18 June 2013 – Okinawa, Japan
Itinerant artist, author and teacher J Muzacz will send his second book in two years to print this summer with your help.
After riding the length of Japan by bicycle for charity, and spending three months cutting sugarcane by hand on one of Okinawa’s southernmost isles where he ended up, Muzacz is now in the process of writing and illustrating a children’s book based on his experience in the fields.
Following the success of a crowd-funding campaign that resulted in the publication of a 432-page book titled Japan 365: A Drawing-A-Day last year, Muzacz is hoping his new work will share a sweet piece of island life, while also documenting a unique cultural tradition.
With its vivid colors and first hand account of life during a traditional Japanese sugarcane harvest, Life Is Sweet: The Story of a Sugarcane Field will be both a groundbreaking children’s narrative and cultural expose.
“The secret to Okinawan longevity is no mystery,” says Muzacz. “It’s in the sugar!”
To help publish this book, Muzacz is aiming to raise $7,000 by July 4th. Anyone with an Internet connection can access the book’s campaign page at www.indiegogo.com/lifeissweet and help support the publication of Muzacz’s vision.
The artist is offering to send campaign “perks” to anyone who contributes now through July 4th.
Friends who donate US$15 will receive a digital download of the book, US$40 get the hardcover book, while those who offer US$100 will receive a copy of the book along with authentic Ishigaki black rock sugar, island T-shirts and surprise souvenirs, which will most definitely support the local economy.
Original artwork from the book is up for grabs, too, at a steal of a price.
And finally, for those who are dedicated to seeing the book print, a US$500 donation will earn supporters a producer credit in the book.
About J Muzacz
Artist/teacher/author J Muzacz has spent most of the last decade living, working and traveling abroad. Always drawing and painting alongside teaching or migrant farm labor, Muzacz continues to make his mark in both murals and in the minds of today's youth. With an academic background in Sociology, Muzacz seeks to both document and incorporate local imagery in his works with a certain fleeting authenticity.
Reflecting on the motive behind Muzacz’s creative pursuits in public art, murals and now books-in-print are not merely rooted in aesthetics, as these forms of art are widely accessible educational tools. Focusing on images as opposed to complicated text and painting in the public eye versus in a closed gallery space, Muzacz ensures his artwork is not bound by language barriers or any other elite standards.
This open communication lets J give back some of what he has learned through his experiences traveling. It also ensures that anyone in the diverse audience can take part in the dialogue for free.
Muzacz’s first book, Japan 365: A Drawing-A-Day is available for sale online at Amazon.com (paperback) through CreateSpace and Lulu.com (hardcover), both widely popular self-publishing services offering library-quality books print-on-demand and shipping worldwide.
Connect and see more on J’s website http://www.jmuzacz.com.
Company Name: John Paul RuggieroContact Person: John Paul Ruggiero
Email:Send Email
Phone: +1 (516) 698-78
Country: United States
Website: www.indiegogo.com/lifeissweet
Source: www.abnewswire.com
