Don’t know how he accomplished it in only 5 months.

Even from the first screening, I got that same old feeling of “Hey, I could do that. I could make a film. A short one of course, but yeah, I could do it.” So now I have burned into my mind a long list of images, sounds and ideas that were are dying to pop up fully formed as the next brilliant video. Or film. Or doc. (That’s inside-lingo-talk for documentary, donchaknow?)

Can I say the 2 pieces that have stuck with my the past few days couldn’t be more opposite. One’s a slow, quiet deep-dive into the making of a Steinway piano [review in local paper] and the other was 3 clips which preview a gritty, down-on-the-ground and terrifying look at the forgotten war in Afghanistan, and the soldiers fighting it. The Forgotten War [(Scott Kesterson)]

I would love to see Note by Note again (the lush, visually stimulating story of pianos) – yes it was that good. In a former life, filmmaker was a graphic designer. >> about the filmmaker

And I am of two minds about Scott’s work – I really do mywant to see the piece when it’s all finished, but I don’t know if I can watch that so-very-up-close-and-personal look at war. Man’s inhumanity to man is more than tough to watch. Not sure that I can stomach it. I feel squeamish even now just thinking about it. >> about the filmmaker

It’s life.

And how we manage life in 2007 has changed. It’s no longer following the college path like it has for the 2 generations preceding. My parents. And their parents. The path my folks took was the basic 12 years plus college which would yield a degree and that would mean a quote unquote good job.

Now whatever the focus may be in college, most likely the job would NOT be in any similar field. It often looks like it was simply the aquisition of the degree, the stick-to-ive-ness of getting through those 4 years (or more), the showing a sense of completion, that something was studied in university, that’s what ensures getting hired.

Here’s what I propose is the difference. Just during my lifetime the reasons to go to college have changed dramatically.

Here’s how it goes now.

It’s experience that counts, not the degree. The fact is, kids in 4th and 5th grade are learning PowerPoint. They’re becoming entrepreneurs before finishing middle school. So how can someone out-of-college and in the workforce ever hope to compete? The trend most recently seems to be experience over having the degree. Kids can get hired right out of school long before they finish – and you thought this was only happening in the NBA for high school basketball players.

It wasn’t that long ago when having a college degree was the only way to gain entry into the most lucrative areas of business. Going to a trade school could only promise meager salaries and was often relegated to those students who didn’t have the money or the grades to attend college. I see that’s not the case anymore.

See: 23-Year-Old Mark Zuckerberg Has Google Sweating

Published: July 9, 2007

By: Abbey Klaassen

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Just as Google has become what some people call the operating system for search, Facebook is turning itself into the operating system for social networking. While Google knows what millions of people are searching for, Facebook has something the search giant hasn’t been able to grow: a network of connections between people that creates a viral distribution platform unrivaled by any portal or search engine.

recognizing achievement in heritage Web site design

Learning at the Whitney

Steve is a research project whose participants are building a tagging tool, collecting tags, analyzing data, and engaging in discussion. We hope to apply what we learn to improving access to works of art.

Join the first experiment in social tagging of art museum collections.

FAAN is an online network, which uses a gift economy to connect artists and potential collectors. All of the artworks on view are available for adoption. This means quote acquiring an artwork without purchasing it, through an arrangement between the artist and collector. The goal is to help increase and diversify the population of art owners and to offer artists new means for engaging their audience.

Hmm. I haven’t found much art that can be gifted beyond the NYC or LA areas. Perhaps next time I check back, there’ll be something more listed than just one artist for Texas.

Mikorud’s friend Cone is here.

It’s so close.

I live in Dallas. Yet I work in far north Plano – not far from Oklahoma as I often whine – and yet I’ve only recently availed myself of the wide variety of artwork on display at the Texas Sculpture Garden.

It’s so close.

No need to drive all the way over to Fort Worth, the cultural crown jewel of all-things-arty. I must admit to favoring a quick 30 minute drive west in order to visit the Amon Carter. Or the Modern. Or the Kimbell.

The community in Fort Worth often appears to be so much more forwarding thinking than the movers+shakers here in Dallas Arts District. But there’s hope for Dallas…

For Plano…

For Frisco…

for more:
sculpture
photos
new media
fashion + art

Don’t think that I am bashing the art scene here in Dallas – I am not.

In fact, in just this week I visited the wonderful Women’s Museum at Fair Park = Dallas. And I just had the most wonderful conversation with a new acquaintance about the lovely and not-so-well known Meadows Museum on the campus of SMU = again, Dallas. Plus my fellow students from UTD have a show that’s just opened at the Dallas Contemporary. It’s called Reality Bites. Clearly there’s lots more going in all around me – this is just what’s passed my way this week.

This is nice for the Roundhouse – The overall mission is to celebrate diversity…of people, values, ideas and activities.