With Vol. 11, Contemporary Aesthetics begins its second decade, an achievement of which we are proud. One of the earliest online scholarly publications, CA began as an idealistic venture. It was our belief that the technical possibilities inherent in the newly developing electronic media are ideally suited to journal publication, just as they are for the painstaking details of scholarly research and revision. And as defenders of open accessibility to the Internet argue, electronic communication is a democratic force of unlimited power, and we hope that our efforts to offer a journal universally and freely accessible that adheres to the highest standards of scholarship and publication would make an important contribution to contemporary aesthetic thought. Not bound by intellectual preconceptions or institutional constraints and supported by an international board of distinguished scholars, Contemporary Aesthetics has been an independent voice that has been heard loud and far. Borne out by submissions from every (inhabited) continent, our readership is global and also strong. For Volume 10 (2012), Contemporary Aesthetics received between 65,000 and 90,000 unique visits, depending upon the statistical source.

Contemporary Aesthetics is committed to no academic orthodoxy and welcomes a diversity of approaches, issues, and styles, but we make no compromise in striving for quality. This year, in addition to our annual volume, we published our fourth special volume of papers, this one on the subject of artification. We are grateful to our guest editors Ossi Naukkarinen and Yuriko Saito for assembling a challenging and wide-ranging collection of contributions. Before a paper is accepted for publication, it undergoes blind peer review that often leads to significant revision. Once accepted, the paper is copyedited at least twice to ensure that it meets our high standards of writing and documentation. Of course, every effort is made to respect and retain the author’s distinctive voice. We are especially grateful to the scholars who have contributed to our review process for Vol. 10. They include Philip Alperson, Allen Carlson, John Carvalho, Angela Curran, David Goldblatt, Michael Krausz, Kevin Melchionne, Glenn Parsons, Tom Regelski, Yuriko Saito, Crispin Sartwell, Larry Shiner, Jason Simus, and Mary Goldstein Wiseman.

With Vol. 11 we are encouraging readers to subscribe to Contemporary Aesthetics at no cost. This will enable us to notify our regular readers of new publications (since papers are published continuously throughout the volume year as soon as they complete the editorial process). These notices will be sent out occasionally but with promise not to contact our readers more than a few times a year.

Vol. 11 also includes information on how to contribute to Contemporary Aesthetics. One of our accomplishments in 2012 was the successful completion of the application process for achieving tax-exempt status in the U.S. as a non-profit 501c(3) organization. While all academic staff and authors contribute their time voluntarily, professional help is needed in conducting the journal’s operations and managing its website. We are grateful to the Rhode Island School of Design for its continuing support, but this is not enough to sustain our operation. Others who believe in CA’s mission are invited to assist us. Our home page now includes links to information that will facilitate making contributions. We hope you will continue to consult Contemporary Aesthetics and contribute to its work.

Arnold Berleant, Editor

January 2013