It will be crucial to an open, democratic society
- The core function is to generate publics around social issues
- It needs widely shared standards and practices
- Impact measurements are crucial
- Public broadcasting could act as a national network, but only with restructuring
- Public media 2.0 will need broad public mobilization for federal support
The Center for Social Media also convenes the annual Making Your Media Matter, a conference for established and aspiring filmmakers, non-profit communications leaders, funders and students looking to learn and share cutting-edge practices for creating media that matters. Their web site has a wealth of information on the evolving role of documentaries in making change, best practices for sustainable filmmaking, media literacy, the new digital landscape, and more.
The Impacto Foundation
The Impacto Foundation is dedicated to the empowerment of indigenous youths through hands-on training in photography, filmmaking and digital media to develop critical thinking, team work and communication skills as tools for sustainable development, economic growth, and archival of their native cultures.
Impacto was founded in January 2008 by documentary filmmaker Anayansi Prado, filmmaker Elease Lui and filmmaker, journalist and marketing strategist Lisa Garibay. Joined by a board and advisors whose work spans academia, activism and art, IMPACTO is made up of motivated professionals who believe in using visual arts for social and economic change. It will be launching its pilot program, The Panama Heritage Project, on the island of Bocas del Toro, Panama, in January 2009.
Impacto is a project fiscally sponsored by Meaningful Media. Meaningful Media’s Fiscal Sponsorship program (http://www.meaningfulmedia.org/services.php?id=45 provides nonprofit status and administers grant funds for social issue media projects.
Luba Lukova
Internationally recognized, New York based, Bulgarian born, Luba Lukova is one of the most distinctive image-makers working today. She expertly blends human forms and objects to express elemental and universal themes that include love, envy, peace, war, hunger, and ecology. Whether by using an economy of line, color, and text to pinpoint essential themes of the human condition or to succinctly illustrate social commentary, her work is undeniably powerful and thought-provoking. The rich simplicity of her images transcends language, culture, and politics.
Lukova has won numerous awards including Grand Prix Savignac at the International Poster Salon, Paris, France; the Golden Pencil Award at the One Club, New York; ICOGRADA Excellence Award at the Poster Festival in Chaumont, France; and Honor Laureate at the International Poster Exhibition in Fort Collins, CO. Exhibitions of her work have been held at UNESCO, Paris; DDD Gallery, Osaka, Japan; La MaMa, New York; Avla Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia. She is widely regarded for her New York Times Op-Ed illustrations and has received commissions for her work from the Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, Adobe Systems, Sony Music, Harvard University. Lukova’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Bibliotheque Nationale de France.
Current Project: Social Justice 2008: 12 Posters by Luba Lukova
Publisher Clay & Gold recently released Social Justice 2008, 12 posters by Luba Lukova, a new portfolio containing passionate visual reactions to many of the pressing issues of our time.
Luba Lukova is one of those brave souls who dare to dream. Tackling some of today’s most complex, controversial topics, the 12 stunning posters showcased in Social Justice are both thought-provoking and inspiring. Each of the unbound posters comments on a single theme, such as health care, censorship, peace, immigration, ecology, Sudanese famine, privacy. As in all of Lukova’s work, the concepts are so arresting and powerful that the drawings emerge naturally, without unnecessary detail--every element of the story is already there. It’s art that connects with the viewer almost unconsciously, requiring no explanation. Content to let her images speak for themselves, this world-renowned artist leaves it up to the viewer to interpret and assign meaning. Based on its beauty alone, this portfolio is an essential part of any artist or designer’s collection. But the strong statements behind its striking imagery make it just as relevant for other audiences--particularly given the calls for social change we’ve been hearing in this election year.
