Kickstarter

The Story About The Story |  When we first began this project in August 2012 we wanted to make a short film about one family of artists from State College, PA. However, after one call to Melissa Zeligman's former high school art teacher, Robert Placky, we realized that there was a much bigger story to tell. Because of the timing of several alumni art events we jumped in and started interviewing and filming as many artists and teachers as we could in the course of 3 weeks. The video posted here is just a brief taste of what we captured. 

What We Are Planning Next | There are several stories unfolding in the footage we've gathered. An important next step is to review the footage and write the narrative of the story wanting to be told, yes even a documentary requires a screenplay. The funds raised through this campaign will allow us to dedicate the time and resources to craft this story. This includes conducting follow-up interviews, collaborating with a copy editor and writing coach and dedicating ourselves to putting pen to paper and writing.. Our goal is to have a completed screenplay by the end of February 2013. 

Our Cast of Characters | What do the characters from the award winning movie, Avatar, a world mural created in Norway, a bronze sculpture created in memory of those lost in 9/11 that was viewed at ground zero and the Pentagon, thousands of photographs stitched together to create three dimensional exact replicas of the tombs of Egypt which have been instrumental in the preservation the actual tombs, a film selected for the Sundance Film Festival and custom graphics on a Sims snowboard have in common? Each of the artists responsible for those endeavors came from a small university town in central Pennsylvania- State College, PA and through a public school system with a stellar arts program and a special teacher that had an impact on each of them. These artists, teachers and the community around them each have a great message and story, their own heroes' journey. We look forward to the process of writing their stories and sharing them with the world. 

"We believe strongly that the arts aren't somehow an 'extra’ part of our national life, but instead we feel that the arts are at the heart of our national life. It is through our music, our literature, our art, drama and dance that we tell the story of our past and we express our hopes for the future. Our artists challenge our assumptions in ways that many cannot and do not. They expand our understandings, and push us to view our world in new and very unexpected ways..." | First Lady, Michelle Obama