AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

Dear Family and Friends, Mentors and Colleagues:

I'm writing to let you know about an exciting development in my artistic career; the start of Stearns Creative Electronics Development, a project I am producing to support my creative endeavors as I transition into a practice dedicated to the promotion of electronics education through the arts. The project's long range goals are to develop engaging, creative, goal-oriented, hands-on workshops to teach electronics; investigate ways of participating in, creating, and supporting a do-it-yourself (DIY) culture of self-sufficiency and free exchange of knowledge on a local and international scale; and incorporate the aforementioned goals into an ecologically aware practice by powering projects with renewable energies and through salvaging and re-purposing discarded materials.

Since 2006 I have been sharing my knowledge of electronics through workshops that draw their inspiration from my personal artistic projects. My first presentations were at Machine Project for the Dorkbot SoCal, a forum for "people doing strange things with electricity". In 2007 I led several introductory workshops --- at Machine Project (LA), California Institute of the Arts, LAMES (Austria), Eyebeam (NYC) --- teach basic electronics through circuit bending, the creative re-use of obsolete or discarded electronic toys or musical instruments. Workshops that I led during 2008 were geared towards teaching more advanced electronics, a reflection of my own artistic work. The creation of the Stearns Creative Electronics Development project represents a shift in my practice from focusing on producing solo "art works" to developing workshops for teaching electronics through creative group projects.

Now is a crucial moment in the development of my career and I need your support to help make this important transition from an emerging individual artist to an established working creative arts educator. Teaching groups of people the magic of electronics through hands-on workshops demands a considerable commitment of resources in terms of time, materials, and of course finances. It is not only the development of the workshops that comes with increased costs, oftentimes I am called to travel to international conventions to present my work, hold workshops, and learn from my international contemporaries. I have been selected to present work at six international exhibitions this year -- the New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) conference (Pittsburgh, PA), the FILE 2009 International Electronic Language Festival (Brazil), Transitio_MX (Mexico), Electrofringe Festival (Australia), 404 Festival (Taiwan), and Expo Leeds (UK). My participation in these conferences and exhibitions is crucial for increasing awareness of my current work and future projects. They are not only forums to present and share ideas but places to network and develop constructive relationships with other international artists with similar goals. Successful participation in these conferences will boost international recognition of my work.

Your support is crucial in helping bridge the gap remaining between the full cost of participation and any grants or stipends that I may be awarded. Your contribution to the Stearns Creative Electronics Development project is deeply appreciated and vitally important. You will be supporting the free exchange of knowledge within an international community; promoting the advancement of education focused on electronics and renewable energy sources; and enabling the development and exhibition of innovative and creative group-oriented electronics arts projects. Each contribution will have tangible material results:

$25 pays for half-dozen rechargeable battery packs
$50 pays for a new soldering station
$75 pays for 5 watt solar panel
$175 pays for basic soldering materials for a workshop of 10
$200 pays for shipping artwork to Brazil for the FILE festival
$375 pays for one month of studio rent
$750 pays for all materials for a solar workshop of 20 students
$1000 pays for one round trip airline ticket to Leeds for the Expo Leeds
$2000 pays for a computer system upgrade

Stearns Creative Electronics Development is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of Stearns Creative Electronics Development may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. You can make your contribution now by visiting the Stearns Creative Electronics Development's donations page on the Fractured Atlas website:

https://www.fracturedatlas.org/donate/2402

Or you may send contributions to:

Phillip Stearns
349 Eastern Parkway
Apartment 3
Brooklyn, NY 11216

Checks should be made payable to Fractured Atlas, with "In behalf of Stearns Creative Electronics Development" in the memo line.

In-kind donations of equipment are also accepted and encouraged. If you would like to contact me with further questions about this project, please don't hesitate to contact me by email at pixelform@art-rash.com or by cellphone at 1-720-217-4677. For more about my work and for updates about current projects, please visit my website at http://www.art-rash.com/pixelform.

Thank you for your generous support.

Warmest Regards,

Phillip Stearns