It’s no secret that arts education has taken a hammering over the last few decades in American schools. So maybe it’s time for Austin’s creative class to take over the Internet, to help the next wave learn how amazing making something new can be.
Ron Pippin, head of local animation and branding house Shiny Object, has been inspired to use his 25 years as a filmmaker (plus his time as a dad) to create the web series ARTtv. He describes it as “the early years of MTV meets PBS Zoom” and, along with his wife Julie Pippin, Ben Steinbauer (Winnebago Man), and others, he’s planning to build a whole community of creatives to help raise the next generation of artists.
An extension of the Outside Voice project, designed to foster a creative environment for kids and parents, ARTtv will be hosted by kids, as they come to grips with a new idea in art through actually designing, crafting, and fashioning something new and wonderful.
At its simplest level, the series will be an online art school for kids. The important part is that it can be any form of art: photography, painting, needlework, music, video, stop-motion, you name it. Each installment will challenge kids with a new concept to encourage them to be more creative.
The team is aiming to raise $50,000 by March 14 through Indiegogo, and here’s the best part: You won’t be backing a project that sounds better than it will actually look. Pippin and company have already produced a sample reel to show the diversity and ingenuity of ideas they hope to stimulate.
You can find out more about Outside Voice and ARTtv on their Facebook page, on Twitter @HiOutsideVoice, and of course you can donate to the campaign via their IndieGoGo page.
One in a Crowd is a series intended to showcase Texas film and tech projects that are crowdfunding their way to a goal, be it distribution, a prototype, or production costs. If you have a project that we should know about, email us at filmflam@austinchronicle.com.
This article appears in March 6 • 2015.
