The Minnesota Media Arts is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization fostering the production, preservation and access to works of media arts, documentaries and independent programming  from the area, much of which is in imminent danger of being permanently lost. We are the successor to the Twin Cities Cable Arts Consortium founded in the 1980s to promote the production and distribution of local media arts programing.

Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota has been a vibrant force in the national media production scene for over five decades, especially in the arena of independent media producers working in conjunction with the artistic and social action communities.

MN Media Arts is taking this proactive Media Archive Advocacy role to deal with the following concerns:  

Magnetic Media Crisis: The majority of these early recordings are still on magnetic tape and have often been stored in conditions not designed for ensuring their stability and preservation. Existing collections are mostly in the hands of private individuals or organizations with limited resources to properly store, maintain or even catalogue the recordings. Entire generations of artistic work and cultural heritage are in imminent danger of being lost.  These magnetic recordings are deteriorating and after decades of neglect can be rendered unplayable.  

Media Equipment Crisis: The majority of early video formats; ½” EIAJ open reel, ¾” U-Matic videocassettes and 1” VTRs along with consumer VHS and Betamax VCRs are rapidly becoming obsolete. We are also experiencing a difficult time securing qualified operators and repair technicians. MNMA accepts qualified donations of functioning VHS and Betamax videocassette recorders.

The Minnesota Media Arts has conducted a feasibility study to:

1. Assessed the size, value and condition of these media assets  
2. Documented and determined the need for preservation, archiving, cataloging and potential distribution of the material
3. Assess local and national facilities, expertise and resources available to assist transfers to a digital medium.
4. Is now designing a system to efficiently meet those needs that can be rapidly implemented
5. Now is seeking funding for and assist in the establishment of that system. 

  

Board of Directors

Neil Sieling

Neil Sieling is a curator and media executive who was the Programmer and then the Executive Producer for the Alive From Off Center series that ran on PBS from 1985 to 1996. He has been the Executive Producer for dozens of high-level media works and series, mostly in public media. He’s worked with The Rockefeller Foundation and was a New Media Fellow at The Center for Social Media at American University. He has been a co-founder of several key public media organizations - The Independent Television Service (ITVS), Link TV, DocAgora. He was a co-founder of the Digital Library of the Middle East (DLME) in 2016, working with the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and The Antiquities Coalition. Sieling is a board member and volunteer for Minnesota Media Arts (2025)..  

Sheryl Mousley

Sheryl Mousley is currently working as an Independent Curator , Sheryl Mousley was Senior Curator, Moving Image at the Walker Art Center (1998-2020) where she programmed contemporary films, filmmaker conversations-retrospectives, and artist-made cinema. She oversaw Walker’s Moving Image Collection and created a viewing space for access to the history of film and video. Prior to the Walker she was Director of Programming Review for public television’s ITVS (1990-1996), taught film at Minneapolis College of Art and Design (1987-89), worked locally and internationally in film production (1983-1998), and served as Director of Education at the innovative, community-based media art center Film in the Cities (1977-1983). Mousley is a board member and volunteer for Minnesota Media Arts (2025).  

James Malec

Mr. Malec has over 40 years of experience in video production, administration, business start-up and community organizing.  He was Executive Director of University Community Video a television lab attached to the University of Minnesota, started KTWIN Cable a Jazz video cable arts channel, has collaborated with musicians and choreographers, and produced and directed broadcast and cable television programs as an independent producer.  His community organizing work safe guarded community interests during the cable television franchise process and in the establishing of the community access production and programming efforts of Regional Channel 6, Minneapolis Telecommunication Network and the St. Paul Neighborhood network.  He was a board member of the Twin Cities Cable Arts Consortium and past president of the University Film Society. He currently is working to develop the Minnesota Media Center live streaming and collaborative multi-camera production.

Ron McCoy

Ron McCoy has been a pioneering force in community media and video production since the early 1970s. Mr. McCoy received his BFA in Film, Video, Photography, Painting, and Sculpture from the University of Minnesota in 1971. As an advocate for the portable video revolution, he launched a community media center for the Minneapolis Model City Program (1971–73) and co-founded University Community Video, one of the earliest community access television centers (1973–77). He provided video production services for the Walker Art Center’s Performing Arts Program (1972–77) and played a key role in shaping media funding as a consultant for the Minnesota State Arts Board (1978–79). McCoy also contributed to the Minnesota Governor’s Commission on the Arts in 1978. From 1995 to 2018, he produced and supervised live fundraising galas for organizations such as the United Way of Minneapolis, Arc Greater Twin Cities, and Fraser Autism. His television work includes producing Raising Media-Wise Kids: Safety in the Cyberhood for PBS. He also oversaw Target Advertising’s TV spots and online media library (1999–2015). As the owner of McCoy & Associates (1978–2020), he provided media production services for decades. Now retired, McCoy continues to serve as a board member and volunteer for Minnesota Media Arts (2016–Present)..  

Mark Stanley

Mark Stanley has served as Board President and Digital Archivist at Minnesota Media Arts (MNMA) since 2016, overseeing grant-funded projects focused on media preservation. His expertise includes metadata development, visual inventory, cataloging, and the digital preservation of magnetic tape media to protect cultural heritage. Mark Stanley has collaborated with organizations such as the Walker Art Center, Cass Gilbert Society, University of Minnesota’s Legal Education Service (LES), Red Lake Nation, public access television channels, and independent filmmakers. Mr. Stanley received his MFA in sculpture, film/video, and speech/communication from the University of Minnesota in 1977. He has taught multimedia, video production, and web design at the University of Minnesota’s Design School (DHA) and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. A longtime advocate for community media, Stanley was an arts Media Producer at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts from 1984 to 1994 before co-founding the interactive media firms 4insight, LLC and Factor of 4, LLC. His early involvement with University Community Video in the 1970s sparked a lifelong commitment to independent voices in media. He is a member of the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), MSPFILM, and the Twin Cities Archivist Round Table (TCART). Stanley continues to serve as a board member and volunteer for Minnesota Media Arts (1988–Present).