Parallel Studios (a 501(c)(3) non-profit) has been producing, curating and designing small and large scale currents video exhibitions in Santa Fe since 2002. In 2010 we launched CURRENTS NEW MEDIA as an annual, citywide event. The Festival brings together the work of established and emerging New Media artists, from New Mexico, the US and the World, for events showcasing interactive and non-interactive installations, multimedia performances, VR and AR environments, single channel video, animation, experimental documentary, web based/app art forms, robotics and 3D printing. Parallel Studios reaches out to local high and middle school students through its Youth Media Makers Program.
Mission Goals
To present the work of national and international emerging and established video and new media artists through its CURRENTS NEW MEDIA exhibitions.
To foster an international exchange of this art form by inviting foreign artists to present work at our exhibits and by establishing international connections in order to present the work of U.S. artists abroad.
To give the community at large the chance to experience the latest in the video arts in a open and non-intimidating environment and to provide docent tours to expand the general public’s understanding of the medium. We have always made it a principle that our exhibits are free to the public so as not to discourage those unfamiliar with this form from visiting the exhibitions. We are committed to a non-discriminatory and inclusive approach to community involvement. To this end Parallel Studios designs group installations that offer the public an intriguing invitation to new media. Though our exhibit designs are first and foremost grounded in service to beauty and excellence we also create and design with exploration, playfulness and accessibility in mind. Our exhibits present a diversity of staging formats and aesthetic concerns – installational, site specific, projected and interactive video – all unified by the artists’ overarching commitment to an unbridled approach to what defines the world of new media.
To create an environment for the participating artists that is conducive to the sharing of information and experience. Selected artists present lectures and hands on workshops which are open to artists and the public.
To engage youth in this art form by presenting their work at our exhibitions and by inviting youth groups to attend the exhibits. Knowledgeable docents are available to guide them through the exhibit and answer their questions.
To establish a program of video art presentations at local high schools in order to introduce students to this art form and encourage them to create work that may be presented at our exhibitions.
To recruit college and high school students to participate as interns in the mounting and maintenance of the exhibitions as a learning experience.
To organize traveling exhibitions not necessarily focused on large urban art centers but to take this new art form to smaller towns that would not normally have the opportunity to experience this type of work.
To archive and present the works of our artists on an online exhibition space.
