As you will see below, I make mention of a Spiritual Retreat Community. I'm working on building Image of the Mind Studios and I am sitting up the studio space as The Theatrical Development Centre, but in my mind I have a vision for that concept to grow beyond my studio facility into a community facility. IMS is shaping into a micro-cosom of the larger community concept. Part of implementing that "Artist Community" is to form and establish "The Alpha & Omega Society" as a foundation with the purpose of constructing and maintaining a community compound centered around the Theatrical Development concept. Why theatrical activities at it's core? Well, theatre uses all the known Arts & Crafts to implement, so using the theatre brings together artists of all talents as well as management oriented people. Well, clearly, to bring people together requires a working space that will accommodate the work and living spaces required to be productive in this way. I have had this prevailing vision in my head for most of my life and everything I do is leading in that direction.
Image of the Mind Studios has gradually grown through various levels of operation, remaining as low key as possible and engaging in development of new works in a wide range of mediums. The result has been a gathering of supplies and equipment, all oriented toward an ever receeding objective. By that I mean that I have gathered supplies, such as video equipment (for example), only to find the industry moving at a speed that is hard to keep up with. So overall, I have developed an attitude and stance where, I do not strive to compete with advancing technology, rather, I am using whatever obsolete technology I have to set up a work space around that technology, presuming that at some point, when it is required, that technology can be upgraded. But in the meanwhile, I am using that equipment to define the parameters of the studio working space. In that way, the changes that occurr through advancement in technology can be put to use effectively. But I diverge.
My point here is to proclaim that I intend to transfer Image of the Mind Studios and all it's assets over to The Alpha & Omega Society when I depart this plane of existence. That being said, I must follow the path of establishing the A&O Soc. as a foundation operating under a Board of Directors. This hasn't been done yet. For my part I am very busy and the most I can do is to conceptualize the community, while I gather the resources to proceed.
As it stands now, I envision the resources to establish The A&O Soc and the Spiritual Retreat Community coming from The Gnomes of New Hope. You can follow that blog and Image of the Mind Studios to see how that is proceeding. I have it in my mind to acquire between 25 & 100 acres in either Upper Bucks County or the Poconos. I'll go into that later, but if it is Upper Bucks County, then the facility in Southampton would play a pivoital role. If for some reason, I need to relocate the Southampton facility, then the Poconos is more likely. Frankly, I prefer Upper Buck County, because that wouldn't involve starting over again. IMS has had nine previous studio locations and I have it in my mind that the Southampton facility is the last time I have to set up, but that's not absolutely certain. It all depends on my cash flow.
The Gnomes of New Hope is nearing completion. I have said that countless times and Everytime I say that there is more to do. In fact, it is only the Storybook that is nearing completion and it is the publishing layout that is complete. There is still much artwork that needs to be done for the remaining illustrations. But you can read about that on the Gnomes blog. The truth is that there are literally dozens of other projects in various stages of completion at IMS, but the facilities are dependent upon The Gnomes generating the capital to move forward and in fact, The Alpha & Omega Society is contingent upon The Gnomes of New Hope generating an excess of capital, an excess beyond what is required to maintain the Southampton operations. That is the point of The A&O Soc. A place to deposit income from the projects emminating from The Theatrical Development Centre and to distribute those funds to maintain a community environment where artists can live and work on common goals. Those goals are the projects approved by the Board of Directors to receive the support of the whole community, projects submitted and developed by the whole community. Very much like the old Studio System, but, hopefully on a more communal and less dictatorial basis.
Of course rules must be set down and followed, so it may well fall back into the old methodology tried time and again by others, but hopefully, tying the Theatrical Development Centre to a Spiritual Retreat will help us achieve the Elisian Dream.
