Megawords

Megawords magazine is a media experiment created by Dan Murphy and Smyrski Creative founder Anthony Smyrski. Our mission is simple: to document our surroundings and experience; to establish a voice free from the noise of commercialization and competing novelties; and to create an open and active dialogue with the community at large. Megawords has self-published eleven free issues, broadcast a weekly online radio show, and organized multiple live events and performances. With time came positive feedback from a diverse audience and a strong realization that this project was having a profound impact.

Through the magazine, we have collaborated with a number of photographers, designers, writers and other artists. Each issue has its own aura and direction while remaining integral to the Megawords aesthetic and mission. In 2008, the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative awarded Megawords a grant to create a month-long rotating art exhibition and installation known as the Megawords Storefront. During this month, Megawords staged permanent and rotating installations, guest speakers, musical performances, workshops and film screenings. Over 500 people attended the opening night of the storefront, and more than 3,000 people passed through the exhibition's doors throughout the month.

"More often than not, so-called 'pop-up' installations like this one take their inspiration from the world of advertising," said Smyrski. "They put people in a fancy gallery space, overload the project with sponsors, and do everything possible to take artists out of their natural context. We believe people are most interesting exactly where they are, doing what they're doing. With the storefront, we hope to spend time with people we respect while observing and documenting their creative process. If we're lucky, a community will emerge."

Megawords continues to experiment in contemporary media and communication, striving to make a relevant and critical contribution to the art of our time.