We have started this on-line zine for Artists' Television Access to provide a forum for discussion on all things practical and impractical. Our intention is to stimulate the ATA community by introducing new ideas, new questions and perhaps even a few answers to the myriad of topics that constantly haunt us. For this we are judiciously soliciting cultural figures and creative spectres to participate in our endeavors.

Maybe we just have too much time on our hands. Or not enough time. WE JUST DON'T KNOW. The point is that we have personal interests vested in ATA--this little screening room and gallery that's been a gathering place in the Mission neighborhood for the artistically-inclined for over 20 years. We've crawled into the darkest and dustiest of closets, stood atop towering ladders and inhaled far too many paint fumes here. We've curated shows for no pay, involving too many artists, using too many different types of media at once. And for all this we have been rewarded with the discovery of new and inventive ways to use projectors, monitors, amplified sound systems, lighting, and video decks (which sometimes suddenly stop functioning or just catch fire!) Needless to say, we've spent alot of time here and learned alot through this place. A year at ATA feels like 20 years. But we love it, don't we? And we want you to love it too.

But perhaps more important than our own personal relationship to the place is the history to which ATA has beared witness over the years. This history includes dubious fires, punk rockers, countless video and film screenings, music shows, hot politics, strange aesthetics and a whole cast of characters who wouldn't gather together just anywhere and don't even necessarily know that they are part of the same story. The artists who travel through here have earned, and continue to earn their places in local, national and international art scenes. There are many interesting stories to write about and we intend to let them be heard. And in the meantime there is a history that is continually being written every day at ATA. We have a lot to talk about. So, without further adieu, we present to you our humble first issue.