Although OBSCURA officially celebrated its one-year anniversary this past April, it’s an enterprise that’s been five years in the making. Ideas are like that – they grow, shift, evolve, and take form over time. What began as an in-house newspaper, published for a community of photography students and teachers, has grown into much more.Back then it was raw and edgy, embryonic but with obvious potential. It was an underground bulletin of opinion and pertinent information tacked up on walls. Today, not only is it substantive and elegantly presented, it has gained tremendous momentum. Based upon the form of a 19th century broad sheet, this contemporary ‘zine’ in its online form will be a place to encounter contemporary photography, the visual arts, literature, the changing landscape of media - ancient ideas seen in new and relevant ways. The last year has been an intense one for OBSCURA, and along the way we've recruited some serious talent. From soliciting articles to applying for federal non-profit status to holding a group exhibition to publishing our first book, The Blue Poet Dreams, the OBSCURA Team has been steadily marching forward. Our aim is to bring together excellent and provocative scholarship and thoughtful writing about images, trends, and the shifting paradigms in visual media in 2010 and beyond. We intend to support educational experiences for young artists. We wish to inspire.   Thanks to the incredible team of artists, designers, and writers assembled here, to a group that has worked tirelessly to bring this idea to fruition. And thanks, of course, to our audience, the very reason we exist.   In the coming months, and we hope years, please stay tuned as we offer new releases, new content, and new ideas.   Thank you, and please, join us!   Sincerely, Brenton Hamilton May, 2010