The purpose of this summer research project is to begin studying the Community Unity Music Education Program (CUMEP). Honoring twenty-two years of impact on youth, artists, and educators in Ithaca, New York, CUMEP and MACRE are starting a 3-year project to research and create an educational docuseries. The ultimate goal at the end of the 3 years is to create 16 (16-minute, 3 minute, & 30 second) episodes of inquiry-based lessons from the CUMEP curriculum with accompanying materials for youth, teachers, families, and community leaders. The goal at the end of this summer is to have 6-8 hours of recorded focus group interviews with 4-6 CUMEP youth leaders discussing different (16) parts of the CUMEP curriculum. This summer the project will involve the participation and documentation of the traditional summer session, organizing the twenty-two years worth of footage, and creating short rough-cut videos with the focus group of CUMEP youth leaders.

A two-day joint workshop with Norm Scott and Leo Kang, where art, sustainability, and mindfulness meet. Through hands-on projects that explore circular motion—both visually and sonically—we’ll experiment with creative reuse, basic electronics, and meditative processes.

We celebrated the launch of our dream space with a vibrant mix of interactive media art, documentary film, sound installations, painting, and live DJ sets — all created by incredible local artists and musicians.

Since April 2025, Leo Kang has been part of MACRE’s inaugural Artist-in-Incubator program. Leo integrates multimedia and computing technologies into his artwork, and during this residency, he explored two main themes: (a) electronics on canvas and (b) creative reuse of e-waste.

MACRE organizes fun, hands-on workshops that celebrate experimentation and creativity. For our first pop-up pilot session, we hosted The Windmills of Your Mind—a workshop for young artists where technology, art, and sustainability beautifully converge in 04/26/2025. Participants transformed discarded computer cooling fans into vibrant, kinetic artworks—blending the meditative flow of circular painting, inspired by mandala traditions, with a playful introduction to basic electrical engineering.

Saturday, May 17th - This day was more than a gathering — it was the first breath of a shared vision coming to life. Together, we stepped into the early stages of co-creation.