Summary
Hi! My name is Roy, I am halfway through my MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) program at the University of Lethbridge, in Southern Alberta, Canada, and I am in the process of putting together my thesis project - to be completed by July 2015.
The project I am working on is about experimenting with sound, as a way to explore communication with others, by making relationships "visible", through sound collaborations.
The reason why I have created a fundraising campaign is simple. There is a lack of acoustically-designed spaces setup for experimentation and recording at the University - in fact zero. I am trying to secure the funds necessary to, not only design and build such a space, but also stock it with the necessary equipment (instruments, microphones, etc).
The goal is to have this up and running by September, and have it be offered as part of the facilities available to the undergraduate students in the Fine Arts Dept, in the same way that printmaking, sculpture, and photography are facilities offered. The payoff is twofold: I begin work on my MFA thesis project while expanding the facilities offered to undergrads.
With your help, I will be able to purchase the necessary equipment and materials to get this project space off the ground! At the end of the day, you will be helping me offer the opportunity for youths to experiment in a positive and constructive manner, at a time when such investment is most valuable and impactful.
The Deal
THE COSTS:
40% - to the purchase of recording equipment. This will include:
- microphones, mic stands, patch cords, 16 or 24 channel mixer, recording software (Abelton, or like), a computer dedicated to the recording studio.
30% - to the purchase of music equipment. This will include:
- 1 guitar amp, 1 bass amp and 1 drum kit (as standbys), various instruments (wind, reed, percussion), effects pedals. And, hopefully more as a need is felt.
30% - to transforming a space inside the University of Letbridge - which is essentially a long concrete box - into an acoustically designed space.
- As I mentioned, there is a lack of usable space at the University, so not only does the experimental sound studio have to be acoustically designed, but it also has to be built in a way so that the space can be easily packed up when needed with as small a footprint as possible. This is the design challenge.
THE PRIZE:
I have decided to sell the t-shirts I made for last year's Supercrawl (2013) in Hamilton, ON: http://www.supercrawl.ca/
Summertime is here...At Last! And everyone could use an extra t-shirt for this season! Whether its a shirt to wear in the heat, or a shirt to wear while doing yard work or landscaping. Maybe there's a garage to clean out this summer, or maybe an automobile to do some work on. Or maybe its a shirt to wear in the studio while you make a mess of your clothes. Whatever the job, I've got just the t-shirt for you!
As part of the project I built for Supercrawl, I also did a collaboration with Becky Katz to create these t-shirts I'm offering. The shirts were screenprinted at Centre 3 (http://centre3.com/centre3upgradesite/). The t-shirts are in both black and white, with an image of a pentagon and triangle screen printed on the front; the form is a reference to the shape of the structure I built for Supercrawl. Each screenprinted image differs slightly. T-shirts are only in Medium and Large, and people who make a donation of $45 - $55 will receive a t-shirt while they are still available!
I will also be making original photo collages available in postcard format (4"X 6") through out this funding campaign (which ends June 30th). Each week there will be a new collage to choose from, with varying funding incentives.
The Impact
The impact is simple: Give people more opportunities to express themselves creatively - and to interact with their reality on a creative level - and see what good comes from it!
Ways to Help
Maybe you don't want a t-shirt, but know someone who would like it as a gift. Or, if you can't make a contribution, but feel this is a worthwhile effort to support, then feel free to copy the URL to this page and forward it to your friends. Please help me spread the word if you support my project! Thank you.
