American INSIGHT's mission is to produce historical documentaries that empower Philadelphians with stories from their past.

Our current educational documentary series, Philadelphia Visionaries in Art, Science and the Sacred, focuses attention on the impact that a single individual can make on the development of our country's history.

Building community awareness throughout the production process itself, American INSIGHT is funded by donors like you. 

After initial success in presenting oral storytelling to mass audiences, the organization has now crossed the digital divide into new and more powerful technologies, and will soon distribute our historical documentaries directly over the Internet.

By developing both real-life and virtual communities among citizens, scholars, educators and students, American INSIGHT creates dialogues about the important contributions that Philadelphia has made to the formation of American democracy.

Our first documentary, Arthur B. Carles, Philadelphia Artist, examined the life of an artist who broke all the artistic, social and intellectual barriers that were holding Philadelphia back a century ago.

Our documentary-in-progress, Free Speech: A Sacred Challenge, follows the storyline of 13 murals in the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg painted by Philadelphia artist Violet Oakley in 1906.  The story traces the bloody path of sacrifice and self-empowerment as the concept of Free Speech made its way from the invention of the printing press through centuries of Quaker belief to become the core value of the American Constitution.

Stay tuned for more!

Board of Directors

Margaret Chew Barringer - Founder & Chairman

Cynthia Close

Carla Gentile

Jacob Paine

Joseph A. Nicholson

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Advisory Council

Sharon Eisenhour, Chair

Founder, SpeakEasy! Voice and Presentation Coaching

Monica Daly

Monica Daly International Business Services LLC

Julia R. Dutton

Paul Gluck

Executive Director, The Kal & Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies, Drexel University

Bill Haley

Founder, Haley Productions

Neil Kleinman

Dean, Media Arts & Communications, University of the Arts

Barney Leonard

Blended Media

David Moltke-Hansen

past President, Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Albert S. Tedesco

Program Director, Television Management, Drexel University

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Associations

As a 501 (c) (3) cultural organization registered with the Bureau of Charitable Organizations in the State of Pennsylvania, American INSIGHT is proud to be associated with the following organizations:

• Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania
• Delaware Valley Grantmakers
• Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (GPCA)
• Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
• Guidestar
• Innovation Network
• National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC)

• NonProfit Center at LaSalle University
• Nonprofitissues.org
• Volunteer Center at United Way
• Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations
• Pennsylvania Cultural Data Project
• Pennsylvania Association Non Profit Organizations (PANO)
• Philadelphia Film and Video Association (PIFVA)

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Volunteer

If you are interested in making films, and discovering exactly how they are made, then we need your help!

As a multigenerational organization created to bring the stories of our past to the screen, American INSIGHT counts on experienced adults who have the desire and patience needed to learn the process.

By volunteering at American INSIGHT, you will participate in each stage of the documentary process, and bring to the organization your own special expertise.

Here are some of the tasks you can become involved in:

• Network with historical archives across the country to uncover visual materials for our films
• Negotiate Rights & reproduction contracts
• Plan special events, Salons and premieres
• Create and disseminate publicity materials to print, media and internet outlets
• Help with behind-the-scenes projects like bookkeeping and scheduling
• Assist camera and sound crews on shoot days
• Log footage and observe the editing process
• General office management

We are looking for independent, self-motivated individuals with their own transportation who respect the priceless value of storytelling and historical research.

Please request further information on how to volunteer with American INSIGHT by sending us your name, resume and contact information. We will get back to you soon!

Please email resumes to info@americaninsight.org
or call 610.617.9919

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