Upgrade! Seattle is a once a month magnet group for new media artists working the Seattle area that aims to gather, promote, critically discuss, and present Seattle new media work through 911 Media Arts Center. Upgrade! Seattle invites artists/curators/thinkers to anchor events, which in turn become launching points for making connections in the Pacific Northwest. If you are interested in presenting your work, please email Carrie Bodle.

Upgrade! International Mission Statement: Upgrade! is an international, emerging network of autonomous nodes united by art, technology, and a commitment to bridging cultural divides. Its decentralized, non-hierarchical structure ensures that Upgrade! (i) operates according to local interests and their available resources; and (ii) reflects current creative engagement with cutting edge technologies. While individual nodes present new media projects, engage in informal critique, and foster dialogue and collaboration between individual artists, Upgrade! International functions as an online, global network that gathers annually in different cities to meet one another, showcase local art, and work on the agenda for the following year.

Current Nodes: Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Belgrade (Serbia), Boston (United States), Caracas (Venezuela), Chicago (United States), Istanbul (Turkey), Johannesburg (South Africa), Lisbon (Portugal), Montreal (Canada), Munich (Germany), New York (United States), Oklahoma City (United States), Salvador (Brazil), Scotland, Seattle (United States), Seoul (South Korea), Skopje (Macedonia), Sofia (Bulgaria), Jerusalem-Tel Aviv (Israel), Vancouver (Canada), and Wellington (New Zealand).

Organizations: Eyebeam, Turbulence.org, New Media Scotland, Art Centre Nabi, The Western Front, The Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), InterSpace, i-camp, DCA, CCA, No-Org.net, Art Interactive, NOMAD/santralistanbul, program angels/lothringer13, Open-Node.com, t-u-b-e, C-M.TV, Lisboa 20, AT. joburg, the University of the Witwatersrand, and 911 Media Art Center.

Upgrade! Background: Since April 1999, a group of new media artists and curators have gathered in New York City. The first meeting took place at a bar in the east village with Tim Whidden & Mark River [MTAA], Mark Napier and founder Yael Kanarek. Upgrade! New York partnered with Eyebeam in March 2000.