Urban Video Project returns March 15 in conjunction with citywide art open Third Thursday (Th3)

Urban Video Project returns March 15 in conjunction with citywide art open Third Thursday (Th3)March 12, 2007Erica Blustesblust@syr.edu

The Urban Video Project (UVP) will present its second volume of installations on Thursday, March 15, from 5-8 p.m. at Spark Contemporary Art Space, 1005 E. Fayette St. Recent work by the Avalanche Collective, of which UVP is an extension, will also be shown.

UVP, a public arts initiative seeking to bring art to the streets and buildings of Syracuse, uses multiple video projections, six-channel sound and performance to explore new forms of cartography that challenge traditional functions and perceptions of urban space and identity. Choosing to work outside the confines of a traditional gallery structure, UVP produces events that explore notions of spatial practice, authorship, hybrid cartography, performance and alternative cinema experiences.

Inspired by the Connective Corridor and Th3, a citywide arts open held on the third Thursday of every month, UVP is the brainchild of the 40 Below Public Arts Task Force and the three graduate students in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts who form the Avalanche Collective: Blake Carrington, Christopher Gianunzio and Colin Todd. Working closely with numerous University and community partners, UVP produces a series of experimental outdoor video projections throughout the year.

“Art doesn’t just belong in a gallery or museum, it has the capacity to invigorate a larger environment and bring social change,” says Carrington. “We are confident that this project will help promote Syracuse as a lively center for contemporary art.”

The Connective Corridor is an urban entrepreneurial zone linking a vast array of arts and cultural venues, businesses and neighborhoods in Syracuse. Both a place to be and the site of a world-class urban design project, the Connective Corridor is a cultural and economic magnet for the region that engages the city of Syracuse, SU, arts and cultural organizations, and businesses as partners.

The Connective Corridor Shuttle Bus (Centro Route #543) will operate during the winter and spring months on Thursdays and Fridays from 5-11:40 p.m. and Saturdays from 1-11:40 p.m. The free shuttle service provides a convenient way to travel to cultural events and happenings at SU and in downtown Syracuse, including Th3. A route schedule/map for the Connective Corridor Shuttle Bus is available online at http://connectivecorridor.syr.edu.

For more information on UVP, contact Carrington at (812) 606-1376 or mail@blakecarrington.com.