The Arts in Second Life - Part Two

Live musical performances have been woven into the fabric of Second Life so tightly now that even the Lindens have posted a message letting us know how to find out what is happening as we log into SL, suggesting we seek out a concert or performance to attend. Whether it’s the sweet voice of a jazz vocalist’s rendering of a standard, or that of a ballad, or the delicate pirouette of an SL ballerina, or actors on a stage, there is something for all residents of this metaverse. This edition is Part Two of “The Arts in Second Life”. Part one focused on the visual art community with contributions from artists, gallery owners and promoters. Part Two will follow in a similar vein with the perspective of performance artists, group owners and venue owners.

After assembling the list of people and then disseminating, collecting, reviewing and consolidating note cards, here is Part Two of a survey on “The Arts in Second Life”. Part Three, the last of this series will follow soon and its focus will be on Literature in Second Life.

Joy Ash – Mediaculture Group

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

I think that the milestone was that more and more really remarkable musicians came into SL, if you look at the biography of some: Siham Palmer, Napthali Hawks, Cyberpiper, MoShang and a lot more. It’s just I can’t count everyone, the list would be too long *smiles* and I don’t want to hurt any other musician I didn’t count.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

I didn’t think of how I should come or go into the Music business. I took it how it came but I had my line where I wanted to go and everything was just awesome.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

I see that more and more classical musicians are coming into SL and that’s really great. I know of so many great opera singers, classical musicians, and they are really great.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

I’m not in any other virtual worlds because I have so much work in RL and SL with Mediaculture, so there is no free time for other virtual worlds.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

A lot of new musicians, really great musicians and bands will enter SL. Mediaculture has two projects going on in RL and that will be really a big thing with Second Life. Also next will be the copyrights about music in SL.

Yavanna Llanfair - Classical Pianists

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra playing live in Second Life in October - the first orchestra to give a live performance here. Also, Origin Rang's live piano performances - a true virtuoso, and a truly amazing experience.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

I opened a classical ballroom back in September, because I felt there was a lack of true classical music places in SL. Despite widespread interest in classical music, I am still surprised at how few places there are streaming good classical music.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Hopefully, more top quality performances from the likes of Origin Rang, the Schumanns and other excellent classical performers. I started the group "Classical Pianists", which now has 76 members, with the intention of getting classical pianists together, and so that event organizers have a forum where they can advertise for performers, and advertise performances. There are some top class pianists in the group, some of whom are willing and keen to perform live in SL, and I hope that event organizers will use this increasingly as a source for contacting willing performers.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

Not recently, no. I was a Cybertown resident, but SL is just so far beyond that technology that it is not really comparable on the same scale.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

Hopefully, an expanding of classical music events and places, I'd love to see my own ballroom in Basilisk being more used, where anyone can select from a range of classical streams.

Inarra Saarinen - Second Life Ballet Founder and Artistic Director

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

Well, the founding and first performances of Second Life Ballet *smiles* As far as we know, this is the first and only performing ballet group in virtual space.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Yes and no. Yes, in that I did have the goal to have choreography in progress, an active performing company, and to start being seen in First Life publications by the end of this year. This has happened. No, in that I did not foresee this kind and amount of success! Six hundred members, a large company, a 6 month run of our first ballet "Olmannen", demands for Euro and more performances.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Well, again I have to point to dance performing art that is truly art and does not rely on pose balls or HUD’s. We are moving beyond sex, gambling, and club dances in SL and towards the arts.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

I have worked with the Internet and performance a great deal in the past. I worked simultaneously with performers at geographic distances. I also worked with the ability to dance with images.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

Again, speaking for Second Life Ballet, we are looking forward to some First Life/Second Life collaborations and explorations.

Cher Harrington - Audio Consultant

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

Key milestones for me on a personal level in the performance arts world were:

· Fox 11 News Los Angeles Interview: http://www.dublinsl.com/media.html
· Newsweek Interview
· Entertainment Director for iCommons Summit 2007 in Second Life: http://www.icommons.org/isummit07/ , 15-17 June, Dubrovnik, Croatia, REAL WORLD, 15-17 June, Ilha de Intercambio, Second Life, VIRTUAL REALITY. PURPOSE: To create a parallel iCommons Summit 2007 conference in virtual reality in Second Life, sponsored by iCommons, USC Center on Public Diplomacy, and Linden Lab. Success indicators were:
o Mixing the Two Worlds (Real and Virtual)
o Reaching More People via Second Life
o More Awareness and Use of Broad Sharing Vision, Principles and Methodologies
o Successful SL Conference Experience for iCommons and USC

Audio Consultant, DJ, MC for PHILANTHROPY IN VIRTUAL WORLDS EVENT, USC ANNENBERG PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ISLAND: Philip Rosedale and Jonathan Fanton conversation about philanthropy in virtual worlds. Combining USC staff, MacArthur Foundation staff and Philip Rosedale into one stream via Skype and Winamp to 4 joined SIM’s while MC’ing the event and DJ’ing SL Live Artists songs - each approved by Jonathan Fanton, MacArthur Foundation President.

Hostess, MC, Coordinator: Streaming seminars with MMAC - STREAMING AUDIO IN SECOND LIFE SEMINAR: How to stream audio to SL community. "Again by popular demand, given the number of queries by people seeking how-to info, Dash Renoir, Director of the Multi Media Arts Center (the MMAC), has set up another tutorial seminar, STREAMING AUDIO IN SECOND LIFE. He has asked SL audio consultant Cher Harrington to arrange and moderate the next panel."

Production coordinator of “Catch A Rising Star” for Dublin with artists such as Johnny99 Gumshoe, UFS Hyde and Matthew Perreault performing for the first time in SL. Catch a Rising Star was a showcase for upcoming Live Artists, new or not so well known in SL, from the first time portraits, installing audio programs to a successful two hour show in the Dublin SIM.

Manager: SL Live Radio: First dedicated all SL Live Artist Station: http://www.slliveradio.com. Courtesy of SL Live Musicians, Radio Cher, and PickSL Dublin Services: (http://66.34.54.162:8014 ). Pick SL Dublin Services and Radio Cher have been providing SL Live Artist recordings online since September 2006 and July 2007, respectively, and have combined forces in November 2007 into one SL Live Radio service to make more music available to artists and listeners.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Things are growing at a fast pace in SL - I hear complaints about only 25 group and TP issues - when I remember one TP point per SIM and 10 groups per avatar. I see this with the influx of live artists into SL - the number has more than doubled in the past year. Everyone has such wonderful ideas and there is a place for all in Second Life, it truly is a community. I believe that this community spirit will carry over and expand - designers, artists, scripters, venues, educators and more - all working together more efficiently to produce outstanding products, services, entertainment and talent that will become known beyond SL to the real world.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

One trend I see that I believe will have an impact on 2008 is Simulcast streaming - where the artist streams from a real life show into a Second Life venue.

Simulcasting began in the Dublin SL SIM over a year ago by simulcasting live shows weekly from The Bedford in Greenwich, UK into the Blarney Stone: http://www.thebedford.co.uk/ . The Bedford (also known as The Bedford Arms) is an English public house situated in Balham, London. It is a well known venue for weekly live music nights, featuring acoustic sets from up-and-coming new artists and established acts. This year, Dublin will be simulcasting biweekly with two additional venues streaming into the Blarney Stone. Simulcasting is about finding new talent in local regions and getting them heard worldwide, getting them into SL when they weren't already big famous stars, either, but regular talented musicians.

Additionally, musicians such as MidKnight Auer, Tone Uriza and Forsythe Whitfield are seeing simulcasting as a way to combine SL and RL effectively - sales and promotion to two worlds at once. MidKnight Auer streams from Stingaree in RL San Diego, into SL's Diegoland Club Wicked weekly, using a soundman and two microphones, as does Tone Uriza with his band, Tony and the Torpedoes, from the Boondock's Lounge in Arizona once a month.

Also, Forsythe Whitfield is planning to take his RL show from Montreal, Canada, and simulcast - announcing the brand-new CD while performing to both SL and RL audiences at the same time - on February 29. He is selling the CD to in-world audiences through an mp3 kiosk and then to the RL audience in person.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

I was a beta tester for The Sims Online, and promotions director and DJ for a radio station there. To ask someone to listen to your station, they needed to have an outside audioplayer and paste the URL in the player. Each listener was a chore to get - many did not have Winamp, MediaPlayer, etc! Tip jars and pay were unheard of, we did it for the love of music. When I came to SL and saw you could step into a parcel and automatically hear music, this amazed me. But most of all, what changed my life was hearing RL musicians play live and streaming into a virtual world. I DJed for a while in both worlds, but I found that SL with its "advanced" streaming technology and live artists, was the place I wanted to be.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

I see more SL-RL interaction in the form of simulcasting, cd sales, artist promotion and a closer interaction between real world talent and SL Live Artist talent, as well as in-world collaboration.

· Biweekly simulcasts into SL Dublin from the RL United Kingdom, with new talent showcases

· Forsythe Whitfield will be releasing a new CD in Montreal, Canada and at the same time performing in SL, to both SL and RL audiences on February 29

· The expansion of SL Live Radio from inworld into the real world, as well as more real world radio stations streaming into SL, such as liveireland.com into Dublin

· More mega events such as the Philanthropy in Virtual Worlds event and the iCommons, combining 4 SIMs and speakers reaching out to audiences inworld and worldwide

· More educational groups in SL, offering classes inworld such as the San Diego Community College's graphic arts class being held in Diegoland SL on January 19 http://www.theseventhsun.com/0108_SDclass.htm
· More musicians creatively collaborating using programs such as Ninjam, like Komuso Tokugawa and MoShang Zhao. They recently joined together to bring SL the MoKo LoCo Ambient Blues Trance project, called "SynaesthAsia"

· In 2008, the Cruise ship "Galaxy", owned by Bill Stirling, will be on its "Grand Voyage 08 - A Celebration Around the World". The ship will "dock" at various locations, such as Dublin, Diegoland and Zurich, each month, for an exchange of cultures, ideas and activities.

Upo Choche – Act Up Theatre Company

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

I would venture to say that the grand-daddy of all milestones in Second Life is the introduction of voice to SL. Having founded Act Up just before it was introduced, we had the unique opportunity of seeing the difference between streaming a play and actually performing it 'live' with voice. One of our patrons commented on the difference it made in the production of our shows. While we were quite pleased with the results, it was nice to have a viewpoint of someone who attended both of last year’s performances to get feedback. Voice in Second Life makes live theater possible in SL. Before that we could only mimic it as best we could by streaming the actors’ lines in and choreographing the movement of the actors to the lines.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Short answer, yes, and no, *laughing*. But, in all honesty, I did not know what to expect or how live theater performances would be received in SL. With the feedback that I have received, I can safely say that there is definitely a place in SL for live performances and the general public loves it. One of the things we set out to do was to see if theater in SL would be possible and to see how receptive performers and patrons alike would respond. The response has been overwhelming and the support has surpassed any expectations or visions I may have had.

What were the trends that begin last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

The utilization of voice in SL will, undoubtedly, have the biggest impact. Some other things that will have an impact are the cracking down of casinos and removal of gambling devices. General chit chat that I have with friends and colleagues is that clubbing is becoming stale. I think that we will see a decline on the clubbing/sex scene and there will be a shift to other forms of entertainment for the residents. One of the outcries that cropped up with the internet when it first started out was all this pornography that was all over the place and the easy access to it all. Second Life seems to be in direct parallel to the internet when it first came into being. As the internet matured and people matured with this new medium, the waters settled down a bit and the internet has become a positive force in the lives of many. In 2008, I believe we will start to see the signs of Second Life maturing, as well as the residents maturing a bit (myself included, I'm not exempt LOL), and realizing how it, too, will be a more positive force.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

I have dabbled a bit in other virtual worlds and read up on different ones. I have never taken the time to fully explore them outside of your typical MMO such as WoW, FFXI, Guild Wars, etc....

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

I think 2008 will offer residents new forms of entertainment that were not possible before. Since the founding of Act Up, I have seen standup comedy and variety shows surface. To help with this driving force, Act Up will be holding workshops at the beginning of this year to help educate and get people involved in performing live over the internet. One of the shows we have planned is “Midsummer Night’s Dream” to open in, well, midsummer.

Astrin Few – Live Music Enthusiasts and Jazz Enthusiasts

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

I can't think of any key milestones this year. I had hoped that the live music portion of SLCC07 might be a milestone, but I don't believe it was. There's been steady growth of the live music community, but no major watersheds that I know of, which is fine.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

I had no preconception of how SL live music would evolve in 2007 or any previous year. I just sit back and see what happens.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Again, I know of no significant new trends in 2008.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

No, I have not.


What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

Singing Arc, at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas on March 1st: this will be the largest, dedicated live music event to date and, essentially, the second of its nature since the much smaller event in Philly in March, 2006. It is a significant venue (400+), has sponsorship, and 11 outstanding SL musicians and is, therefore, a big step in the area of RL/SL music events.

Slim Warrior - Independent Musicians Group

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

When you say milestones, what do you mean because there is a lot happening? I’ll assume you mean significant activities in the music community. Well, for example, there are now 200-plus live musicians in SL, I remember in 2005 there were only 8. So, from last year to now, there has been a steep growth in the music community and 45 of the 200 plus are women. There are also a number of bands now in SL, several of which I use. I won’t talk about the celebrity band appearances in general. They have no bearing on the SL music community. They are PR splashes, basically, and one doesn’t ever see that celeb in SL again. Then there is the pulling out of corporate sponsors for live music, namely Pontiac and Ratepoint. At the moment, running a live music venue does not generate income, certainly not of any significance to the venue owner, hence the pull out of a few corporate sponsors. Although events such as Secondfest (award winning festival in SL by The Guardian and Intel) did create opportunities for SL musicians and media attention. Also, the opening of the Orange Island which aims to support the music community, too, was important. I set up a Forum for SLMC (Second Life Music Community) which has brought many people together, DJ’s, venue owners, musicians, etc, so we can discuss all matter for music in SL that’s done really well. We have also seen a great increase in the number of SL radio stations, i.e., SL Live which now has over 2000 listeners and they only play music from SL musicians.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Yes, it has been wildly exciting, not to mention the diversity and talent that I hear every day in SL. It’s a fabulous place to be *smiles* and to be part of it is inspiring.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Trends that we will be seeing will be, finally, the education of the audience on how they need to support live music in SL by donation of Lindens to artists, rather than leaving the brunt of all costs to venue owners, as has been the case for the last two years. It is not sustainable as it runs now. We will also need more user based systems whereby we can eliminate the need for a middle person booking an artist and charging astronomical fees to book gigs. Lastly, the realization from many musicians that they cannot continue to charge RL prices for playing a gig in SL. It will be about teamwork between venues and musicians. There are some people who feel they can hop on the bandwagon and charge both venue and musician. And many musicians who come into SL under the impression they are going to get rich which, of course, is not the case. The introduction of voice in SL has meant another avenue for musicians to use as a method of performing, too. We also see NInjams and multi-jams occurring, not on a regular basis, but slowly growing. That’s been a wonderful thing. The first instrumental duet was with Astrin Few and Flaming Moe and I did the first singing duet live with Melvin Took, Melvin lives in Texas and I am in London.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

No, I don’t really explore other virtual worlds. I have looked at many but I do think, at the moment, SL is certainly leading the rest in terms of immersive and interactive experience for live music and visually, as well.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

There has been a great deal of interest, RL media-wise, in online virtual performances, especially in the UK, and we are beginning to see RL labels and PR companies scouting in here. I had a 4-page article out in Performing Musician and, since then, I haven’t stopped answering mails. RL/SL crossover is occurring already but I’m sure we will see more of that this year. As any online community grows, it goes through phases and what most people don’t realize that, as a music community, we are very small in the big picture but it is gaining more impact in RL than ever before. We are all pretty loud when we want to be *smiles* and better as a group voice than only one. I do think 2008 is going to be a very exciting year. In June, I am planning a seminar in London on music on virtual platforms which, of course, will concentrate on SL as a showcase. The response has been tremendous.

Preciousse Moody – Second Life Music

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

Although I have no basis for comparison, for me, SL music was the best in 2007. The best quality of musicianship SL has to offer... I found the talent from the UK and Canada to be particularly awesome!

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Not really, because I didn't really expect anything from the start.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

I don't know if this is a 'trend' but, towards the end of the year, I noticed more all day events. I really like that back-to-back kind of event, great lineups of talented people, one after the other, is great.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

No.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

The music scene is ultimately what keeps me here in Second Life. I think, in 2008, Second Life will start to show its true potential when the music industry gets more involved than they already have. Not just as a place to come and listen to people but, also, as a place for people to collaborate, network and make important real world contacts. SL live music rocks! May influence travel scenarios and crossover concerts and events into real life. A good example of this is the recent news of the SL music performance in Vegas...look it up.

Katie Reve – Pilot Theatre Company

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

The Performance Arts World, which encompasses live theatre, is a wide and varied stage. Large commercial production playing in London's West End, plays at the National Theatre, regional repertory creating new works every 3 months, concert halls and opera houses receiving one night gigs or weekly programs hosting productions, bring theatre to towns and cities across England. Arts centres with smaller capacities. Then there are the companies that tour and have no permanent venue fueling the physical venues, commissioning new writing, touring to schools, to prisons, to village halls and community centres, even outdoor venues.

This is true of theatre in the UK.

Pilot Theatre is a mid-scale national touring company, partly funded by the English Arts Council. They are in residence at the Theatre Royal in York, which has its own repertory company. Pilot Theatre opens its production there before going on tour or transferring to London. Pilot Theatre does have a national profile and has won awards and much critical acclaim for their work.
Marcus Romer, the Artistic Director takes the company in innovative directions engaging, particularly, in new technologies, not for gimmick but in ways that evolve expectations and drives narrative within the company's work redefining what live performances can achieve. The use of projection is not new, but the projection of active MySpace content adds a new feature. Pilot Theatre's latest work is for audiences 13 – 18, but is enjoyed by teens and adults alike, had its script developed in MySpace in collaboration with MySpace users.

In answer to your question about 'significance to the performance art world', it is difficult, as being at the eye of your own storm often prevents us, as active practitioners, evaluating our work in context with our contemporaries and the bigger picture. There is work emerging which combines live performance with the notion of how the digital world is influencing our lives. I saw Facebook, the musical, last year at the Edinburgh Festival. There is theatre exploring arts and science, bringing together future concepts and using IT and performance to engage its audience. Unlimited Theatre has looked at the subject of quantum physics and teleportation, informing and entertaining audiences. Again I saw them at the Edinburgh Festival and continue to follow their work. The power of theatre to politicise and inform was part of the 20th Century's dialectic. I think our evolving digital world, and the creative input it desires and necessitates to be vibrant and engaging, is part of the 21st Century dialogue, arts and science, voyages of discovery, a new renaissance. Pilot's presence in Second Life is part of that awakening. A new realm, a new interaction and new ideas exchange, a new format. But all connected to live performance.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

I, at PCM, and my avatar, Katie, discovered Second Life in Dec 2006. I think the collaboration of new media with live performance and its implications on how society will see itself and respond to the world around us in the future is profoundly linked. The tradition of theatre to educate, inform and reflect society's challenges is key to understanding cyberspace and bring people on board to engage with technology and consider what it means, whether it’s necessary, and whether it's good or bad, is part of social drama. The questions and debates I don't think happen enough. I was looking for people sharing this IT and theatrical vision. Pilot Theatre is part of that journey. Established in July 2007, Pilot Theatre's home hub was intended to hold a simulcast in Second Life of our opening night of 'Looking for JJ' at the end of September, giving us the opportunity to invite an audience not usually able to see Pilot's work. Being an arts company, the financial weight of such a project was enormous. My first job was to research and bring in quotes for the project. Expenses aside, the overriding problem, even if we had the money, was the real world infrastructure of uploading a live media stream on to the internet from locations without dedicated upload access. Domestic wi-fi or networked business infrastructure, not specifically IT focused, would prove inadequate and the solution was going to be hard and impossible to install in the time we had. So we decided to establish what we could with the resources and finances we had. Having a presence in Second Life was seen as an important step for the company. What we have today has come from this original concept. The emphasis, however, is always on the live event. We, now, at the beginning of 2008, have a Second Life presence and its future is very fluid and integral to Pilot Theatre's future work as a promotional tool or a delivery platform.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

We are still looking at simulcasting a live show. We have a live collaborative project in July, looking at new media and the arts called 'Shift Happens' taking place in UK and Second Life and a storytelling project with a 3D realisation yet to be fully conceptualised, but I am very excited about working with the writer, Richard Hurford, and Marcus Romer to make this happen.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

I am excited about myrl.com's notion of being able to take AV's to other worlds. I want the constant of being able to take Katie with me to explore other virtual worlds. Identity and SL are of interest to me also. I haven't had my curiosity spiked enough to check any others out. I know they exist. Pilot is interested in establishing a presence in the Second Life Teen Grid in the future.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

2008, we have the 'Shift Happens' event on July 3, much planning still to be done. A potential simulcast from New York to Old York! and SL with the next production of Catcher in the Rye, and the storytelling inworld collaboration details of which are in the brain-storming stage.

Circe Broom – Circe’s Circle of Sound

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the performance arts world and why were they significant?

The proliferation of venues gave musicians a far wider choice, and the opportunity to reach a wider audience. More people learned about live music in SL.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Well, I think that when the floodgates opened to the free accounts, the entire world here changed. A lot of that is for the worst. Anonymous griefers haunt the venues now, and are replaced with another as soon as they are banned. It is an ongoing problem which I hope Linden Labs finds a resolution for. As for live music in SL, more and more musicians have discovered that performing in SL is a good way to gain fans for their RL careers, or to help get started in a RL career. It is good for audiences in SL, as there are far more musicians in here per capita.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

*Laughing* The population in SL skyrocketed this past year.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

Well, I've seldom found a dragon to slay in SL; most dragons I know are friends of mine. Yes, and nothing compares to SL, even with all the bugs.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

Last year, I would have said that more and more RL corporations would be funding the arts in here, but I no longer believe that. I have seen corporate funders come and go, and the one thing they have in common is that they all seem to go, they have not found a way to make SL pay off enough.

Many thanks to those who contributed and to Tini Jewell for her work in editing this and other editions of Lane’s List.

The Arts in Second Life - Part One

It was shortly before the New Year holiday, one morning, while chatting in game with a friend that had sparked the idea for this edition. We’d been comparing notes on a singer we’d each heard perform. She had been enthralled by his voice and I had commented that while he did have a good range his work with the guitar needed practice. She laughed at my comment and then asked: “What do you think will happen in the musical scene and, really, in the overall SL art scene in 2008?” After laughingly suggesting that the question is one that probably could be best answered in December of 2008, I asked her what she meant by the arts. “Well, I’ve been to a lot of galleries, seen so many live concerts and have gone to two ballets. I’m just curious about what the New Year will bring us,” she replied. Smiling as I responded, I suggested that maybe it would make a good topic for the next Lane’s List. “Yes! Oh Nazz, that would be so awesome, you could call your article "The Arts in Second Life"!" she exclaimed.

After our conversation, the question she posed began to intrigue me more so I decided to do some preliminary research. Opening a search window I typed “arts” in the group search tab which brought a load of hits and, as I sorted through them, it was apparent that an SL art community was substantial and active in SL. “This is going to take some time,” I said aloud while looking at and sorting through the information. Sighing, I leaned back in my office chair and tried to put some boundaries around this effort. I begin thinking about her reply to my question, what did she mean by the arts, and her answer in a roundabout way suggested a border line between the visual and performance arts. There, seemingly, was an initial scope, arbitrary to be sure, but one that could be fleshed out to create an image of the state and direction of such a broad topic as “The Arts in Second Life”.

“So where do I go from here?” I asked aloud and my cat gave me a look that suggested I keep silent and let her sleep. Taking her advice, I returned to the search results and began to break out the results into the two categories, making notes of group names, charters and owner names. It was still a lot of information, but a good start I thought: “Now I need to figure out what to ask them.” Again aloud, which apparently was more than the cat could bear as she stood and gave me one of those cat looks suggesting a low level of tolerance for people. She stretched and then scurried out of my office to find a place where she could nap undisturbed. Undeterred by her antics, I continued my work.

With a desire to acquire a cross section of people to speak with, I chose from my search the larger membership groups and the ones that implied in their charter a clear scope of the activities. The individuals I spoke with and questioned for this edition are noted. “So, now I have a list of who to talk with, but what should I ask?” As I thought about it, I reflected on my RL experiences. It had always been helpful to me in knowing what direction I should take when I had a clear idea of where I’ve been, and what were the trends that may affect the course I’d chosen. Thinking on that while getting a fresh cup of coffee, the list of what to ask began to formulate in my mind. Returning to my office, I sat down and my fingers hit the keyboard to generate a short list of questions.

After assembling the list of people and the questions, I then disseminated, collected, reviewed and consolidated note cards. Here is Part One of a survey on “The Arts in Second Life”. Part Two will follow soon and its focus will be in the area of the performance arts.

Myth Guyot – Artist

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

We think that the interactive sculptures on the island of Odyssey Gallery are one of the most significant art works using the technical possibilities of SL. Then next, the project "Second Art" in which we were participants, too, because of the different concepts to work within SL using the special technology of this platform. When we built our labyrinth, we heard from other residents that we had created something really new in SL. The way we were playing with typography, they had not seen this before anywhere in SL. Then, lastly, the work from Natalie Bernewitz and Marek Goldowski, with the sounds of the water towers of New York.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

When we started our work in SL last year, we were absolute beginners. At this time, we could not say how our work will develop. Six weeks later, we finished our artwork "I'll be your substitute whenever you want me". We did not have any concrete expectations and didn't think about things like that during our work, but when we saw it after finishing, we could say things developed great. As we see it, our concept is to ask about “what is real” works. Also, what works is creating emotions during the trip through the cave and the maze. So things have evolved very good from our view.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Art in the common spaces of SL will develop more. There are lots of art locations. But many of them show only this art called "single prim art" and use SL as a platform to show things and works from the "real world" they live in. We think that more artists will use SL as a field of experimenting with new forms of 3-D and interactive art. The interesting thing is not to disturb this "nice created" second world anyway, to work subtly.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

No, we have not explored other virtual 3D worlds.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

Our work will continue, but at this moment we cannot say anything about a new project. We think, it is good, to keep the eyes open about new interesting art-projects. Then it will be interesting, if these political motivated demonstrations will continue and if they will become a political force. We will keep you informed about our new works.

Tricia Aferdita – Artist, Promoter and Gallery Owner

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

I think recognition by outside entities such as the Corsa Guide was really significant. I think the future of making art in SL a viable business is to expand the RL/SL connection and make SL a place to go to view art in a 3D environment that is more 'explorable' than a website.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

I am really happy with the way things have evolved for us in Cetus this last year. We have literally seen everything we have envisioned come to light and more. The growth and the great people we have attracted here have been really positive. I look forward to continuing this positive trend and working with all the wonderful personalities we've connected with.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

I think that the increase in the sense of community in the art world has been significant. Having started out from scratch here myself, I can honestly say that having someone who's willing to go out of their way to help you get started is a real gift. I think the SL art world is leaning away from the lone, self-promoting artists and leaning more towards artist collectives and communities where they can all work together towards the goal of making people aware of their art. There have been more outreach projects, idea sharing and communities forming in recent months that make me hopeful this is a continuing trend.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

I have explored a couple of other virtual worlds. I found them to be too linear and restrictive. There was, pretty much, a plan you had to follow to get anywhere. Creativity was limited and I was quickly bored or frustrated. It actually motivated me to do more creating and building here in SL, something I hadn't been doing.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

Cetus Gallery District continues to grow and expand. Some of my plans in Cetus include working outside of the artistic box a little, adding some new things to the District. We are developing a great events team in order to expand Cetus as an events venue. In addition, we are adding more charitable events, starting with this month's campaign to raise awareness and funds for the artists still struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. We will be fundraising and holding events all month to benefit this, including live music and a Masquerade Ball and Art Auction.

Cyanide Seelowe - Virtual Artist Alliance

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

2007 was the first year of Krystal Epic's 'Best of SL Art' project. This event was broadcast to Second Life as an opportunity to recognize creators, leaders and volunteers for their achievements in the Second Life art community. Members of the community could nominate themselves or their favorite figure in the art community for any of four categories: Best Artist in the Creation Arts, Best Artist in the Performing Arts, Most Influential Venue and Owner, and Most Influential Patron, Collector, Curator and/or Supporter. Nominations for the Best of SL Art 2007 occurred in September, all members of the community were invited to review the nominations and vote in October, interviews of the top-ranking artists/patrons were given in November, and the gala and release of the list of winners was on the 1st of December. This year's event was a big enough success that it will become an annual event and we anticipate it becoming a much larger event in the coming years. For more information on the 'Best of SL Art' project, please visit http://art.krystalepic.com/index.php?q=node&page=13 and, to view the list of winners, please visit http://virtualartpedia.a.wiki-site.com/index.php/Best_of_SL_Art_2007.

In early December of 2007, I launched 'VirtualArtpedia' (http://virtualartpedia.wiki-site.com), a wiki-site with a focus on the Second Life art community. I started the wiki with the intention of providing the public with a central, objective source of knowledge about the art community that the community itself would be responsible for; this is also part of an initiative to spread the word about Second Life's art community, as it is considered by many to be the backbone of Second Life. The wiki is still in its early stages, but the site boasts over 1500 pages of content and 50 articles about the art community in its first month of operation.

The Abyss Museum of Ocean Science, built by Rezago Kokorin and Sunn Thunders, was opened in 2007. It is an aquatic environment that combines art and education in what can easily be summed up as a breathtaking collaborative installation. For a list of press releases and articles, as well as project logs by the creators, please visit http://abyss-secondlife.blogspot.com/.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Setting up expectations for how things will evolve in Second Life sounds like an easy way to set oneself up for disappointment. There are so many brilliant and creative minds at work already, and each day brings us a handful of new residents who exhibit amazing potential; Second Life, as far as I see it, is a collective consciousness, and all of the different elements that compose this consciousness make it the most unpredictable beast in existence.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

I think that the 'Best of SL Art' project will have a significant impact on the community, now that it's out of its first year. Since the community is aware of this event, they have a specific goal to shoot for now; I think it will motivate people to put that extra "oomph" into their efforts if they consider that people might be voting for them to be the Best Artist in the Creation Arts or Most Influential Venue Owner of 2008.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

I haven't had the opportunity to explore other virtual worlds (outside of the occasional close-ended video game) and so, everything I do in Second Life is pretty much a product of Second Life influences. Inversely, Second Life has inspired me to explore the idea of digital cultures and the histories thereof.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

The best way to gauge that is to keep one's ear to the ground, looking through Group Notices in groups such as 'Art & Artist Network!' and 'Creatives, Artists and Musicians' and talking to as many people as you can at as many events as you can attend. You will, of course, hear about popular happenings such as Oyster Bay's events or Sasun Steinbeck's ongoing contributions to the art community; these things are important, but the information is easy to come by since its common knowledge. If one actually puts some effort into reading group notices and talking to Average Joe, it'll become increasingly clear that some of the most amazing accomplishments in Second Life are hidden gems that are waiting to be discovered.

Tommy Parrott - Art Collectors of Second Life

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

Second Life becoming an artisan Mecca, RL artisans flocked to Second Life in 2007 in droves. The ability to exhibit in a digital medium such as Second Life is enticing to many. Once the learning curve is behind, YOU are your only limitation to what can be created. The significance of this is simple, it will be a universal gathering place for artisans of all types to create many wonderful works (static, interactive auditory & visual presentations).

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Yes, Second Life's growth was explosive in 2007, as were the introduction of many small art galleries. Knowing the potential of SL, I knew it would only be a matter of time until thousands of galleries would pop up, which is the case now.

What were the trends that begin last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Interactive art. Wall hangings are great, but people want interactivity. Artisans are beginning to fill this need the public wants, changeable art that either suits mood or makes a statement. Static art in SL is, unfortunately, not what SL art is all about. It IS about the freedom to create WHATEVER you can imagine.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

Yes, I have signed up with Hipihi.com. But, no, SL was my first virtual world and, therefore, my favorite, so others will be influenced BY SL.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

That I cannot say as Second Life is an ever-evolving presence with new talent coming in on a daily basis; I would have to say that 2008 will be an explosive year for SL, as its growth of real-world presence will proliferate around the globe, as the art scene in Second Life has in 2007.

ArtWorld Market – Managing Editor and Publisher, SLART™

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

The NMC multi-sim art show 'NMConnect', which brought together a huge number of visual and performing artists. DanCoyotAntonelli's sim-wide "full immersion hyperformalism" installation at NMC, which was supposed to be up only for a week during the Creativity Symposium and is still up. The publication of SLART™ in RL, which brought the SL art world to the RL art world, and provided archival documentation of the early uses of SL as an art medium.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Yes. People are recognizing that SL provides a unique creative medium for artists, including live streaming performance.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Realization by artists that the business of art has many parallels in SL and RL, but that the copy ability and reproducibility of works requires more attention to the artist-dealer contract, alertness to IP infringement, and proper settings of permissions when creating works.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

Not significantly.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

We are preparing to open the SLART™ Academy with classes, workshops, and publications directed toward the creation and distribution of art in virtual worlds. In February, we are planning to present the SLART™ Festival.

Sasun Steinbeck – Art Gallery Owners

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

The biggest is, most definitely, the introduction of sculptie prims. This has enabled a whole new era in 3D art in SL. The types of sculptures you can produce has been expanded and changed immensely. Sculpting with "regular" prims will always be an art form in itself, as will traditional 2D texture art, but sculpties have and will change the nature of SL sculpture forever. Its potential remains to be tapped and we have yet to see very many masters of this new art form emerge.

In the last year I can't really point to any other monumental milestones, but rather a steady and consistent growth in the number of art galleries and art-related events in SL, just like the year before. On 1/1/07, we were at about 150 galleries and, one year later, at 400. This in itself is an amazing achievement for art in SL.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

I think the steady, straight-line growth of the number of galleries in SL has been a bit of a surprise to me. I never had any idea I'd reach 400 galleries on the list, this number is just staggering. On 5/1/2006, when I first started recording these numbers, there were only 50 galleries on the list.

The other trend that I would have predicted is to see more art that takes advantage of SL's unique ability to script objects in interesting ways to create fascinating audio/visual experiences for the observer. Douglas Story is a great example of an artist that collaborates with scripters to realize very unique and stunning audio/visual experiences that interact with and really engage the viewer. vIn my opinion, SL is just ripe for more of this kind of art. This is SL's unique palette and we need more artists to understand it, explore it, and try bold new things that simply can't be done anywhere else.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Sculptie-based art will become a major presence as more artists learn the skills necessary. There will be more experiments with scripted, immersive, multi-sensory, engaging art experiences that will make big news.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

No, SL keeps me busy enough :)

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

We will see more galleries that will demand a higher percentage of the sales of their artists' artwork. This is both good and bad. The costs of running, promoting and keeping traffic consistently high at a big art gallery are very high and time consuming. Though the artists get less out of each sale and more of each sale is going toward the costs of running the gallery, the benefits are that more people are attending events and visiting these more visible galleries and therefore buying more art. There will always be galleries that host other artists' work for free because they want to help promote art in SL and their costs are not high, but as SL continues to grow and the art-purchasing market expand, you will see more large galleries that charge commissions for art to help keep the gallery running and successful.

You will see the influence of some of the premier sculptie experts like Light Waves spreading to other artists. Seeing what is possible can capture the imagination of new artists that get inspired to learn the necessary tools to create amazing sculptie-based sculptures and this type of art will begin to spread.

Nebulosus Severine - Art & Artist Network

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

In no particular order for chronology or importance, here are several milestones I can think of that had an impact on SL art in 2007:

• The formation of Bettina Tizzy's NPIRL group, which has united some of the most influential and creative artists who use Second Life as a medium;




• The Rezzable SIMs, such as Dark Swan and the Greenies installation, which devote entire SIMs to a particular theme or work;




• The return of Starax Statosky, now known as Light Waves, who is arguably SL's most well-known and best loved artist;




• Brian Eno's '77 million Paintings' installation, probably the most significant example of an SL-RL crossover art event;




• The Second Life 4th Birthday celebration, which gathered together a wide range of artists, builders, and content creators, and was attended by thousands of residents, despite the massive technical problems plaguing the event.




• Burning Life 2007, which was handled completely differently than any other year, causing a huge amount of controversy and drama for many residents involved, including the censoring of a sculpture by Cheen Pitney and resulting outcry as a result.




• Project Open Letter, written to Linden Labs and signed by many residents frustrated with the repeated techinical difficulties with Second Life. Many SL artists, some of the most passionate content creators, were among the thousands of residents to add their signature to the letter. http://www.projectopenletter.com/




• The controversial "Keeping Second Life Safe, Together" post in the official Linden blog raised concerns of Free Speech and Free Expression for many SL artists. http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/05/31/keeping-second-life-safe-together/




• Massive inventory losses affected many residents, among them important and highly respected content creators, such as Arcadia Asylum, whose frustration led her to leave Second Life for good.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

I personally did not anticipate the population of Second Life to grow so drastically. As a result, the art world has exploded here. I expected the art world to grow, but not as much as it actually did!

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

Artists selling "limited editions" of their work. This practice arose a fair amount of controversy, documented in part in ArtWorld Market's SLArt blog: http://slartblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/no-more-phony-limited-editions.html

Immersive sound installations, such as those created by Juria Yoshikawa, Daruma Picnic, and Adam Ramona.

Art SIMs, in which an entire SIM is devoted to a gallery or installation, such as the Rezzabor the collaborative 'Dynafleur' project on the Princeton South SIM.

Artist collectives, in which several significant artists with similar styles occupy a shared major gallery space, such as Oyster Bay (mostly sculpture) and The Cannery (featuring Snapshot photography).

Art blogging. Many individual artists and art collectives have blogs now. It's a great way to document events, gatherings and achievments as blogging is often the easiest (and usually free) way of creating a personal webpage. Many artists also have accompanying Flickr accounts to document their work and supplement their blogs.

"Mixed reality" events, SL art galleries or events that have a real life/first life equivalent occurring at the same time.

Live music events. These have been going on for a couple of years, but 2007 was the year that probably saw the greatest influx of new musical acts. I believe that this trend will continue to grow in 2008.

Windlight. While not a "trend," is something that will have a huge impact once it is fully integrated into SL. The atmospheric possibilities are almost endless for artists who are able to control SIM settings, and I imagine many will take the opportunity to incorporate Windlight aspects into their installations. There is also a new option for prims, "Glow," which will give sculptors even more to play with while building.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

Second Life is my first 3D online environment, so I have no outside influences from any other online worlds or MMORPGs.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

I'm usually too wrapped up in my own projects to know about new events until they are happening! I am definitely looking forward to what Windlight will bring; I hope Linden Labs will be able to release a stable version of it this year. I've also got several personal and collaborative projects in mind for this year but, so far, those are all top secret!

Filthy Fluno – Artist

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

Real world art players and publications like Artworld Market, The Revolving Museum, Big Car Gallery, Axiom Gallery, Artnet, Artinfo.com and Art Magazine have started to pay attention and publish articles about artists in SL.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

I never thought in a million years that I would be able to quit my RL job and be a full time RL artist who adventures in SL and makes and sells art about it.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

RL/SL counterparts.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

I have explored Kaneva, Hipihi, Activeworlds and Sims. I can't do anything even close to what I do in SL. I do have an art "space" in Kaneva but it sucks big time.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

I have more mixed reality mashups of music and art planned for 2008 - bigger, better, and more yummier than 2007, for sure!

Xander Ruttan – Promoter and Gallery Owner

What were some of last year’s key milestones in the SL art world and why were they significant?

One event struck me as a milestone, and that was the in-world exhibition of Gottfried Helnwein's work. Until then, SL's art world seemed to be more about either do-it-yourselfers (self-promoting artists without significant RL art world repute), or presentation of major art world historical figures, shows which raise a lot of questions about copyright infringement and deceased artists' estate issues. Helnwein is a high-profile, living artist and, while the art world establishment lacks consensus about the merit of his work, he has as least some RL art world credibility. His SL presence came at a time when few, if any, other major contemporary artists or high-profile RL galleries had yet to venture into SL (and really have not come into SL even now, so long as average SL residents are not significant collectors of RL contemporary art. The RL galleries must, by necessity, go where the monied art audience is found.) Cetus is well-positioned to attract RL galleries as its design reflects the RL environments where they typically set up shop - places like New York's Chelsea gallery district, or the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon, where I lived.

Looking back to the start of last year, have things evolved the way you thought they would? Why or why not?

Cetus Gallery District has unfolded very much according to the original vision I had for it. In many ways, Cetus has exceeded my expectation by attracting great people, including a lot of RL art world people. We have a thriving community here of more than 30 gallery owners and residents who have joined in to collaborate and do charitable works (for example, raising money for needy artists still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina). Many Cetus residents have been there from the start, so it's also one of the more stable art communities in SL. We're celebrating our one-year anniversary throughout January '08. And we have a lot to celebrate, having been chosen Best Cultural Site in SL in the Corsa Guide popular vote this first year, and also among the Top 6 Most Influential Art Venues in SL in the 'Best of SL Art' event a couple of months ago.

What were the trends that began last year that will have the greatest impact in 2008?

The trend I have been seeing that will mean the greatest success for the SL art world is the mirroring of RL art world practices. The trend is toward providing more substantial or scholarly information and authentication, toward a bit more restraint in creating environments in which art looks good, is allowed to be seen as important, and a trend away from gimmicky, self-indulgent spaces which compete or fail to flatter the artworks shown. Just because one CAN build a multi-colored, patterned, flashing, spinning fluorescent-looking SL gallery space doesn't necessarily mean that's a good way to design an art exhibition. It also doesn't mean it’s art, when SL artists use every trick afforded them by SL tools. Just because it flashes and spins or has a tricky script doesn't make it art or, at least, good or important art. I think the trend is toward SL artists deepening the concepts behind their art to reflect the unique virtual culture we live in here, toward a more truly indigenous art, and for RL artists to present their RL art in surroundings that dignify things just a bit more. Whimsy is good but it's just one of many vibes to explore. For some galleries, a little more realism and attention to detail wouldn't hurt, and I see a growing interest toward that among the Cetus art dealers, especially. The realism is part of what attracts them here in the first place.

Have you explored other virtual worlds and has that had any influence on what you've done in SL? If you have, has what you've done there been influenced by what you've done or not done in SL?

So far, no other virtual world intrigues me. I've read about There.com, about MTV's forays into virtual lifestyle stuff with Virtual Lower East Side, but SL is the only environment whose founders had the courage to give us powerful tools and the freedom to create what we want. Of course, that cuts both ways - a lot of people glimpse SL at a distance on first visit and pronounce it horrible-looking. But that's the price for user-created content. There is a lot that is worth considering in SL but, just like RL, you have to sift through a lot of bad stuff to find it. I'm willing to do that.

What can we look forward to in 2008? (Events, openings, influences etc.)

In addition to our One-Year Anniversary Celebration mentioned above, Cetus will be relocating to its own SIMs and expanding. This will greatly improve our residents' visitors' experiences and performance. Our growth has been explosive, even as overall SL population has declined, so we are now nearly full occupancy with a waiting list for certain kinds of spaces here. In other new Cetus-related developments, I'm organizing solo exhibitions of a few very high profile RL artists for Ruttan Gallery, which is my own space among the various other art galleries I lease to others here in the District. But the biggest project under construction here is the Cetus Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, for which a board of directors is forming, an effort made up of RL art world people, with curatorial input from RL art museums that will give it some of the best-developed exhibition and art education programming in SL. It has RL nonprofit status so it will be governed very much like a RL arts institution, and be able to attract tax-deductible contributions and grants. Our goal is to create a dynamic conduit for the RL art world so that RL and SL art and artists may flow more freely between worlds in a more permeable way. The Cetus Museum promises to advance Cetus' mission and vitality by stimulating a very provocative conversation among artists and art world people as SL and other virtual worlds continue to unfold and become a more routine way to interact about art over the Net, and virtual artistic and commercial possibilities are tapped more fully.

My thanks to each of the above for their assistance and contribution. A special thank you to Tini Jewell, my "Chief Editor" for her comments and contributions to this and others in Lane's List.