Why do people write? Why do we make art or play music? And why should we care? What does this have to do with Arts & Entertainment?

Tonight, just a little after sunset, I took a walk on the headlands as the moon appeared as a sliver through the Winter fog, and I contemplated why I'm here, working at the Mendocino Art Center as Publications Director, editing A&E, marketing MAC's programs, promoting the right of people everywhere to create something from nothing, to make art, whether they consider themselves Artists or not. In the end, it matters only that you show up and do it, not whether or not you call yourself an Artist. It is our birth right to create, to be in touch with and express the unique inner soul that we each are.

Part of my self-expression right now, it seems, is to write from some places in my heart and help shepard the work of other writers to the printed page (or the web page). It is not always a gentle process, but I try to make it as collaborative as possible. In that spirit, let me tell you what thoughts I'm currently having about the direction this magazine might go; and I'd like to encourage anyone reading this who has an inner writer yearning to break free to feel free to submit something to me---it doesn't have to be completely "finished"; it can be an interesting idea. If it seems like we can work with it together, I will encourage you to write it for A&E. In any case, I will encourage you to write it for you and anyone else you may want to share it with.

A&E is the keynote publication of the Art Center, so we will of course continue to cover the artists' exhibits, special community events and outstanding MAC arts education program which is the heart and soul of Mendocino Art Center---please be sure to look at the Summer Class Schedule enclosed within this issue of A & E. We will also attempt to write about the Art Center's programs, history (especially in this, our 40th Anniversary year), and the creative people under its roof in new and illuminating ways, hopefully to inspire all who read to come join us, play, work, learn and have fun making art, being creative, finding out more about that often illusive inner self who secretly longs to ride an existentialist motorcycle in a high wind, hair streaming, scalp bared. In Mendocino, you get to do that sort of thing. You get to rebel and create your own country, and fill it with a colorful citizenry of your own imagination.

We will also implement new themes and sections in the magazine. One of these I envision, "The Spirit of Creativity," might be a place for the secret writer in you to start---I'm looking for first-person, truthful accounts of a moment that was revelatory for you while you were engaged in your own unique creative process, whether painting, cooking, playing the flute, carving wood, chiseling images from stone, or whatever else you consider creative expression. We will run an intermittent series of such "eyewitness accounts" of the daily tangle with making art, making a great loaf of bread, running an inn or a winery, making a new business work---send me your ideas. I'm out there looking for new recruits. You may have already noticed some new writers' names in the January/February 1999 issue of A&E, and in this issue. We will continue with the search for new voices and new perspectives. This includes people of all ages and walks of life. For one, I am vitally interested in young writers who want to learn about journalism, web design, desktop publishing, and who want to write some stories or columns for A&E about matters that concern young people. If you know of any young people who may be interested in being interns for A & E or our public relations department, please let me know.

Another ongoing section I envision, for lack of a fancier name, is "Community," which is exactly what it says---a series of accounts of good works, human gathering places, innovation by individuals that serves the good of all of us---in our diverse Mendocino County community (and sometimes in the larger community of the world). Again, I am scouting out examples and stories, but I invite you to call or write to me and discuss something or someone you know about, in any area of our community---an individual who is making a difference, a small business enterprise that is uniquely serving the community, a human services organization or non-profit that is doing something extraordinary or unusual to build or promote "community." What does this have to do with the arts, you may ask? Well, I would say it has everything to do with the arts, because artists, contrary to the myth of the lonely, solitary creator, are essential in all communities because they provide the perspectives and the tools to communicate ideas, feelings, longings and learning for the group as a whole---for the larger community. First, an artist communicates with his/her inner self to find his/her art; and then, he/she brings it out into the light of day for the community around to experience, see, feel and hear---and reflect back. Stories about artists whose work inspires or acts as a catalyst for community are most welcome.

Cathryn Hrudicka

We're going to focus on specific themes, even though in A&E, we also endeavor to offer a potpourri of articles over a publication year. One issue may be about people who create sound effects and compose music; another will be about gardening, the earth, the landscape we all treasure. I have thought of many themes, and have received some wonderful suggestions from my fellow staff at the Art Center, but we also want to open this up to you, if you want to suggest something you haven't seen in A&E for awhile, or ever. We want to explore how and why art can make you think, and we want to publish a magazine that will make people think and discuss important ideas with each other, even if they don't always agree. Over time, we'll be able to develop more "think" pieces, personal essays and deeper, more expansive articles, if we can distribute enough copies of the magazine and sell enough ads (here's the business pitch) to enable us to print more pages. But even with fewer pages on a bimonthly basis, we will always aim for quality and greater depth. That's where you come in---you can make suggestions, provoke ideas, write an article. We want people from all areas of the community writing for A&E, writing about a lot of different things. It is about art, but art is about everything, and there is art in everything.

In the past, A&E has sometimes published fiction, songs or poetry, and we'll consider that again, intermittently. In an attempt to unify themes and sculpt each issue with a certain focus, if a particularly apt poem or short story catches our eye, we will consider printing it. We're also on the lookout for new photographs and illustrations. We are developing a particular palette, but opening it up to new tones and colors.

We're interested in stories from people who have visited Mendocino County, moved here, or made the transition from "tourist" to "resident"; and we're interested in travel tales with unusual perspectives and spice. So, if you've always wanted to write (or read) about what it was like to leave Mendocino and create art in Bali or hang out with the Dalai Llama for a year, we want to hear from you.

We want to know about people "Making Waves," voicing opinions about quality of life in Mendocino County, the hot issues in their neck of the woods, views from different vistas. This special section may be intermittent or run as a series, and we don't expect this one to be too quiet---so, here is your invitation to speak up.

Finally, since we are a magazine (and a website) that champions artists and the arts, we will look for offbeat angles and upbeat profiles on artists (or people who create) in our midst or who are visiting our county who are up to something new and unusual. Keep in mind that A&E is now a bimonthly magazine, so when you send us calendar listings or ads, please observe the new deadlines. If you've got access to e-mail, it would save us time to get your materials at our new e-mail address: <ae@mcn.org>. This address is for A & E or our website only, not for registering for classes or general Art Center business.

Well, I could go on about other aspects of my own editorial vision, but suffice it to say that it will be a picture that creates and unveils itself as time goes on. I believe in editorial planning, but I don't want to know everything about where the journey will lead, and I want to hear from you about what you would like to read about. We will at least take your ideas into consideration and discuss them. One thing I will say is that we're in the process of updating the Mendocino Art Center website design---so tune into our URL periodically over the coming year:

<http://www.mcn.org/a/mendoart/>, and you'll see some intriguing changes, including to the A&E section of the site. You're likely to find some goodies on the website that aren't in the printed magazine and vice-versa as we further explore what "online journalism" is and could be in the future. We at MAC just want to keep you---and ourselves---awake, on our toes, stretching to the ends of our wing spans...

-- Cathryn Hrudicka,
MAC Publications Director
(and steward/catalyst for your A&E)