911 Media Arts Center facts for kids
The 911 Media Arts Center is a special place in Seattle, Washington. It's a non-profit organization, which means it doesn't try to make money. Instead, it helps people learn about and use media tools. This includes things like making videos, audio, and digital art. The center started on August 14, 1984. It helps people learn through classes, equipment, and special grants. It also gives artists a place to show their work. The center gets money from its members, class fees, and grants from different groups.
History of 911 Media Arts Center
The center first opened in August 1984. It was known as the Focal Point Media Center. It separated from another art group called the AND/OR Gallery. The center was started by several people. These included Anne Focke, Heather Dew Oaksen, Jill Medvedow, and Norie Sato.
The center got its name because it was first located at 911 E. Pine Street in Seattle. The first director, from 1984 to 1985, was Jill Medvedow. She now leads a big art museum in Boston. Glenn Weiss was the director from 1986 to 1988. He now manages public art in Times Square. The current director is Steven Michael Vroom. He is an art historian and teacher.
Over the years, the 911 Media Arts Center moved a few times. It was on Yale Street and 9th Avenue. These areas are now part of the South Lake Union neighborhood. Today, the center is located at 909 NE 43rd Street. It is in the same building as the Jack Straw Foundation. In 2011, the center received a large grant. The Andy Warhol Foundation gave them $50,000. This money helped the center grow and do more.
What 911 Media Arts Center Offers
The center teaches many different people. They have classes for adults, students, and young people. The classes focus on understanding media. This means learning about video, sound, and digital art. They also teach about making art with computers and websites. Teaching young people is a very important part of what they do.
The center works with other groups to help kids. Some of these partners include Coyote Central and the Northwest African American Museum. The center also lets people use its equipment. This includes cameras and video editing tools. This helps artists and students create their projects.
911 Media also helps with community programs. These programs teach people about media. They work with the City of Seattle and King County, WA. The center also partners with other local non-profit groups. These include the Seattle Art Museum, Wing Luke Museum, and the Museum of History and Industry.
Artists and Exhibitions at 911 Media
Since it started, the 911 Seattle Media Arts Center has shown works by many artists. These include filmmakers and video artists. In 1990, Guillermo Gómez-Peña performed there. This was a partnership with On The Boards. In 1994, the Northwest Cyber Artists worked with the center. They created an exhibit of interactive art at the Seattle Center House. Famous artist Gary Hill has also shown his work at the center many times.
The center also has programs for artists to work there. One artist-in-residence was director James Longley. He edited his documentary Iraq in Fragments at the center. He worked with producer John Sinno. This film was nominated for an Academy Award. It was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature. Margot Knight is another artist who worked there. Her art has been shown in magazines around the world.
