Bohemian Raphsody

The New York Times reports on a new survey which finds that slightly more than half of American artists experienced a drop in income from 2008 to 2009. Two thirds of artists earned less than $40,000 last year, and while most of us have have college degrees, only 6 percent earned more than $80,000 per year.

Despite the gnawing feeling that creativity may not be an effective form of currency, the article goes on to quote unnamed artists who blithely report "I live in a recession all the time, so this downturn has really not been so different for me," and a Manhattan architect who is "enjoying" his unemployment because it is "allowing me to pursue things that I really want to pursue.”

Also: Joe Hill - Paul Robeson

Watch and Learn

The Dutchess County Arts Council is having "a celebration of arts and community" and you are totally invited (pdf).

Hosted by Chair Tom Sipos and other community leaders, the event will include a breakfast and a showing of Picking Ourselves Up, Dusting Ourselves Off, a multi-media presentation created by the Children's Media Project.

Tickets are $25 per person, but you can book a table of 8 for just $175.

In case you don't know, Children's Media Project workshops and after school programs are mission-oriented activities, designed to help children and youth "interact with the media arts as creators and critical viewers."

Some of their student-generated Public Service Announcements are posted online and you can go watch them.

This anti-smoking video titled "Nuthin' Left" (Real Media File) by student Ryan Sullivan was shown on MTV.

Digital Divide

Organizations like New York's Ghetto Film School and Chicago's Digital Youth Network are giving young people the tools they need to be innovative artists and critical thinkers.

I think fostering media literacy and offering young people access to technology is part of the new civil rights movement.

If you can't get online you're not able to participate fully in the new society.

If you don't control your own image, then who does?

Maybe you could donate your computer to the cause?