ARTBOUND MAKES ITS TELEVISION DEBUT ON KCET'S 'OPEN CALL' SERIES AUGUST 16 AT 9 PM

Innovative transmedia series showcasing arts and culture of Southern and Central California allows viewers to vote for the online content that they love to air on TV.

Burbank, CA - August 8, 2012 - KCET, the nation's largest independent public television station, is proud to present the television premiere of its groundbreaking transmedia series, Artbound, on KCET's original series Open Call, airing August 16 at 9 p.m. which explores Southern California's multifaceted art scene and diverse cultural landscape.

Since its launch in May, 20 experienced writers, curators advisors and critics, each bringing a unique cultural and artistic vantage point from across the Southland, have contributed more than 150 online columns to the initiative.

These long-form, multimedia articles were rated by readers and vetted by the Artbound editorial team every week. The articles that received the most votes were produced into weekly short online videos. The inaugural Artbound television show will feature the best of these extraordinary videos chosen by fans online to date, and marks the first time in KCET history that viewers were able to curate the content they watch on television. Each month until November, a new Artbound program will air on KCET.

Some of the videos presented on air include:

•"Jack Rabbit Homestead" by Kim Stringfellow, which highlights remote desert communities in San Bernardino county;

•The Date Farmers" by Drew Tewksbury, which tells the story of an eclectic group of artists in the Coachella Valley and their influence on Chicano pop art;

•"California Hot Tubbing: An Oral History of the Steam Egg" by Robby Herbst, which spotlights a communal steam bath in the shape of an egg in downtown Los Angeles; and

•"A Year in the Life: Manuel Paul López's '1984'" by Amy Sanchez, an animated short, that delves into López's encyclopedic knowledge of modern and contemporary literature and border-child vernacular sensibility.

To celebrate Artbound's on air debut, KCET will host a screening at The Downtown Independent in Los Angeles.   

Artbound is funded by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Department of Cultural Affairs City Of Los Angeles Viewers on the go can connect with Artbound on Facebook (facebook.com/KCETartbound) and Twitter (@kcetartbound). Juan Devis, KCET's Director of Production and Program Development is the executive producer for the series. Seasoned multimedia journalist, Drew Tewksbury serves as Artbound's managing editor and producer. Artbound is produced in collaboration with B-Curious Production helmed by Bruce Dickson.

ABOUT OPEN CALL

Open Call, hosted by internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano opera singer Suzanna Guzmàn, showcases the work of top Southern California arts and culture organizations and schools. The weekly series features a wide variety of productions from intriguing profiles of artists and their organizations to full-length performances in music, dance, visual arts and the spoken word filmed live in theaters and cultural venues around the region. KCET's Open Call will also capture young, emerging talent as they study, create and perform exciting, cutting-edge work at top schools across The Southland.

ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. KCET currently produces the Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a hard-hitting prime-time weekly television news program that examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 48-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.

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