arts education

Founded in 1990, Urban Bridges at St. Gabrielís "[provides] nurturing educational opportunities for people of all ages in the creative arts, computer technology and literacy." The program is located in the Olney-Feltonville section of Philadelphia, and provides after-school programs focusing on literacy, the visual and performing arts, and technology, for approximately 352 children.

Lise Yasui is a filmmaker and producer based in Philadelphia. She served on the board of the National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and serves as a consulting producer on independent documentary projects with the Long Bow Group of Boston. Yasui has worked extensively in the nonprofit funding arena and as a curator and educator with a special interest in multicultural media. In 1988, she was nomintaed for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short Subject for her film "American Experience: A Family Gathering." She was also a producer of 1995's "The Gate of Heavenly Peace" and the coordinating producer of 2003's "A Morning Sun."

Cindy Burstein is a documentary producer living and working in Philadelphia. She comes to the field with a background in community organizing and youth leadership development. Since receiving her MFA in 1997 from Rutgers University-Mason Gross School of the Arts, she has been teaching video production, producing documentaries, and collaborating with other filmmakers. Her most recent film, "Passionate Voices: American Jews and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" was created as a tool for dialogue. She served as regional outreach coordinator of theatrical release for New Yorker Films award-winning documentaries, Trembling Before G-d and My Architect. As an adjunct professor in the Film and Media Arts Department at Temple University, she continues to enlighten students about the merits of progressive media.

Hunter Elementary School is a North Philadelphia based elementary school that educates a little over 600 students from kindergarten through 8th grade. Each summer, college interns, ceramists and high school teaching assistants load up the Clay Studio's Claymobile with tools and clay and visit area community centers, teen detention centers, schools, summer camps and social service shelters that cannot afford clay classes. The program is funded by churches, local charities, and partially by the host sites.

Margie Strosser is an award-winning producer, director and writer in television and film whose projects include the autobiographical documentary "Rape Stories," and fictional works such as "Strange Weather" and "Moon Juice." Recently, Margie was the senior producer/writer for three seasons of "Birth Day," the Discovery Health Channel's highest rated daytime show. She and writing partner Cate Wilson are currently collaborating on a romantic comedy and a psychological thriller adapted from a British novel.

The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation was created in 1984 by business and civic leader George E. Bartol III to promote cultural activities in the Philadelphia region. Integral to the Foundationís philanthropic mission is the belief that art and culture are central components of a livable community.

For 30 years Nexus has served the public in Philadelphia by increasing access to and understanding of "Today’s Art". Nexus was conceived at a time when very few non-commercial galleries existed in Philadelphia. Established in 1975, Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art is an artist-run, not-for-profit exhibition space. Nexus serves as an incubator for local emerging and experimental artists engaged in new art practices, and a venue for traveling and curated art exhibits exploring a wide range of present-day issues. Our exhibitions of challenging, innovative, and compelling contemporary art are intended to stimulate creative thought and dialog among the diverse visitors to Nexus.

Andres Nicolini is a videomaker and computer consultant who moved from Chile to Philadelphia in 1989. His work has been shown in numerous festivals, television networks, and other venues nationally and internationally, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Los Angeles Latino Film Festival and Valparaiso International Film Festival. Additional film and video works include Becoming American, Iggy & Antjuan, and Rendevous, a 2005 feature narrative film about young immigrants in New York. Prior to becoming facilitator for Bodyworks, he came to Scribe to produce the experimental video, #28 [link].