Eyebeam (New York, NY)
15 Mar 2010
Eyebeam is an art and technology center that provides a fertile context and state-of-the-art tools for digital research and experimentation. It is a lively incubator of creativity and thought, where artists and technologists actively engage with culture, addressing the issues and concerns of our time. Eyebeam challenges convention, celebrates the hack, educates the next generation, encourages collaboration, freely offers its contributions to the community, and invites the public to share in a spirit of openness: open source, open content and open distribution.
How did your organization start?
Eyebeam was conceived by several visionaries in the late nineties as a not for-profit cultural and educational organization dedicated to digital art. The founding principles were to promote artistic exploration, education, and critical discussion of emerging technologies. Through its early programs, exhibitions, lectures, and other public events, Eyebeam sought to increase understanding and appreciation of the artistic power of emerging technologies and to enrich the arts and humanities of the 21st century.
In 1997, Eyebeam's internship, apprenticeship, and afterschool programs, were established to provide opportunities for participants work on creative projects while being exposed to careers in fine arts, film and video, special effects, graphic design, multi-media development, website design, and animation.
Fellowship and Residency programs were established in 2002, and since then Eyebeam has supported some 196 fellowships and residencies for artists and creative technologists; we've continue to run an active education program for youth, artists' professional development and community outreach; and have mounted an extensive series of public programs, over recent years approximately 3-4 exhibitions and 40 performances, workshops, and events annually.
In 1997, Eyebeam's internship, apprenticeship, and afterschool programs, were established to provide opportunities for participants work on creative projects while being exposed to careers in fine arts, film and video, special effects, graphic design, multi-media development, website design, and animation.
Fellowship and Residency programs were established in 2002, and since then Eyebeam has supported some 196 fellowships and residencies for artists and creative technologists; we've continue to run an active education program for youth, artists' professional development and community outreach; and have mounted an extensive series of public programs, over recent years approximately 3-4 exhibitions and 40 performances, workshops, and events annually.
What is special about your organization?
Eyebeam supports not only the creation of art but also creative applications of technology; our core focus is on the research and the production of new works. The projects and art developed here represents a diverse group of artists, hackers, programmers, activists, and youth who we invite into our creative labs; it's a place where innovators of all stripes come to test their ideas and develop work. Eyebeam's exhibitions are also process oriented with a keen focus on workshops and participation, not just presentation of work. In addition, the organization and its artists produce work and public programs that address broad social concerns regarding education, the environment, open culture and other topics.
In particular, Eyebeam has a unique emphasis on open source methodologies and our Open Culture Research Group explores the history of craft traditions, free software, open source, creative commons, and other models of shared, open culture. All of Eyebeam's Research Groups--Education, Open Culture, Project Blackbird (on humor and code gathering), Sustainability, Urban Research-- provide artists, technologists and cultural workers who are exploring similar themes in their work a more formalized structure to meet regularly to share resources and knowledge and to con
duct further inquiry into these subjects through research, festival attendance, trips to collaborating organizations, lectures by visiting experts, and even curating new exhibitions-- the Feedback exhibit was curated by the Sustainability Research Group).
In particular, Eyebeam has a unique emphasis on open source methodologies and our Open Culture Research Group explores the history of craft traditions, free software, open source, creative commons, and other models of shared, open culture. All of Eyebeam's Research Groups--Education, Open Culture, Project Blackbird (on humor and code gathering), Sustainability, Urban Research-- provide artists, technologists and cultural workers who are exploring similar themes in their work a more formalized structure to meet regularly to share resources and knowledge and to con
duct further inquiry into these subjects through research, festival attendance, trips to collaborating organizations, lectures by visiting experts, and even curating new exhibitions-- the Feedback exhibit was curated by the Sustainability Research Group).
What is your organization currently working on that excites you?
We're excited about several really interesting events and festivals coming up at Eyebeam, including the ElectroSmog Festival of Sustainable Immobility and a new exhibition, Re:Group: Beyond Models of Consensus running from April 22nd - June 26th.
Co-curated with Upgrade! NY, Re:Group examines models of participation and participation as a model, presenting work that encourages subversive collaboration, intervenes into existing systems, or envisions new alternatives.
We also love our semi-annual art party event series MIXER which is choc full of interactive projects especially suited to a party environment, rather than an exhibition.
In addition to MIXER, the new work happening in Eyebeam's Research Groups is exciting in very different ways:
In Open Culture, we're excited about one of its new initiatives 'Design for Social Change,' which has a focus on design methodologies toward social change and critical intervention.
Our Sustainability group's program Food in the City (yum!) brings artists and activists working on food and sustainability issues together to collaborate with like-minded organizations and educational groups.
Co-curated with Upgrade! NY, Re:Group examines models of participation and participation as a model, presenting work that encourages subversive collaboration, intervenes into existing systems, or envisions new alternatives.
We also love our semi-annual art party event series MIXER which is choc full of interactive projects especially suited to a party environment, rather than an exhibition.
In addition to MIXER, the new work happening in Eyebeam's Research Groups is exciting in very different ways:
In Open Culture, we're excited about one of its new initiatives 'Design for Social Change,' which has a focus on design methodologies toward social change and critical intervention.
Our Sustainability group's program Food in the City (yum!) brings artists and activists working on food and sustainability issues together to collaborate with like-minded organizations and educational groups.
What is the future of your organization? What are you striving for?
One of the only constants at Eyebeam is change; we are always bringing in new fellows and residents, and we strive to stay ahead of the wave by supporting new developments in technology. Given our ever-changing environment, Eyebeam is building deeper, long term collaborations with other organizations, particularly where our focus on open source methodologies can bring greater depth to the work of partner organizations and colleagues participating in the Open Culture and Sustainability Research Groups.
What else do you want the media arts community to know about your organization?
Please check out the Eyebeam website, a fantastic resource full of information about Eyebeam artists and resources for the community. Get to know the work of our new Spring 2010 Residents and Fellows. Check out the current Eyebeam events, festivals and exhibits happening at Eyebeam.
And find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (eyebeam_org) and see you soon!
And find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (eyebeam_org) and see you soon!
Location
540 W. 21st Street, New York, NY
United States
40° 44' 49.5384" N, 74° 0' 26.0352" W
