The Interstitial Arts Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the study, support, and promotion of interstitial art: literature, music, visual and performance art found in between categories and genres – art that crosses borders. 
Listening to this week’s NPR On the Media segment with host Brooke Gladstone speaking with Occupy Wall Street representative (and former AIDS activist) Bill Dobbs made me think of the early days of the IAF.
When Brooke presses Dobbs to say what genuine action the Occupy Wall Street protests are achieving, he says that they’ve gotten a ton of media coverage, and, most importantly, made people aware of the issue, made it a topic of discussion and debate.
That’s pretty much what we were thinking when we started urging people to think about “interstitial art” and to join the IAF.
Then everyone started mocking us for doing nothing but talk. So we published two paper anthologies (with study guide), an online story annex, an online anthology of academic criticism, a ton of blog posts, created an art auction and a series of multimedia music/reading/video events, and locally-run Salons.
Like the Wall Street protesters, though, we’ve always hoped that, encouraged by our efforts, people will take matters into their own hands.
What are you up to these days?
– Ellen Kushner, Co-Founder,
President Emerita,
IAF
| « New Interfictions Zero essay: “Interstitial International? Ibrahim al-Koni and the Question of Genre” | CFP: Transitions and Dissolving Boundaries in the Fantastic. » |
