The Sanctuary for Independent Media Center presents the “Be The Media!” workshop series from March through June 2010.

The “Be The Media!” workshop series provides local artists, producers, and citizen journalists with opportunities to acquire and improve the skills necessary for successful and high-impact independent media-making.

The workshop series, now in its 8th season, offers chances to explore the use of technology in making art and media, and build the creative capacity of our region. Geared to suit people who know a lot or a little about digital tools, the workshops are suitable for both curious novices, and seasoned users ready to hone their skills. The instructors are world-renowned media artists with expertise in many fields, and come from the Capital District and beyond.

The “Be The Media!” workshop series is presented in partnership with the Hudson Mohawk Independent Media Center, and with the financial support of the New York State Council on the Arts. Each 4-hour workshop will be held in The Sanctuary for Independent Media at 3361 6th Avenue in Troy, NY, on Sunday afternoons.

A new show in our Underground Gallery, "30 Years of the Art of World War 3 Illustrated: America's Longest Running Political Comic Book," will be on display from Monday, February 22, 2010 through June 26, 2010.  The exhibit will be open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 AM-5 PM, as well as an hour before, during and an hour after events at The Sanctuary for Independent Media and by special arrangement.

Founded in 1980 by Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper, World War 3 Illustrated is a labor of love, run by a collective of artists working with the unified goal of creating a home for political comics, graphics and stories. Their confrontational comics shine a little reality on the fantasy world of the American kleptocracy, and have inspired the developing popularity and recognition of the graphic novel medium in the U.S.

Volunteers are the brains and heart that make the Sanctuary a thriving and vibrant community media and arts center. They help to staff events, shoot video, plan events, build the community, build our space, and keep the place nice.

Whether you come with a specific expertise, a new skill you'd like to learn, or just an interest in being a part of the Sanctuary, we welcome your help.

Some of the volunteer projects we need help with:

From July 2009 - July 2010, the Sanctuary for Independent Media will host two AmeriCorps VISTAs through the Digital Arts Service Corps (formerly known as the CTC VISTA project). We are enthusiastic to be a part of this program, which places individuals in organizations whose work centers on media and technology, specifically those who work toward building a strong and diverse public media infrastructure in the U.S.

The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Troy and Public Works Commissioner Robert Mirch for shutting down The Sanctuary for Independent Media on purported code violations from March through April 2008.

Hudson Mohawk Indymedia produced a definitive account of the whirlwind of events surrounding Wafaa Bilal's controversial art exhibit, "Virtual Jihadi," which can be viewed online.

"Art ≠ Terrorism" goes beyond the sound bites to find out what happened when an Iraqi artist came to Troy, NY only to be censored--not once, but twice.

First, Wafaa Bilal's exhibit was shut down by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute after his anti-war artwork was attacked as terrorist propaganda by Campus Republicans.

When the work was given refuge by The Sanctuary for Independent Media, the City of Troy responded by closing us down. A massive outpouring of community support enabled us to re-open six weeks later.