A project of HERE
MADE HERE is a documentary series and website focusing on performing artists based in New York City. A collage of intimate interviews, performances and behind-the-scenes footage, MADE HERE mirrors the rich diversity of the artists and communities they serve. The website has more than doubled initial projections, with over 23,000 unique visitors from 77 countries.
The first season was launched in May 2010, and by the end of September, had released 15 short episodes featuring 40 artists and covering five major issues: Creative Real Estate, Day & Night Jobs, Family Balance, Activism and Technology. Season Two rolled out from March through July 2011 with 28 additional artists and three episodes each month on: Identity, Creative Practice, Money, Lifework, and Home. Season Three will be from April through June 2013 with 25 additional artists and three episodes each month on: Art & Commerce, Criticism, and Health. The website provides a platform for audiences to offer feedback on the episodes, artists to share and discover resources, and communities to engage on the issues. In addition, each issue is accompanied by a monthly live screening and panel event. MADE HERE is supported by a 2009 Rockefeller Cultural Innovation Fund award with renewed funding for Seasons Three and Four. Additional support was provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the New Generations Program administered by Theatre Communications Group.
HERE has been a premier arts organization in NYC and a leader in the field of new, hybrid performance work since 1993. Under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Kristin Marting and Producing Director Kim Whitener, HERE has served over 12,000 emerging to mid-career artists developing work that does not fit a conventional programming agenda. Work presented at HERE has garnered 14 OBIE awards, including the 2009 Ross Wetzsteon Award, an OBIE grant for artistic achievement, five Drama Desk nominations, four NY Innovative Theatre Awards, an Edwin Booth Award and a Pulitzer Prize nomination. HERE proudly supports artists at all stages in their careers through full productions, artist residency programs, festivals and subsidized performance and rehearsal space. Work at HERE is curated based on the strength and uniqueness of the artist’s vision. HERE’s Artist Residency Program (HARP) provides development, commissions and full production for 15-18 artists over one-to-three years. HERE is located at 145 Sixth Avenue, one block below Spring Street. For more info, http://visit www.here.org.
Kristin Marting is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of HERE and a director of hybrid work based in NYC. At HERE, she cultivates artists and programs all events for two performance spaces for an annual audience of 30,000. Under her leadership, HERE has garnered 16 OBIE awards, 2 OBIE grants for artistic achievement, an Edwin Booth Award, five Drama Desk nominations, two Berrilla Kerr Awards, four NY Innovative Theatre Awards and a Pulitzer Prize nomination. She was recently named a nytheatre.com Person of the Year and honored with a BAX10 Award. She lectures at various universities and serves on grant panels for various agencies. She graduated from NYU with honors in 1988.
Kim Whitener joined HERE as Producing Director in February 2007. She works in partnership with Artistic Director Kristin Marting to co-curate and co-produce HERE’s performance programs and activities. HERE supports the work of mid-career artists working in hybrid forms through commissions, developmental activities, and fully produced works as part of the HERE Artist Residency Program (HARP), and presents Visiting Artist works through its presenting programs. Ms. Whitener has also been an independent producer working with a diverse range of artists in the contemporary theater, dance-theater, and multi-media worlds, including The Builders Association, Big Dance Theater, Martha Clarke, among others. Previously, Ms. Whitener was Managing Director of The Wooster Group.
Tanya Selvaratnam is a producer, writer, theater artist, and activist. Since 2008, she has also been the Communications and Special Projects Officer for the Rubell Family Collection. Recent film productions include Mickalene Thomas’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, Catherine Gund’s WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?, Chiara Clemente’s OUR CITY DREAMS and the Webby Award-winning BEGINNINGS. As a theater artist, Tanya has performed around the world in shows by The Wooster Group, The Builders Association, Jay Scheib and many others; appeared in films and video installations by Carrie Mae Weems, John Malpede, Sharon Hayes, Andrea Geyer, David Michalek, and Jennifer Reeves; been a fellow at Yaddo and Blue Mountain Center; and a guest actor at New Dramatists, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Voice & Vision Theater, and the Institute on Arts and Civic Dialogue. As an activist, she has worked with the World Health Organization, Ms. Foundation, NGO Forum on Women, Third Wave Foundation, and Groundswell Community Mural Project. Her book, THE BIG LIE, is forthcoming from Prometheus Books in Winter 2014. about.me/tselvar
contact: tanya@here.org
Chiara Clemente is a film director who explores identity, cultural contrast, and the creative process. In 2000 she directed her first art documentary for RAI in Italy. Chiara continued to film and collaborate with artists, and in 2005, she started making her first feature documentary, Our City Dreams, following five women artists (Nancy Spero, Marina Abramovic, Kiki Smith, Ghada Amer and Swoon) who live and work in New York City. Critically-acclaimed, Our City Dreams premiered at New York City’s Film Forum in February 2009, screened in more than 30 cities worldwide, and was broadcast on the Sundance Channel. Since making her feature Chiara has directed for Saatchi and Saatchi, T Magazine of The New York Times, Levi’s, Apple, Wieden + Kennedy and Persol. Most recently she has created and directed two seasons of Beginnings, an original short film series for the Sundance Channel, which won a Webby Award in 2012. www.chiaraclemente.com
Russell Greene is a New York film editor of seven feature films as well as numerous commercials, short films and promotional videos. His most recent films include Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (Venice Film Festival and SXSW) and Ordinary Miracles: New York’s Photo League. In addition to editing, he also wrote and directed the short film Easy Street, winner of six awards for Best Short Film on the 2012 festival circuit. He served as First Assistant Editor on several additional films including the Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning The Betrayal and the Sundance Award-winning Patti Smith: Dream of Life. He is currently editing a feature doc on the legendary Coney Island restaurant Nathan’s Famous. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.
Heather Greene is a New York-based producer that works in Feature and Documentary Film, Television, and Live Events. She has been a part of numerous and varied projects such as the live shows and film projects of Fischerspooner and Vanessa Beecroft, Vice’s “Guide To Travel”, the television series "How's Your News?”, the Sundance web series "Beginnings", and documentary features “Of All The Things” and “What’s On Your Plate?” to name just a few. Heather lives with her husband and two sons in Brooklyn, NY.
Karina is a New York-based producer and filmmaker, whose projects include an original web series, an interactive online documentary series, promos, how-to videos, and event videography. She has produced, shot, and edited videos for Howcast.com, Downtown Community Television, 13 Playwrights Inc., EmcArts, art.party.theater.company, and is the Associate Producer of "Flag Football," a feature documentary about the journey of four teams in the National Gay Flag Football League to Gay Bowl X. Currently, Karina is the Online Cultural Producer at EmcArts, Inc. Prior to joining EmcArts, she was a producer for Season One of the documentary series "MADE HERE: Performing Artists on Work and Life" for HERE, where she also served as General Manager/Associate Producer from 2008 to 2011. Prior to HERE, Karina served as General Manager for 13 Playwrights, Inc., Management Associate for Liz McCann/Tony Awards Productions, and Producing Assistant for Carole Shorenstein Hays Productions. Karina has an MFA in Theater Management and Producing from Columbia University, where she wrote her thesis on the strategic use of online tools and technologies for arts organizations. She holds a BA from Harvard College.
SEASONS THREE AND FOUR ONLY
Camera: Omar Mullick
Assistant Camera: Jorge Arzac
Sound Mixer: Richard Levengood, Joshua Tucker, Coleman Wenner
Assistant Editor: Erin Taylor Kennedy
Trailer and Graphics: Alex Meillier and Tanya Ager Meillier
Website Manager: Trevor Martin
Research & Outreach Associate: Kelsey Ryan
Theme Song: Sxip Shirey
SEASON TWO ONLY
Assistant Producer: Erin Taylor Kennedy
Camera: Frank Stanley
Sound Mixer: David Pruger, Jarett Livingston
Assistant Editor: Erin Taylor Kennedy
Website Manager: Matthew de Leon
Research & Outreach Associate: Cassie Wagler
Theme Song: Reggie Watts
Additional Music: Moby
SEASON ONE ONLY
Camera: Miklos Buk, Theo Stanley
Sound Mixer: David Pruger, Michael Reilly, Christopher Reifeiss
Assistant Editor: Cat Tyc, Kelly Bray
Production Interns: Debby Brand, Brian Bauman
Theme Song: Reggie Watts
Additional Music: Moby
Art Direction & Design
Open
New York, NY
Design & Production
Rich Watts
Brooklyn, NY
SEASON THREE: Joey Arias, Arthur Aviles, Eisa Davis, Mohammed Fairouz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill T Jones, Cherry Jones, Mia Katigbak, Lisa Kron, Ethan Lipton, Carolina Penafiel, Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Sxip Shirey, Elizabeth Streb, Clyde Vanletin, Reggie Watts
SEASON TWO: Jen Abrams, Kahlil Almustafa, Thomas Bradshaw, John Collins, Brendan Coyle, Amanda Curtis, Dana Edell, Oskar Eustis, Miguel Gutierrez, Joan Jonas, Aaron Landsman, Elizabeth LeCompte, Young Jean Lee, Kate D. Levin, Sheila Lewandowski, Abby Marcus, Qui Nguyen, Brian Rogers, Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, Betty Shamieh, Black-Eyed Susan, Chandra Thomas, Basil Twist, Kate Valk, Reggie Watts, Natasha Williams, Caroline Woolard
SEASON ONE: Moe Angelos, Arthur Aviles, Jess Barbagallo, Anne Bogart, Wally Cardona, Hai-Ting Chinn, Ping Chong, Gabri Christa, Chinese Theatre Works, Toni Dove, Yehuda Duenyas, James Tigger! Ferguson, Kuang-Yu Fong, Ximena Garnica, Roselee Goldberg, Ain Gordon, David Gordon, Miranda Hardy, Mikéah Ernest Jennings, Melanie Joseph, Ben Kerrick, Mari Kimura, Peter Ksander, Taylor Mac, Kristin Marting, Jennifer Miller, Paul D. Miller, Shige Moriya, Julie Atlas Muz, Erin Orr, Vernon Reid, Laine Rettmer, Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Rokafella, Elizabeth Streb, Valda Setterfield, Xiaojun Song, Charlie Todd, Kate Valk, Marianne Weems, Jennifer Wright Cook, Ying Zhang
A.R.T./New York
Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance
Brooklyn Arts Council
Brooklyn Arts Exchange
The Chocolate Factory
Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island
The Field
Harlem Arts Alliance
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
New York Theater Workshop
Joe's Pub
Queens Council on the Arts
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
Anne Bogart
Thomas Bradshaw
Una Chaudhuri
Boo Froebel
Elinor Fuchs
Roselee Goldberg
Frank Hentschker
Jay Scheib
Mac Wellman
MADE HERE needs your support so we can continue capturing the lives of performing artists. Every donation helps us expand the project to more issues, episodes, artists, contributors, and audiences.
For questions or information on corporate sponsorship, contact info@madehereproject.org.
MADE HERE is supported by a 2009 Rockefeller Cultural Innovation Fund award.
In the first two issues, MADE HERE explored the challenges of finding space and earning a living. In this issue of Family Balance, MADE HERE takes a look at how artists balance the demands of maintaining relationships and having families.
The three episodes for this issue are: Artistic Couples, The Family Business, and Parenthood.
Click for relevant news, organizations, and research.
Are you in an artistic couple? What's the biggest challenge you face balancing your personal relationship with your creative work? Would you encourage your children to become artists? Why or why not?
Submit a resourceIn this NY Times article, Jan Maxwell of Broadway's Lend Me a Tenor, explains how she helps her teen-age son with his homework while performing in a show.
The New Poor – Lack of Aid for Child Care Pushes Some to WelfarePart of an ongoing series about the “New Poor,” this article looks at the effect that the lack of affordable child care has on parents and their ability to work.
A New York Times editorial on the upcoming Proposition 8 vote in California and why New York should take steps towards legalizing same-sex marriage.
The Wedding of Berit Johnson & Ian W. Hill: A Theatre StudyFrom June 19- 26, 2010 an unusual piece of theater took place. Ian W. Hill and Berit Johnson got married in the Brick theater and turned their real life wedding into a theatrical event.
Here Comes the Bride (Enter Downstage Left)American Theater Magazine looks at couples that choose to get married within the theater and theaters which open up their spaces to weddings.
When Babies and Broadway IntersectArticle on Broadway actress and mother of two, Sharon Wheatley, who writes a parenting column in the Actors’ Equity Association newsletter.
Mother Knows BestAn essay by Caroline Nesbitt on being an actress and a mother.
The Tangle of Branches in a Royal TreeA look at the many theater families involved in the 2009 production of The Royal Family, which was written to satirize the Barrymore family.
Dramatic Power Couple: Theater is Their CastleBritish director Rupert Goold and his wife actress Kate Fleetwood discuss working together on Macbeth in this 2008 New York Times article.
Child Hunger: The Unhealthy Return on Missed InvestmentsA policy report from the Food Bank for New York City looks at the problem of childhood hunger in the New York City region. Between 2003 and 2007 as basic living costs went up, there was a 41% increase in households with children experiencing difficulty affording needed food.
New York Magazine’s special section for families included “Best” lists, events listings and special articles.
NYC Artists Babysitting AgencyAll sitters in The NYC Artist Babysitting Agency are artists (actors, singers, writers, painters, and more - and all are infant and child CPR-trained, and have been reference- and background-checked).
A monthly family lifestyle magazine and website focused on the needs and concerns of New York City parents.
NY Metro ParentsA compilation of practical resources for New York parents, includes a series of “how to” guides on a wide variety of subjects.
Urban BabyA resource for urban parents that includes message boards and a special section on New York.
Mommy PoppinsFor New York moms by New York moms, this site strives to provide unpretentious advice and information on fun unique (and frequently free) activities.
Parents League of New YorkA not-for-profit membership organization of Independent Schools and families that provides reviews of independent schools as well as information on parenting for all New York City parents.
Parents without PartnersAn international organization dedicated to helping provide support for single parents.
Motherlode BlogNew York Times blog on parenting, children and parents.
This website provides searchable statistics for all New York City neighborhoods. It lets residence know how City agencies are performing in their neighborhood.
Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social DevelopmentThe study sponsored by Arts Education Partnership, the NEA and the Department of Education compiles previous research from multiple studies looking at the role the arts play within a balanced education.
Videos produced by the NYU Child Study Center staff for families and educators of children with mental health disorders.
NY State Office of Children and Family Services on Child CareThis annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation looks at the well being of America’s children. New York State stands at 17 in a ranking of the welfare of children within the United States.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Arts Education in New York City Public SchoolsThe NYC Council's report examines problems in arts education in NYC public schools.
Made Here project is a fantastic way of creating a community and supporting inspiring infrastructure for NYC Artists, as well as educating other artists, students and academics outwith the city. Genius! This is a great resource I have emailed the info out to all my students. Fantastic!
I just wanted to say that I have been glued to the website for MADE HERE this past hour. It’s a truly inspiring documentary and fascinating to watch. This work creates an important legacy of what is happening right now and it is a gift to the community. Congratulations to you all.
I really enjoyed the videos, lovely work, witty and funny and I can’t wait to see more.
Congrats on Made Here! It’s really great and fantastically well filmed/produced. I can see that once all of these films are made it will make a more than compelling case for the importance of artists in this city…and why they should be better supported forever!
I love this. well made. important. thanks for adding to the conversation!
I saw the first episode today. It’s sooo good!! It’s really exciting to see such an intelligent and well conceived documentary series on NYC theater artists. And I love the theme song.
Great stuff!
Amazing website with the kind of support I need. Keep going guys!!
Thanks for providing a great platform to all artists! All artists face the same basic problems at some point in their career and this website offers valuable advice on balancing a family, finding a space and working in a crap-job in order to supplement your income. Thanks!
very cool….grazie!!!
Love it! Thank you for such these awesome conversations. After years in New York, I’m working on a specific set of projects in solitude in Chicago, where the pressure to make rent is a little less intense. I’m looking forward to coming back to the city soon, though! There’s nowhere like New York.
Check out this essay about the history of the plot of land on which the Ohio Theatre stands and also discusses the relationship between artists and real estate developers:
Re-examining the Soho Effect
From a freed slave to a theater company; how the poor and creative made 64-68 Wooster Street more valuable.
http://bit.ly/c9nONU
Thank you!!
Baadaass!
oooooh! I do not even know how I got here, but this is GREAT! I am a theatre loving
Architect and this is site is built beautifully. THank you.
Thank GOD you’re taking on this task of generating dialogue about what it MEANS to be an artist and how to make it happen on the daily. This particular segment brings together some amazing voices of artists struggling (successfully) to remain relevant in the avant garde arts world while also engaging in community-building, political activism, race & class at the same time. As perfomer-turned-community organizer, I would love to see more in depth investigation into how artists define their activism, the communities they collaborate with, and the concrete effects they wish to have. I would also like to hear more from artist-activists working on the ground in marginalized communities. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! AND KEEP PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES!
I am a wife of 18 years, mother of a 9 y/o and Director of Ladies Hip-Hop Festival. We live a very interesting life juggling schedules and events with parenthood and marriage. This video just offers a glimpse of the Ladies Hip Hop Festival.
Janice Patrignani (a visual artist) and her husband (a touring musician) discuss how they balance living as an artistic couple, especially with him frequently on the road.
Griffin Marting Skutsch talks about the artistic support from his parents.
Kameron Steele and Ivana Catanese discuss how they balance their artistic career and being parents of two young children.
Jake Margolin (a HARP artist) will encourage his children to be whatever it is they want to be.