GOODBYE, STATUS HAT!

Goodbye, Status Hat!

We have reached the end of the line for this incarnation of Status Hat's monthly artszine.

This of course comes both sooner, and later, than I might have anticipated. In some respects, this publication was consistently steady, so I could see this digital rag continuing for years, almost by its own volition. It had something of its own heartbeat. In other respects, I knew intimately the hazards of any ongoing work produced by a small and mostly voluntary arts organization – we were always bucking the odds by merely existing for this long at all.

At the very least, our final issue fits aptly with a theme chosen for this month more than a year ago, when we had not yet known it would be our last one: Time.

At this point, I really just want to let the credits roll. There are so many. In just short of 3 years of publishing, we’ve had a host of interns from an array of academic institutions who have joined us for anywhere from a month to six months or more to assist in producing our monthly 'zine, as well as work on other projects at Status Hat. Each of those students contributed more than just those hours of their academic year, or summer – they gave fully of themselves in asserting their belief in our Collaborative's core mission, which at its base was about promoting the vital necessity of creative expression and sharing of the art experience for the mutual benefit of individuals and extended communities. Each of those interns/students/individuals also brought with them a wealth of skills and potential which helped build the experience, projects and publications we were creating together.

And then there are the artists, writers and musicians we’ve had the opportunity to showcase. It was always our aim to highlight many points on the creative spectrum. Personally, I liked to see people who were working in different mediums, or using mediums in unique ways, and artists at very different points in the evolution of their creative work. At our strongest, I believe we have accomplished that – we might have often had a bent for the quirky and not easily categorized, but we consistently aimed to share work that demonstrated why art matters, especially work that gave a reader/audience a moment to check out of daily life, and check into another level of daily life, upon our digital pages. When readers spent time with Status Hat, it was my hope that we were offering many “trapdoors to inner worlds” – doorways into the creative experience, where the unseen is given form in this world through musical notes, colors, visual patterns, words, and that elusive other element that defines the undefinable art experience. Our illustrious contributors are a testament to the creative experience, and I am grateful not only for the opportunity to have published their work on these pages, but also for the many inspiring and continuing connections across the globe that I have made in the progress.

Last, we also need to thank the four guest editors who joined us in 2011. Each guest editor contributed months of their time and much energy cultivating ideas and sorting through submissions, in an effort to bring together the last 12 issues. Each also brought their own window into the creative experience, allowing Status Hat to explore new directions and ideas.

Of course, there is always one more last: My biggest thank you, and most heartfelt goodbye, is to you, each of you that has been reading Status Hat over the years– those that just started reading us recently, and those that have been with us since its inception. We couldn't have asked for a better, more receptive or more supportive audience. Your attention and energy has been felt, and appreciated.

Please look for the second edition of our biannual devoted to narrative - Trigger - in early January and please continue to support small arts organizations in your communities and networks as you are able to.

- Carli Castellani
Artistic Director, Status Hat