Calif Culture Corps
~Artist~
> M
> ART
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> March 1, 1999
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> Ms. Tipper Gore
> White House - Office of the Vice President
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> Dear Tipper,
>
> Thank you so much for your letter of congratulations on the Women of Achievement Awards here in Silicon Valley. It is nice to be recognized for achievement but, what I need is support for my ideas, programs, mission, vision and public art planning in my very very very at risk neighborhood.
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> I have been working on many grassroots levels on projects to help the City of San Jose develop better programs that address social issues of blithe, vandalism, hopelessness and at risk kids through public art and community redevelopment.
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> Two years ago, I wrote into the City of San Jose Cultural Plan a program concept ŚCulture Corpsą. Culture Corps concept is basically like City Year but it is an inner city Art Program for at risk youth and artists. Many inner City kids want to do art (aka: graffiti) this energy is a resource and simply needs to be harnessed and mined correctly. This can easily be done and I have prove it more than once in volunteer pilot projects here on murals and banners (none of the murals have been tagged since we completed them over 2 years ago).
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> I need major federal funding to get this ŚCulture Corpsą started on its first large project. The first project must be very large. This project needs also to be a good media event, as this program, like City Year could be copied around the country as it can help many inner city kids who want to do art. There is a program like my idea already successful in Philly and we desperately need one here.
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> My idea for the first Culture Corps Project is to develop an extremely large Mosaic Mural for the freeway underpasses that cut Downtown San Jose (one of the most at risk areas for homeless and kids) in half. The first Culture Corps public Art piece will be of the California Poppy! The state flower huge on all the underpass piers...it will be amazingly elegant, showy and who can get angry at the State Flower as public art?
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> I will also need funds to develop a visitor center on the Poppy Mosaic in this at risk neighborhood. The visitor center will discuss the state flower, art, mosaic art development, include computer interactive exhibits discussion the art development the natural history of the poppy. The visitor center will allow the public to understand the art and the poppy, it will allow the public art work to pay for itself in the long run as we can sell poppy products and educational materials from a visitor center and it will also be able to act as both art education center and science education center as the mosaic location is near the river.
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> Most Importantly the at risk kids working with artists in San Jose will be able to learn many sills or art, design, computer sills, design, computer art, project management, mural development, masonry and leadership. These are skills that help improve self image of the kids, the artists, the community and the country. I hope you see my vision and can help ad the funding of this large vision in a small at risk neighborhood.
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> The freeway is very large and intersect the entire city on three under crossing I am sure you have driven through on your visits to San Jose. I would be happy to have you come to my studio in this at risk neighborhood and give you a tour of the areas I am talking about and also tell you more about my concepts. I think ąCulture Corpsą is an amazing idea and program that can help many kids, artists and communities through out America and is economically beneficial because Art dollars do not stockpile!. Do you think this is worth investing in as a pilot program, the entire countries future and creativity do?
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> I will need about three million dollars to start this project and to get ŚCulture Corpsą started. I hope you can help.
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> Thank you for your time interest and support!
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>
> Mattison Fitzgerald
> Artist
> Woman of Achievement
> Silicon Valley
> ps. I posted this letter on he Internet today on a website we have regarding the lack of support we have been receiving in the area of fixing this at risk neighborhood and in the ba.groups which is Bay Area. Everyone will be waiting to see what we do and will be happy with your support.