The world is not as it ought to be. We long for meaningful existence and involvement in our culture – to be part of a story greater than ourselves. Often our reality is a broken and fragmented story in which dignity and value are stripped from humanity. Art can begin to address this dehumanization. We hope to be artists and visionaries that might see beyond the trivial to the transcendent, bringing synthesis to fragmentation, and hope to despair.
IAM is a movement dedicated to inspiring a global community to create work that is “rehumanizing”. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization, IAM presents lectures, performances, exhibitions, screenings, projects, and workshops in our NYC space with the hope of spurring other like-minded organizations in similar undertakings. Our programming and resources equip the broader movement to generate good, true, and beautiful cultural artifacts.
Mission:
IAM gathers artists and creative catalysts to wrestle with the deep questions of art, faith, and humanity in order to inspire the creative community to grapple with our present reality, faithfully steward our talents, and and create “rehumanizing” work indicative of the world that “ought to be.”
Values:
We value an approach to life and work that is rehumanizing, generative, enterprising, and generous, which fosters an environment for wrestling with the deep questions of art, faith and humanity.
Staff and Board
Makoto Fujimura
Founder | Creative Director | Board Member An internationally-renown Japanese-American artist, Mako combines ancient traditional Japanese Nihonga with western techniques, creating an art form that is unique and beautiful. Mako has served on the National Council on the Arts since 2003, and his work is shown in New York at Chelsea’s Dillon Gallery. Mako is also the founder of International Arts Movement. (www.makotofujimura.com)
Meaghan Ritchey
Assistant Director Born in the West Texas town of El Paso, and currently residing in the South Bronx neighborhood of Mott Haven, Meaghan Ritchey loves places with regional distinctiveness and local flavor. Meaghan earned her BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from The King’s College NYC in 2008. She works as Programming Coordinator, and she is the Managing Editor of IAM’s web magazine The Curator.
Heidi Duncan
Financial Administrator | Office Coordinator
Heidi has worked in the theater and film world since 1995, acting on stages up and down the East Coast, directing shows in Boston, and costuming plays and historic venues. She co-founded two acting companies, marrying the performing arts, the written arts, and education. She holds a degree in English Language and Literature and a Teaching Certificate in Secondary Education. Heidi moved to New York in 2008 and currently lives in Washington Heights.
Carlos Ortiz
Board Member Carlos Ortiz serves as a regional director for Concerts of Prayer, a New York based Non-Profit Organization. Prior to his work with CoP, Carlos was involved in the music industry, held executive positions in the banking industry and served as a Pastor. He is also very involved with Turning Point, a community based non-profit social service organization offering help with drug and substance addiction, homeless housing, HIV Scattered Site housing and programs in GED education. Carlos and his wife, Lee, Live in Brooklyn, New York.
P. Douglas Wilson
Board Member P. Douglas Wilson is senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Hillenbrand, Inc. He was named a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum in 2006. He is also the founder and Chairman of Cricket Knoll Equity, a multi-disciplinary thought studio. Prior to his work with Hillenbrand, Doug held numerous executive positions with companies such as Guidant Corp, Boston Scientific, Ronald Blue & Co. and Eli Lilly & Co. Doug and his wife, Jayne Ann, live in Carmel, Indiana.
Kyoko Takahashi Lin
Board Member Kyoko is a member of Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Group. She graduated, magna cum laude, from Harvard College in 1993 and in 1996 received her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Kyoko joined Davis Polk in 1996 and became a partner in 2006.
In her pro bono practice, Kyoko has represented individuals seeking asylum in the United States, including a Chinese Christian evangelist, Tibetan refugees and a Cameroonian political activist. Kyoko, her husband John, and their daughter live in New York City.
Carey Wallace
Board Member Carey Wallace was raised in small towns in Michigan, and graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in creative writing. Her debut novel, The Blind Contessa’s New Machine, was published by Viking/Penguin in 2010, and received positive reviews in The New York Times, Boston Globe, and Publishers Weekly. Her work has appeared in Oasis, SPSM&H, Businessweek, Detroit’s MetroTimes and quarrtsiluni, which she guest-edited in 2008.
Explore
1A great place to start is by watching some of our fantastic lectures and performances – helpful tools for those working to fully integrate their art, faith, and humanity.
Join-in
2Sign-up for our newsletter The IAM Current, follow us on Twitter and in Facebook to stay up-to-date on the community and conservation that’s been growing for over 20 years.
Connect
3Sign-up for the IAM Connect tool to post events and find others the world over who are part of IAM, and start talking to them through the message tool and the IAM Forum.
Frequently Asked Questions
International Arts Movement resists organizational “membership” models. There are no member numbers, dues, or expiration dates. We are a movement working to be generous and inspire generosity. We need everyone who is part of it to help sustain it, whether through participation, financial contributions, art donations, in-kind services, volunteering, or even just spreading the word.
IAM is who it is made up of, and if you are invested in these the movement’s vision and mission, you are a part of IAM.
If we don’t already know you, we’d very much like to, so please visit the “Join” section of the website.
Check out the IAM Connect tool to see if there is a group in your neck of the woods. If not, consider starting one! We also suggest using IAM’s Facebook fan page as a way to connect with others who might be in your area, and we use Twitter to connect regionally, so follow us (@IntlArtsMvmnt) to stay informed on IAM-related things in your area.
Like any relationship, regional IAM groups begin in many ways. Our advice if you’re thinking about starting something in your area is to read through IAM’s mission/vision and, if you resonate with this vision and feel there is a need for this kind of movement in your area, invite some friends in your community to start meeting together weekly, monthly or quarterly. For programming suggestions, such as Discussion Cafe, Cinema Series, Readers Guild, Artist Salons, and more, please check our blog and the IAM Initiative pages.
Once you have started a local group, or if you have an existing arts group that you would like to see affiliated with IAM, please keep us posted.
Please visit our store to make a donation online.
We’d also very much appreciate your contributions when downloading our free resources.
If you prefer, checks made payable to International Arts Movement can also be mailed to:
Space 38|39
38 W. 39th St. 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10018
We thank you in advance for your generosity!
Makoto Fujimura receives numerous public speaking requests throughout the year, but he is only able to accept about 10% of his invitations. In order to be considered, please visit his website and leave a message with a full description of your event, the dates involved, and contact information for follow up.
As our programming schedule permits, IAM rents our midtown creative space for private functions. If you are interested in renting Space 38|39, please fill out this Space Request form.
At IAM, we love getting ideas and suggestions from enterprising artists who want to partner with us to organize salons, shows, exhibitions, film screenings, music performances, etc. that would serve and benefit the IAM community.
If you are interested in proposing an idea, please fill out this Event Proposal Form.
The IAM staff has scheduled open office hours (Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:30-5:30pm) when our featured exhibitions are available to preview. During those allotted times, the staff is also available to answer any questions you may have about IAM. Since Space 38|39 is also a workspace, we regret that we cannot often accommodate visits outside of Open Office Hours.
For further inquiries, please contact Meaghan Ritchey for assistance.
IAM has a rich history of bright and talented interns who have added value to the movement over the years and gone on to do awesome things. Most former IAM interns stay closely involved with the movement once they move on (they even have a Facebook page!) To let us know you are interested, please click here to fill out the Internship Form.
Space 38|39
In 2007 International Arts Movement inaugurated Space 38|39, our event, exhibition and office space in the heart of Manhattan. It’s IAM’s desire to see Space 38|39 be utilized to share original works that build community, engage our culture and help create the world that ought to be. IAM has innovative events and programs that draw people from all walks of life together to wrestle with the deep questions of art, faith and humanity. Events include gallery exhibitions, film screenings, musical performances, lectures, salons, readings, workshops and networking opportunities.
If you have an idea for a collaborative event or program that resonates with the vision of this movement, please contact us at events@internationalartsmovement.org.
As our schedule permits, IAM rents our midtown creative space for private functions. Click here to fill out a request to rent Space 38|39.
