The Big Idea!!!

Okay... here is the Big Idea of the 100 Vis J's 4 NC!!! It is about being an artist and making art; it is about being an activist and getting others to make and share their creativity; and it is about being an advocate and getting citizens and leaders of North Carolina to witness the creative community that is our state.

ARTISTS=

It launched 23 October 2010 in New Bern, 100 6"x9" black bound journals donated by Cheap Joe's were handed out to find there way to each county of North Carolina. In case you did not know, NC has exactly 100 counties, and there is one journal for each one! Over the course of the next year citizens of each county will be invited to share their creativity in their counties book. But that is not all...

ACTIVISTS=

Each journal has a guardian, some one who will watch over the book and be sure it does not get lost in the sea of creativity. This guardian will also share the book with others in the county and encourage participation from anyone interested in making a mark and expressing and idea. In one year, the guardian and regional coordinators will make sure the journal for their county finds its way back to be reunited with all of the other books. But it does not stop there...

ADVOCATES=

In Spring 2012, the regional coordinators and I (and anyone else who wants to get further involved) will go to ARTS DAY in Raleigh to visit with all of our Representatives and Senators and share this project with them. The citizens who made these books endorsed these legislators and that is why they hold the office they have... now we want them to endorse the people back!!! There is a place for the rep or senator to sign in each book that is from a county they serve and then they will also be asked for a monetary donation to the project goal... which is... to create an endowment for the Teacher/Scholars Program at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT). The books will also be auctioned at the 2012 NCCAT Gala to raise more money and then find their final home as part of the permanent library collection at NCCAT.

More to come on this!!!
David