Happy Holidays from Art+Practice

Art+Practice prop master, Richard Johnson, holds up a mysterious prop created specifically for "These Are Mysteries": episode #15 of The Amerikans, scheduled to debut in mid-January, 2014. The new episode relates the mystical tale of Parnell Necklace: a Yankton Sioux drum maker, musician and storyteller, who shares stories of extraordinary encounters—with UFOs, shape shifters, Bigfoot—that are vividly recreated. Told in a slyly disarming style, Parnell’s tales make one laugh but also suggest that another level of meaning is available to viewers. Stay tuned in January for the official release.

"The Amerikans in China" goes viral

     Left to right: Yingran Zhang, Lang Xu, Shi Shi, Qianhui Zhou, Yinyu Zhan, Mengchen Xu, Jun Li, Zhou Zhou

"The Amerikans in China" is a collaboration between eight Oberlin College students, all from China, and Art+Practice. The project began several months ago to help spread several episodes of "The Amerikans", in translation, to youku.com and tudou.com, China’s two most popular video hosting services. On Monday morning,  December 9th, the group launched a social media campaign on Sina, China's version of Twitter, and a blog on Douban. Within twelve hours, "The Amerikans" went viral, generating over 50,000 views. As a project, "The Amerikans in China" is part of an ongoing mission, modeled by Art+Practice, that illustrates the ways in which art made locally can generate a worldwide audience. 

    Episode #13, "Love & Venom", featured on the main page of youku.com, China's version of youtube.

Check out "The Amerikans in China" here:

Youku: http://i.youku.com/u/UMTIwNTc2MDM3Ng==

Todou: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/q0aKOe0Vq_Q/

Douban: http://site.douban.com/224644/

Sina: http://www.weibo.com/u/3933970490

"The Amerikans" family portrait

Art+Practice would like to say a special thank you to Wally Lanci and Consolidated Graphics Group, in Cleveland, Ohio, for donating the printing costs for our beautiful invitation, by illustrator Kaori Mitsushima, for our November 21st event: "Cinema + Conversation = Community". This image appeared on the front and back of our invitation. It includes a giant paw paw, Ohio's state fruit, and all fifteen of The Amerikans.  Yet to be released, episode #15, titled "These Are Mysteries", stars Parnell Necklace of Peebles, Ohio.

Cinema + Conversation = Community

On November 21st, the Community Foundation of Lorain County, Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music and the Nord Family Foundation sponsored a dinner and a movie paired with a community conversation called "Cinema + Conversation = Community".

Moderated by Dan Moulthrop and facilitated by Noelle Celeste, over fifty participants watched six episodes of The Amerikans and engaged in discussions on ways in which each of us can get to know our neighbors. 

"Cinema + Conversation = Community" was an outgrowth of a $30,000 grant, made in 2012, to Art+Practice from the Community Foundation of Lorain County. That grant made possible the last three episodes of The Amerikans - "Walter", "Love & Venom", and "Who Lives There" - and reflected the mutual understanding that local and sustainable media making can contribute to the revitalization of community identity. Art+Practice is proud to be the recipient of the first-ever grant by the foundation for an arts and media project.  

Alana Youssefian, Rachel Iba, Luke Adamson, Carrie Frey

During the event, a quartet from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music performed music by Phillip Glass and Terry Riley.

Art+Practice team: Jeffrey Pence, Micha Hilliard, Mika Johnson

Art+Practice would especially like to thank Brian Frederick, of the Community Foundation of Lorain County, and John Mullaney, of the Nord Family Foundation, for making this event possible. They would also like to thank Dan Moulthrop and Noelle Celeste for making the evening a rewarding experience for all involved.