Fund Supporting Media Arts Seeks To Inspire Local Art Students

credit:

When Aaron Perez died in 2023 at the age of 38, he left behind a legacy that now includes an award in his name for a student in the media arts at New York's Jamestown Community College.

Perez, a photographer, videographer, and documentarian, was born in California and spent time in Europe while in high school, reports the Buffalo News.

He eventually worked as a photographer for his college paper before finding a job at New York City's Bowery Bar, where he met and married his wife, Emily Drew.

After working in New York City for a few years, Perez decided to move to Jamestown, his hometown, to teach at the community college.

He was already a favorite of the school's faculty when he started teaching digital media production, and after just one semester, his talent for teaching made him a department favorite, leading to more coursework.

He was named the college's second Artist in Residence and began working on a project about Jamestown's artistic community.

He died in his sleep at his home in Jamestown, leaving behind a wife and two children.

"We got to know Aaron when he worked on a project through the JCC Foundation," says the executive director of the foundation, which has set up the Aaron Perez Media Arts Award Fund.

Read the Entire Article

How's Your Community Doing?
Check Out it's
Community Vital Signs

Explore the
Social Progress Index
for the
Chautauqua Region Community Foundation

Worksport Secures $2.8 Million New York State Grant

If you're looking for a safe place to park your money during the stock market's roller coaster ride this year, there's a mutual fund that's got you covered. The MarketWatch blog rounds up the 10...more

Senator John I. Kane Is Proud to Announce That 'Vision To Learn' Has Been Awarded a ...

"Every child in every school, everywhere in the country, should have the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life," says Austin Beutner, founder of a nonprofit that provides free eye exams...more

Historic Theater, Riverfront in Ironton Getting Renovations with State Grant Funds

The Ro-Na Cultural Center in Ironton, Ohio, opened in 1949 as a movie theater, but closed in 1973. The building sat vacant until it was donated to the city in 2008 to be restored. It reopened...more

Photos: The Cannon Announces Opening of Newest Location in Memorial

"More than just a space, The Cannon Memorial will be an environment where innovation thrives." That's the vision of the Houston-based co-working space, which opened its 39th location Monday in...more

Tampa Bay Innovation Center Names Startups for Spring Accelerator Program

The Tampa Bay Innovation Center is kicking off its spring accelerator program, and it's got eight startups on its list. Among them: AgWise, which focuses on the climate impact of agriculture's...more

Bioeconomy Can Contribute to a New Cycle of Prosperity, Say Ministers and Janja Lula

Brazil's environmental minister has a message for the rest of the world: Don't turn your back on the planet. Marina Silva, who is also the country's first lady, has called for a shift away from...more

Northeast Denver Innovation Zone to Dissolve, Reverting Two Middle Schools to District Control

One of Denver's so-called "innovation zones" is going to be history after the end of the school year. The Northeast Denver Innovation Zone, which had three public schools in it, will dissolve at...more

Rome'S Affordable Housing Project Gets Grant Funding

An 11-acre plot of vacant land in Rome, NY, will soon be transformed into 250 affordable housing units and a community center for veterans and their families. Thanks to a $2.5 million grant from...more

Breakaway Syracuse Ballet Company Wins State Grant for New Studio and Rehearsal Space

The state has stepped in to help a new ballet company in Syracuse get off the ground. The New York State Council of the Arts has awarded Central New York Ballet a $259,000 grant to help it move...more

Otsego Land Trust to Receive State Grant

More than $3 million in state funding is going to 64 not-for-profit land trusts in New York state to protect water quality, prevent farmland conversion, boost public access to outdoor recreation,...more