Earlier this year I joined the board of directors of two mainstream arts organizations. I decided that if I wanted to see more high profile and high caliber LGBT oriented arts events and exhibitions in San Diego then a good tactic would be to help facilitate change from within some of our city’s more notable organizations.
Goodness knows I already have a lot on my plate making art of my own, teaching at two local colleges and writing this column every week for you dear readers. But so far my board commitments have been easy to handle and fun and they have been great networking opportunities as well.
So, with a handful of meetings under my belt, next year I encourage you to look out for some very exciting and worthwhile LGBT-oriented programming being launched by the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA). I will certainly be reporting more on that closer to the date, but if you are a gay artist who works in a time-based medium then keep in mind that MOPA is all about the photographic image and the moving image as well.
But before MOPA begins to engage our community let me tell you about So Say We All. So Say We All is a literary and performance oriented non-profit that I have written about before and also participated with as a writer/performer but also as co-curator of the wildly popular extravaganza The Fab & Furious Queer Circus of Dastardly Delight back in 2011.
So Say We All’s mission is to give people the opportunity to tell their story and then provide those fledgling storytellers with the tools and training to tell their stories better. The organization is particularly interested in empowering the more disenfranchised voices in the community and during the past few years they have paid due attention to LGBT voices, with more to come.
Take VAMP for example. Sounds gay, right? But, it’s not. In fact VAMP stands for “Video, Art, Music, Performance” and the forum is a highly produced multimedia variety showcase that So Say We All puts together on the last Thursday night of most months. VAMP has become very popular and it has launched quite a few local writers, helping many novices hone their story and strengthen their voice.
If a problem exists it’s the fact that a Thursday night event at a bar disqualifies quite a few audience members from attending: parents of toddlers, sleepy people and sober work-force oriented folks all miss out on the great entertainment. Therefore, in my effort to get this highly worthy organization on your radar in advance of its future gay programming I encourage you to check them out at the first ever Re-VAMP’D showcasing the Best of 2013, Part 1. It’s a great opportunity to experience entertaining writers, and it just might pique your own interest in submitting work for a future show, gay-themed or otherwise.
It’s happening this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 14 from 8-10:30 p.m. at the new Bread & Salt arts space. Check sosayweallonline.com for all the details.
