2011

June 10, 2011

Montreal, QC

Dear Friends,

I hope the Spring has treated you well and that you are as excited as I am about the upcoming Festival Season in Montreal.  Montreal is unique in its unparalleled Diaspora of amazing celebrations which provide a vital stage for the Arts in such areas as Theatre, Comedy, and Music.  I’d like to take a moment of your time today to talk about another Festival, which enjoys its own long-standing traditions in the city.

Under Pressure will be celebrating its 16th year in August, and is one of, if not the premier Graffiti Art Festivals in the world.  Besides attracting talented visual artists from all over the globe, it has also become a major source of and outlet for creation in dance and music, specifically Hip-Hop Music and all the culture that entails.  Skateboarding too, is another aspect of culture that Under Pressure has done tremendous work in helping to promote.

This year, with a beautiful new building in the works (undergoing preparations even as I type this) UP promises to be bigger than ever in both scope and size, and it is precisely for this reason I am writing to you today.  While financial and material support and sponsorship are always useful, there is no resource more precious than time.  Under Pressure has relied greatly on the generosity of Volunteer Staff in the past, and given the width and breadth of the event this year such Volunteering will be more essential than ever in manning the plethora of activities that must be completed before the dates of the event itself, August 13th and14th.

Besides the fact that Under Pressure is a truly grassroots cause, slowly, patiently, and lovingly built up over the years by countless committed and driven people, contributing your time and effort to it will not only help it continue to exist, doing so will also pay dividends in being a part of something that keeps Art, however you define it, alive.  And this, I daresay, is a reward unto itself.

My deepest and most sincere thanks for taking the time to read this letter.  Regardless of the state of the world socially, economically, or politically, volunteering is something everyone can do.  Not only because it makes a huge difference for a good cause, but quite simply because it is something that feels good to do while doing good itself.

Best personal regards,

Timothy Case