ED Viktor Kopic, Departs from Vox Culture

There comes a point in our lives that we yearn for something more than what we currently have. We strive to create a world where we can see and feel the impact that we create and continue to grow with every seed we plant. For myself however, as some of you may already know, this time has already been coming and it has finally arrived.

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that effective, Thursday, September 3^rd, 2020, I will be formally resigning as the Executive Director of Vox Culture.

While some steps have already been taken throughout this year to smoothen the transition, Ted Law will be serving in the interim as the Executive Director of Vox Culture, until a proper replacement is identified.

If there could be a possibility to summarize my past 8+ years at Vox Culture I would, but between the various experiences, learned lessons, and gratitude to many of you, I am bound to leave some details and moments unmentioned. However, I will do my best to reflect as much and as briefly here below.

Most who have followed and supported Vox Culture over the years are aware of the unique standing that the organization holds, as an advocacy organization that uses arts and creativity to address various social issues. To even get our identity/messaging straight in the community was one of the early challenges brought on, but one that the Vox Core team, the Vox Board, and I have worked on continuously to perfect in those years. The truth is, that is still a work in progress, and overall Vox Culture has become an improved organization over the years, but one that is still imperfect.

As I reflect upon this, it is also something that I have realized that this imperfection IS what makes the essence of what Vox Culture is meant to be, or at least what I in part hoped it would be. A quirky organization with the unconventional ideas maybe, but at its foundation, one that has become flexible and adaptable to any change that has come our way.

Vox Culture has further educated me on my strengths and my weaknesses as a leader and individual, challenged me to learn, become better, and be humble – especially in accepting of the failures that have presented themselves along the way, a few admittedly that I know I have could have done a better job in addressing or simply dropped the ball on. Despite these shortcomings and many other challenges that have presented themselves, I cherish the lessons learned via Vox Culture as it has provided the building blocks to the person I am today. Even with my departure, I have confidence that while the path may currently not be easy, between the current Vox leadership and Core Team, the organization will continue to thrive and grow stronger in the years to come.

There are various experiences at Vox Culture that have both shaped my time with the organization and that have provided lifetime memories. Other than for playing the saxophone, piano, and guitar when I was younger, its hard to admit that I was anything close to being an artist or walking in their shoes, but admittedly I have always been a fan and appreciative of the work and creative imagination that goes into the products and stories created by those who are.

So to all the artists and creative souls who have contributed to Vox Culture’s fundraisers and community/advocacy projects throughout the year, I owe you two things, a thank you and a apology. I thank you for the sacrifices that many of you have made for our work, with some of you who were even while still finding your own footing when we first met. I thank you for the time and dedication that you gave to each one of your contributions, and the footprints that you left on both the organization and the community. Mostly, I thank you for taking a chance on both Vox Culture and for believing in my and our teams vision in how we chose to give a voice to those in our community, and where we saw we could make an impact. Without your creativity and passion, our work would be near impossible. While many in the Houston community appreciate your work, many of you do not get enough of the recognition, not to mention the financial support that can help guide you to the next steps of your arts careers. It is something admittedly that Vox Culture has not been able to fully address, but which I hope to continue to advocate and provide advice and guidance to even upon my departure.

Additionally, I would like to thank the various businesses, key financial supporters, and our followers/fans who have donated monetary support, space, or gifts and items to a variety of Vox Culture’s events and fundraisers, or simply attended our events. Your participation, sponsorships and support helped fuel the growth, creativity, and helped sustain the various advocacy projects developed over the years. As to the various businesses we have worked with, while the challenges of 2020 are especially not easy for many of you as well, please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally, and to Vox Culture overall, at any point to explore ways that we can further help return the favor and garner greater support from the community where able.

As to our various organization partners, it is through you that I both learned how to be an advocate and stand for various social issues while learning how to be a better and more intuitive leader. While there is still more work to do for us all, I look forward to seeing Vox Culture work with you all once again soon and continue to build close relationships as well.

Finally, to the Vox Culture Volunteers, Interns, Board, and Core Team leadership – words alone cannot describe not only your contributions and impact that many of you have had on Vox Culture, but on myself as well. For many of you who are serving in the present, and a number of you who I have had the honor of working along side in the past, I thank you for the support, the advice, the ingenuity, the spirit, and dedication you have given in the best and worst of times. The energy that many of you have given during your involvement or time with Vox in many ways played into my own motivation and ambition to continue with Vox and drive the organization forward and through the many challenges that we have faced over the years. I have not been perfect however, and while I may have left some of you down in years past or our visions may have not aligned for the future, I would want to let those of you know that I will always appreciate and cherish all that you shared and what I learned from you, even if in some cases it may have been later rather than sooner. In short, its been my utmost pleasure to be a part of the various teams that have shaped Vox over the years; and as I have always shared, my goal with you all has always been for you to leave your fingerprints over this organization in order to build the framework and create the ripple effects of how advocacy could be achieved by using our creativity and the arts – and many of you achieved in doing so.

It has been a privilege for me to serve with Vox Culture for the past 8.5 years as both Executive Director and originally as Research & Development Coordinator. The memories, experiences, and the values learned can only be summarized here in terms of the gratitude I have to both this organization, and all who I have had the chance to connect through it. I will never forget the opportunity that Vox Culture gave me in order to prove myself and frankly, without the leaderships support, I would not be who I am today – so specially to Ted Law and Alissa Kit, I thank you for believing in me and for taking a chance on me as well. Although I may be departing Vox Culture, I will continue to support the organization any way I can, and when it comes to giving or being a part of the voice of the many social issues that I have had the chance to learn about and become involved with, I will continue to do so as well. Afterall, despite where life leads us, it does not mean that we stop being a voice for those who are unheard. As I will, I hope that in your own ways you always choose to be VOX - you continue to remain aware, you continue to fight, and for however long it takes till change takes place you continue to speak out; whether it be for yourself, your community, your vision of the world, or for those people and causes that matter you.

- Viktor Kopic, Vox Culture Executive Director (2013-2020)

Introducing Vox Executive Director, Viktor Kopic!

Meet the Executive Director of Vox Culture, Viktor Kopic! As we continue to pave our way forward, Viktor is leading Vox through the new and exciting chapters that await us. Be sure to come out to our future events and get a chance to meet and talk to Viktor, and ask him… “what’s next at Vox?". You can also check out our website in the coming months to see the upcoming changes and updates happening at Vox too!

My personal background is a major reason as to my interest in the work of Vox Culture. Originally from Croatia, my travels, as well as the opportunity to live in several countries such as Venezuela and Mauritius, have exposed me from a young age to the beauty and importance of different cultures. At the same time, these experiences have also taught me about the numerous injustices and the problems of poverty the world faces. The concept of introducing others to culture, in every way and shape, while also advocating for poverty and injustice drew me to Vox Culture. I hope that with the knowledge and experiences I have gained throughout the years I can help contribute and further strengthen the voice of Vox Culture.

About the Director: I was previously involved in the think-tank industry in Washington, D.C. at The Corporate Council on Africa and the Washington Office of The International Institute for Strategic Studies. I have an MA in Political Science (Concentration in International Studies) as well as a Graduate Certificate in Security Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio. I also hold a BA in Political Science (Minors in International Studies and Sociology) from Louisiana State University.

What is your favorite ice cream? I would say a three-way tie between Tiramisu, Mexican Vanilla, and Hazelnut.

What is your favorite hobby? Anything that keeps me active, whether it is working out, playing sports such as rugby, or going somewhere new around town or the outskirts of the city. I simply like to explore new things and new areas.

What would you say was one of your most exciting experiences? Every day so far (especially as of late) seems to have been an exciting experience so far. If I had to choose one, it would be having had the chance to sail on board a ship as a child, on which my father was working on during his younger years. Through this experience, I had the chance to see many different countries and places around the world.

 Which cultural food do you enjoy the most? Would have to say as of late would have to be African food, whether it be Ethiopian, Nigerian, Mauritian, etc. In general I like food that is unique and that you cannot find everywhere... something that is authentic and has flavor.

 What is your favorite country? On a totally biased side, I would have to say Croatia because that is where I'm from. Mauritius too, because that is where part of my heritage comes from as well. However, as far as a country that is my favorite that has nothing to do with where I'm from or my heritage, I would have to say Venezuela, one of the most beautiful countries that I've been to and had the opportunity to live in.

 How do you exercise your creativity? I would say I've found myself exercising my creativity through cooking. I always like trying to make traditional cultural dishes, or giving them new spins, or taking completely new takes on other dishes. However, I'd say I thoroughly enjoy BBQing, and consider myself a master chef at making a good steak!

Introducing Vox Media Coordinator, Crystal Koo!

Introducing Crystal Koo, Vox Culture's Media Coordinator! Crystal plays a vital role in the team, helping both promote as well as raise awareness amongst the general public, Vox supporters, and the media about events and/or activities that we have coming up. Furthermore, Crystal helps ensure that all of Vox's social media outlets are up to date and constantly filled with the latest in the arts and advocacy world at home and abroad. Be sure to keep your eyes out for Crystal's daily postings and as she shares the latest with you as to the latest happenings Vox!

 

I am currently working towards a graduate degree in Accouting at the University of Houston after having completed my bachelors in Fine Arts at the University of Albany-SUNY. When I am not studying about numbers, I enjoy exploring the outdoors, practicing bikram yoga, or exploring different coffee shops around the Montrose area of Houston.

What is your favorite ice cream? Who needs a million different flavors of  ice cream when you can have vanilla (with rainbow sprinkles)!

What is your favorite art medium? My favorite medium is photography, I love how you can capture different moments of emotion with just a click of a button.

What form(s) of communication do you feel are the most beneficial in raising awareness around social issues? I feel that many people respond more through visuals, especially videos. It gives us a quicker and detailed insight of what's going on in society.

In your opinion, how do different media realms impact the world? Different media realms such as twitter, youtube and facebook..etc...keeps us updated of what's go on daily. As our society is becoming more technological, we receive news within minutes, even seconds after an event has occurred. What's amazing are the responses that occur within the time frame of its post.

Spotlight: Vox Research & Development Coordinator

Introducing William Abila, Vox Culture's Research & Development Coordinator! William plays a key role in the internal development of Vox and is responsible for the educational blog pieces that appear on the Vox website and our social media outlets. His writing gives both a clearer context and a deeper understanding as to why the social issues that we focus on are important and how they impact Houston. Be on the look out for some great reads written by William, and have your minds opened!

I am an offshore facilities designer -I design offshore oil platforms - with a passion for history, literature, poetry, and art. I also enjoy dancing; I used to instruct in salsa and currently dance competitively -with my girlfriend- to country music. I am very eclectic and eccentric because by day you may find me riding around on my longboard in skater clothes and dancing by night in my cowboy hat and jeans at my favorite country bar.

What is your favorite ice cream? My favorite ice cream is pistachio froyo.

Why is it important for people to be informed? I believe that the community should be informed of the issues that are affecting all those around us. I've always said be prepared for any situation, and prevention not reaction is my motto. Do not wait for life to knock you down be prepared to stay on your feet and move out of the way.

If there is one thing that you could change about the world, for the better what would it be? The one thing I would change about the world is to make college, at least undergraduate status, a part of public education and government funded. I believe an educated mind is a mind less likely to be involved in criminal activity and more likely to benefit the world -and in doing so make the American dream not just a cliche but an attainable reality.

Spotlight: Vox Video Production Coordinator

Introducing Eric Dugal, Vox Culture's Video Production Coordinator! Eric's in charge of the editing and final production of Vox's video projects and promotional material, and plays a vital role in the planning and preparation of creative visual ideas. Be sure to keep an eye out for some of our upcoming video productions to get a taste of Eric's work!

My name is Eric Dugal, and I'm a film student at the Art Institute of Houston.  My passions are not just for humanitarian aid, but for good friends, and a good story.  There are two things I can't pass up, a good story and a good debate.  There are many things that I want to do in this world, but I really want to help humanity reach a higher level of cooperation and caring then ever before, and I believe Vox Culture can help make that happen.

What is your favorite ice cream?

Chocolate is my favorite ice cream; however, I may stray from chocolate from time to time, but I will always stay loyal to my favorite flavor of chocolate.

How can film/video, in your opinion, impact people's views on social issues?

A picture is worth a thousand words, and film is just many, many pictures moving very fast.  Then add a music, and good story, and you can move people in ways you couldn't even imagine.  A beautifully ordered shot with many moving images coupled with a stirring score can bring people to tears.  A film can be so powerful that you don't even need words to convey your feelings or what you want others to feel.

Which film or movie director has had the greatest impact, or left the deepest impression on you?

There are so many good directors that it's hard to pick just one that impacted me the most.  If I had to pick just one, it would be my friend who directed us in a short film that we made years ago.  I had so much fun filming it and then helping create the finally product that I eventually changed my entire life to pursue a directing career of my own.