Blog #7 – Second Life

As an art teacher and artist, I found this site, http://www.virtual-art-initiative.org/Virtual_Art_Initiative/Projects.html Virtual Art Initiative, within Second Life to be amazing.  I have subscribed to the feed and will be receiving updates on their projects. These artists, musicians, writers, programmers and scholars are creating both individual and collaborative works.  I plan on sharing this process and the final projects with my Painting I & II classes as well as the AP Studio class. According to the Projects page, this Virtual Art Initiative maintains four sims in Second Life including two artists colonies.  The artists’ portfolios and artist statements are highlighted on the Artists page.blog

The Mind map on Education 2.0 blog suggested on the Second Life assignment this week is extensive,http://www.flickr.com/photos/jokay/sets/72157612171568581/show/.  I think I could see myself finding more ways to use Second Life in my classroom now that I have more connections to more “tried and true” resources. I like the link to Art Galleries and Museums as an art history and contemporary art resource for my high school art students.  This page utilizes connections to other sites in and out of Second Life as well, including a “walk through tour” of the Sistine Chapel in Second Life for example. For my advanced students, there are examples of Artists in Residence programs and an amazing “Open-Source” Museum of Open-Source Art (OSMOSA), created by a group of students from Brown University.

Through my browsing of all the incredible sites linked from Second Life, I joined the OPENSOURCE Art’s Flickr group at http://opensource.boxwith.com/collaborate.html.

And another called The Open Art Network http://three.org/openart/. This site included a quote by John Cage (1969).

"Computers are bringing about a situation that's like the invention of harmony. Subroutines are like chords. No one would think of keeping a chord to himself. You'd give it to anyone who wanted it. You'd welcome alterations of it. Subroutines are altered by a single punch. We're getting music made by man himself, not just one man."              --John Cage, 1969.

Yes that is the correct date. I was blown away as I read it, and am inspired by his insight, vision, and imagination.  This site was the most exciting link that I have come across and will follow it closely as the “open source” debate continues.  I was encouraged to see so many diverse virtual environments for education in Second Life. But was really even more impressed by the resources that I could link to. The Network News section in this website is the most informative information that I have found on Open Source Art, including Problems, Solutions, Protocols, Open Art Licensing and actual Open Art projects.