The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site recently designated the Fort Vancouver Mobile project as one of its two national "A Call to Action" projects. As the National Park Service prepares for its second century, it is refreshing its goals and refocusing its mission. As part of that, this document outlines those objectives, including No. 10, dubbed "Arts Afire," as a means to "showcase the meaning of parks to new audiences through dance, music, visual arts, writing, and social media. To do so we will launch 25 artist-led expeditions that involve youth in creating new expressions of the park experience through fresh perspectives and new technology."
The FVM project, as part of that effort, is described this way: "A partnership between FOVA and the Creative Media and Digital Culture (CMDC) Department at Washington State University Vancouver, is utilizing the talents of student and professor digital artists and storytellers to create a free smartphone app that helps connect visitors to the significance of this national park. Recognized as a nationally significant program through the recent awarding of a NEH Digital Start-up Grant, it is in its second year of 1) utilizing the talents of students and professors in digital humanities and 2) engaging the digital humanities and arts community to connect the public to park stories in new, creative new ways. The program reaches out to youth through the digital arts and humanities, creating new, collaborative interpretations of the park through young eyes, using current and cutting-edge arts and technology. It provides direct and sustained interaction with park staff both inside the classroom and the park, especially interpretive and resource specialists. In 2012, through partnership with the park, the CMDC Digital Storytelling course will focus students' learning entirely on developing a new component that explores the woman's experience at Fort Vancouver through film, digital art, animation, photography, spoken word, creative writing, and other media -- supported by park subject matter specialists in interpretation, history, and archaeology. This course will utilize park resources onsite and immerse participants in the park experience and cultivate a deeper understanding of the park's natural, cultural, and historic resources."
