Urban Video Project workshops announced for artists, educators and arts organizations

Erica Blust
(315) 443-5891

Organizers of the Urban Video Project (UVP), a public arts initiative bringing art to the streets and buildings of Syracuse’s Connective Corridor, will offer free workshops on Thursday, Jan. 22; Friday, Jan. 23; and Friday, Feb. 13, so that local artists, educators and arts organizations can learn how to use the UVP venues to showcase artwork.

UVP, the first major installation of the Corridor, is an initiative of Syracuse University with technology provided by Time Warner Cable. Organizers recently launched three venues that display or project artwork daily from dusk to 11 p.m. throughout the year. High- definition, 16:9-aspect-ratio projection systems are used to project collections of video, animation and animated stills on the Monroe Building at 333 E. Onondaga St. and the Onondaga Historical Association Museum (OHA) building at 321 Montgomery St. Artwork is also displayed on four LED transparent mesh curtains that hang in the atrium of Syracuse Stage at 820 E. Genesee St.

As SU’s ultimate goal for UVP is to provide visual arts venues for members of the Syracuse community, the workshops listed below will be held to encourage participation and submissions. All workshops are free and open to the public and will be held in the Everson Arts Education Room, ground floor, The Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St. Space is limited; participants are asked to register by contacting Daniela Mosko-Wozniak, UVP curatorial director, at dmoskowo@syr.edu.

Workshop schedule:

Thursday, Jan. 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Grades K-12 Art Project Workshop
This workshop will present examples of projects created for public presentation on video venues. This class is for arts programs with limited technological capabilities or for teachers who wish to use traditional media (drawing, painting, etc.) to create assignments that can be shared on UVP. Projects do not need to be specifically art related. History, science, performing arts and other disciplines are encouraged to explore possible uses for the venues.

Friday, Jan. 23, 5-7 p.m.
Grades K-12 Film and Animation Workshop
Any school capable of producing high-quality moving images using such programs as iMove, Flash, Final Cut or After Effects can create work that can be formatted for the UVP system. This workshop will discuss project ideas and simple technical specifications for using the venues.

Friday, Feb. 13, 5-8 p.m.
Local Artist and Arts Organization Technology Workshop
Artists who create work using such programs as iMove, Flash, Final Cut or After Effects can use the UVP system. This workshop will discuss project ideas and simple technical specifications for using the venues. Still photographers who may wish to create image sequences for the venues may also attend this workshop. Traditional photographers must have knowledge of digital photography.

The Syracuse Public Art Commission reviews and approves all UVP work shown. The workshops will address the application procedures for the art commission’s approval.

First established in 2007 by the student artist team Avalanche Collective in SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, UVP has developed into one of the first permanent series of urban projection installations in the United States. Plans for a fourth venue at the John H. Mulroy Civic Center Theatres at Oncenter are currently being developed. For more information about UVP, contact Mosko-Wozniak or Denise Heckman, UVP academic director, at daheckma@syr.edu.

The Connective Corridor is emerging as a signature strip of cutting-edge cultural development connecting the University Hill with downtown Syracuse. It is home to three major universities and more than 25 arts and cultural venues, all in close proximity to one another. In the coming months and years, these venues will be stitched together and showcased with new urban landscapes, bike paths, imaginative lighting, public and interactive art, signage and way-finding systems.

Partners in the Corridor project include U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton; former U.S. Rep. James Walsh; Gov. David Paterson; the New York State Assembly, led by Assemblyman William Magnarelli; the City of Syracuse; Onondaga County; National Grid, lead corporate partner; Syracuse University; and Time Warner Cable.

For more information on the Connective Corridor, visit http://connectivecorridor.syr.edu.