Some Thoughts on Election '08
Posted May 8, 2008 by k_c_ in Inspirations | Comments (0)
"Shawn Brant is No Criminal" Fundraiser Art Show
Posted May 8, 2008 by molly_fair in Events | Comments (0)
Punchclock Printing in Canada is having a fundraiser art show called "Shawn Brant Is No Criminal" in support of Political Prisoner Shawn Brant.
MAY 16-18 at Whippersnapper Gallery
It will feature art by indigenous, and anti-colonial artists including:
Branko, Rocky Dobey, David Morriseau Agata Mrozoski, Michael Comeau, Stefan Pilipa, Fancy Gordon Zero, Riel Manywounds, AJ Withers, Xtofer Cooke, Simone Schmidt, Shannon Muegge, Schuster Gindin, and many more! There will also be a live music show.
Money from the door will go to Shawn's Legal Fund and money from the art sales will go to Shawn or the artist.
Shawn Brant is an activist and spokesperson for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte in Canada. He faces numerous charges in relation to two instances of rail and highway blockades erected by the Tyendinaga community on June 29, 2007- the Aboriginal Day of Action and in April, 2007. He was recently acquitted of 3 charges of mischief, but still faces charges that could result in serving a minimum of 12 years in a federal penitentiary and will stand trial in 2009. Shawn is being made an example of in an effort to crush the resistance of the Mohawk community.
Read the rest of this entry for an update on Shawn's current incarceration:
Throw Seed Bombs!
Posted May 8, 2008 by molly_fair in Inspirations | Comments (0)
The weather is feeling mighty nice these days, and it's the perfect time to start gardening if you haven't already. In honor of springtime, I want to share an abridged history of the seed bomb, or grenade, or ball- anyway it goes by many names and is basically a simple way of sowing indigenous plants by making small balls consisting of dried clay powder, compost, seeds, and water.
Many people credit the founders of the Green Guerrillas in NYC who threw seed bombs in vacant and abandoned lots in the 1970's. They additionally cleaned out the lots and started community gardens which inspired numerous guerrilla gardening projects today.
The origins of the seed bomb is actually an ancient technique in Japan called Tsuchi Dango translated as Earth Dumpling. Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese microbiologist and soil scientist specializing in agricultural science reintroduced the custom in 1938. He is a pioneer of sustainable agriculture and an advocate of biodiversity. He initiated the "natural farming" philosophy and "one straw revolution", a farming technique that does not require weeding, pesticide, fertilizer, or tilling- going beyond a scientific and organic approach.
There are many recipes out there, and here is one of them:
Combine 2 parts indigenous seeds with 3 parts compost.
Stir in 5 parts powdered red or brown clay.
Moisten with water until mixture is damp enough to mold into balls.
Pinch off a penny-sized piece of the clay mixture and roll it between the palms of your hands until it forms a tight ball (1 inch in diameter).
Set the balls on newspaper and allow to dry for 24 - 48 hours. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to sow.
and here is the original Green Guerrilla's recipe:
"If we throw mother nature out the window, she comes back in the door with a pitchfork." - Masanobu Fukuoka
Radical Cross Stitch
Posted May 7, 2008 by jmacphee in Political Art | Comments (1)
So, I've been trying to learn to sew for the past month, and it has been a both frustrating and very rewarding endeavor. My friend Kat got me started and showed me the basics of the sewing machine, and I've been trying to get the hang of it ever since. Chris Stain, Billy Mode and I just did this large scale installation in Brooklyn (Threat of Chance, see below), and I really think the hardest part for me was the sewing!
There has been a lot of focus on "craft" lately in the punk, political, art and DIY scenes, and to be honest, I find most of it annoying. That said, I'm finding a new appreciation, and am getting more interested in what one can do with fabric than ever before.
There are likely a ton of political craft sites out there, but we recently got an email from Kakariki in Australia who upkeeps the Radical Cross Stitch Blog. She sent us to a project she did stitching words into fences, and the whole blog is filled with a nice mix of politics and craft, with connections to many other projects. So if this is your thing, definitely check out what the folks down under are up to with their yarn.
Call for Art: Speak Out
Posted May 7, 2008 by jmacphee in Artwork Needed | Comments (0)
SPEAK OUT: Art, Design and Politics
What success can artists and designers have in causing and effecting change today?
This exhibition showcases artists and designers from around the world who have taken on the challenge of creating socially and politically charged messages that are meant to persuade, inform and/or educate audiences in a visually overstimulating landscape. It includes political and social posters and artwork that span the last decade selected by invitation, as well as curated from this call for art.
Exhibition dates:
November 1-December 20, 2008
516 Arts, Albuquerque NM
SUBMIT the following by email to: rhiannon@516arts.org
DEADLINE: June 16th
•up to 6 jpg’s of available work
•title, year, media, dimensions for each
•a short bio
•a short artist’s statement
curated by Abby Goldstein, Associate Professor of Art, Fordham University, New York.
Prisons Affect All of Us!
Posted May 6, 2008 by jmacphee in Events | Comments (0)
Critical Resistance NYC is putting on an exhibition of prisoner art:
Prisons Affect All of Us
May 17th, 1-8pm
Critical Resistance Office
976 Longwood (corner of Beck St.)
South Bronx
The art will also be up until May 31st, and can be seen by appointment by calling Critical Resistance at 718.676.1660.
Bill Daniel's "Mostly True" Book Release and Film Screening
Posted May 5, 2008 by molly_fair in Events | Comments (0)
Tuesday, May 6, 7:30 PM
Maysles Cinema
347 Lenox Ave./Malcolm X Blvd. between 127th &128th st.
Bill Daniel will be releasing his brand new book Mostly True, a collection of enigmatic railroad folklore and screening his freight hopping movie Who is Bozo Texino? as well as a grab bag of train subculture shorts.
Many of you may know and love Bill Daniel's amazing film Who Is Bozo Texino?, which chronicles the search for the source of a ubiquitous and mythic rail graffiti sketch of a character with an infinity-shaped hat and the scrawled moniker, "Bozo Texino"- a drawing seen on railcars for 80 years. The film was shot over a period of 20 years and features interviews with hobo graffiti legends Colossus of the Roads, The Rambler, Herby (RIP) and others.
Mostly True is the book companion to Who is Bozo Texino? Styled like a 1930's pulp magazine, the book is an enigmatic compilation of railroad ephemera, a ticket for time travel back to the roots of American rail folklore. The book is a direct product of 25 years of asystematically collecting any scrap of material relating to the ideas of tramping trains, hobo life, and depression-era culture and graffiti (with a small g).
Concrete Alchemy Tour
Posted May 5, 2008 by jmacphee in Street Art / Graffiti | Comments (0)
We recently got a note from the Albus Cavus Crew, who are about to embark on their Concrete Alchemy Tour, from May 16-23. 15 graffiti and street artists are heading out on a 5 city tour to show off their skills, but also talk about graffiti and its roles and potentials in communities. What seems to set this tour apart from other graffiti-type events is it's not simply a permission wall, or a gallery show, but a mix of mural painting on the sides of community centers, exhibitions, panel discussions and wall painting. The tour hits NYC, Princeton NJ, Philly, DC and National Harbor MD. Check 'em out.
Crime Against Humanity
Posted May 5, 2008 by jmacphee in Events | Comments (0)
My old Chicago roommate David Thibault-Rodriguez is helping organize a series of showings of a new play about Puerto Rican political prisoners, Crime Against Humanity. It is showing in both New York City and Leominster, MA (not far from where I grew up). Info is below:
New York City:
Saturday, May 10, 7:00PM
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center
107 Suffolk St., NYC
A play by poet and activist Michael Anthony Reyes Benavides and former Puerto Rican Political Prisoner Luis Rosa, Crime Against Humanity is based on the real life experience of fourteen Puerto Rican political prisoners who spent more than two decades in prison - two of whom are still incarcerated.
Presented by Chicago's Cafe Teatro Batey Urbano
seating is limited so be sure to RSVP
Suggested Donation of $10.00
Leominster, MA:
Monday, May 12, 6:00PM
National Boricua Human Rights Network
First Church Unitarian Universalist
15 West Street, Leominster, MA 01453
"Imagine 27 years of your life living in a space 6 feet by 9 feet. Imagine being confined in isolation with no human contact. Imagine the shakedowns, the strip searches and the complete disregard for your humanity.
Crime Against Humanity brings us into the U.S. prison system in a way no other play has, focusing on the politically motivated use of isolation, selective punishment, sensory deprivation and disproportionate sentances.
By using theater as a tool for resistance, we hope to reach out to those sectors of the population that are often ignored by activists outreach. We want our families, our brothers and sisters and our community to come out and see what these prisoners have endured. We hope to see you there!"
Seating is limited so please be sure to RSVP
Admission: $5-10 Suggested Donation, includes meal
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
For more information, please contact David: 508 404 4365
"Atenco Somos Todas" Action in Madrid
Posted May 4, 2008 by k_c_ in Inspirations | Comments (0)
A collective in Madrid, called Atenco Somos Todos, held an action in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Reminding the Spanish government and the rest of the world of the police repression and torture that occurred 2 years ago today. Following is their communication:
Iraqi Labor Mayday Statement
Posted May 4, 2008 by jmacphee in In the News | Comments (1)
If you've got a couple minutes, give this May Day statement by a sector of the Iraqi labor movement a read. It shows that there might be another path for Iraq than US occupation or sectarian bloodbath. I don't know the exact political positions of these unions, and don't know enough to endorse them or anything like that, but it's valuable to hear another voice from Iraq.
May Day 2008 Statement from the Iraqi Labour Movement:
To the Workers and All Peace Loving People of the World
April 29, 2008
On this day of international labour solidarity we call on our fellow trade unionists and all those worldwide who have stood against war and occupation to increase support for our struggle for freedom from occupation - both the military and economic.
We call upon the governments, corporations and institutions behind the ongoing occupation of Iraq to respond to our demands for real democracy, true sovereignty and self-determination free of all foreign interference.
Five years of invasion, war and occupation have brought nothing but death, destruction, misery and suffering to our people. In the name of our 'liberation,' the invaders have destroyed our nation's infrastructure, bombed our neighbourhoods, broken into our homes, traumatized our children, assaulted and arrested many of our family members and neighbours, permitted the looting of our national treasures, and turned nearly
twenty percent of our people into refugees.
Chris Stain photos update
Posted May 4, 2008 by jmacphee in Events | Comments (0)
Chris has updated his site with a bunch of good photos from our Threat of Chance show.
Stencil Nation
Posted May 4, 2008 by jmacphee in Street Art / Graffiti | Comments (0)
Long time friend Russell Howze, who has been running StencilArchive.org for years, is about to release a new stencil book that looks really promising! It's called Stencil Nation: Graffiti, Community and Art, and it's the only book I've seen since I released Stencil Pirates that attempts to deal with the ideas behind stenciling, where it actually comes from, and how it effects the world we're in. And unlike my book, Russell found a publisher who could print in full color, so you get the best of both worlds, a coffee table picture book and some thoughtful writing to chew on. It's slated for a June 1st release date on Manic d Press out of San Francisco. Russell will be touring around the country, so keep an eye on the book's website for dates, and keep an eye on your local bookstore to scoop up a copy.
Exhibition: Rocky Dobey in Hamilton, ON
Posted May 4, 2008 by jmacphee in Events | Comments (0)
Long time political artist Rocky Dobey has an opening coming up in Hamilton, ON Canada. Many of you will recognize his style from many of the alter-globalization protest posters from earlier this decade, including one of the main posters for the FTAA protests in Quebec City in 2001. I've corresponded with Rocky for years, and have been excited to see his work show up on dozens of political posters coming out of Canada over the past decade. He's also part of the great Punchclock Collective, which everyone should check out. His style is completely unique, especially for the political poster, and I really wish I could make it up north for this show!
All That is Solid...Melts into Air
Rocky Dobey
May 9-June 7
The Print Studio
173 James Street North
Hamilton, ON L8R 2K9
Exhibition: The Audacity of Desperation
Posted May 3, 2008 by jmacphee in Events | Comments (0)
Dara Greenwald and I (as the Samaras Project) are in an exhibition called The Audacity of Desperation opening in Urbana, IL on May 7th and then in LA in October.
The Audacity of Desperation is an art exhibition, political action, and on-going dialog. This show confronts, expresses and unravels states of desperation. Artworks by activists, artists, enthusiasts, and very concerned people, are made in editions of 100 with the intention of free distribution to audiences. In this way, these artworks will be activated outside of the exhibition space and in domestic spaces, on bodies, clothes, bags, and in public spaces.
First stop: The Urbana- Champaign Independent Media Center
May 7th - June 15
202 S. Broadway Suite 100
Urbana, IL 61801
Urbana Opening Party: May 7, at 7pm with a screening of video shorts
Urbana Closing Party: June 4, at 7pm, with the kick off of Continental Drift an itinerant discussion on Neoliberal policies and cracks in global power. Continental Drift will be traveling though the Radical Midwest Cultural Corridor, starting at the IMC with conversations about the Audacity of Desperation and presentations by Kevin Hamilton, Brain Holmes, Ayreen Anastas and Rene Gabri. For more information see:
http://radicalmidwest.blogspot.com/
Next stop: Sea and Space, Los Angeles, CA,
October 23- November 16
(more details this summer - watch election results with us there)
AK Press in Publishers Weekly
Posted May 2, 2008 by jmacphee in In the News | Comments (0)
Our friends at AK Press, one of the largest and best anarchist book publishers and distributors in the world (which I guess unfortunately isn't saying too much, but still...), just got a really nice write-up in Publishers Weekly, one of the big mainstream industry rags. Maybe some people are starting to notice that there are better ways to sail a ship than the corporate model....
From the article:
"But perhaps the most unusual thing about the press, which has doubled the number of units it sells over the past decade and grossed $1.4 million last year, is that it's organized as an anarchist collective. Although its 10 U.S. staff members specialize in different areas—publishing/editorial, distribution and sales and marketing—each gets an equal vote when it comes to which books, CDs or DVDs to publish."
Political Freights
Posted May 2, 2008 by jmacphee in Street Art / Graffiti | Comments (0)
I just got these great photos of new freights from Max in Minneapolis:
SpY/Mambo
Posted May 1, 2008 by jmacphee in Street Art / Graffiti | Comments (0)
We got an email awhile back from SpY in Madrid, who sent a link to their new website, which is a really nice and clean look at some of their inventive street art/actions in Spain. I really appreciate the professional look of the word installations, and would love it even more if they were saying something interesting to an audience on the street. This is a great place to get your head spinning about the possibilities of intervening into public space Check it out and give it a look through.
New LA vs. War Prints
Posted May 1, 2008 by jmacphee in Posters | Comments (0)
The great event and crew LA vs. War has some new prints for sale to help fund what they are up to. The one on top is by Brandy Flower, and the bottom one by Karen Fiorito. You can get these and a bunch of other great political prints from the Yo! What Happened to Peace? Depot.
to whet the whistle
Posted April 30, 2008 by k_c_ in Events | Comments (0)
Another taste of Threat of Chance-opening at Ad-Hoc Art Friday
You can look over at Ad-Hoc for art by Chris Stain, Josh Macphee, Billy Mode, or the Polaroid Kidd.
Photos above taken by Kevin Caplicki.
And when you come, you'll understand
Posted April 29, 2008 by k_c_ in Events | Comments (1)
The Threat Of Chance at Ad-Hoc Art
Photos by Kevin Caplicki
Trip to Bethlehem-Swoon
Posted April 29, 2008 by swoon in Political Art | Comments (0)
Last winter I was able to travel to Palestine with the Santa's Ghetto project, put together by Banksy and the folks at P.O.W. The project consisted of a show, on Manger Square, the proceeds of which were directed to support programs for kids living in the collapsing economy of the newly walled off Palestinian territories. As well many site specific installations in the town of Bethlehem and on the surrounding wall.
I was deeply impressed by the outpouring of sentiment on the Palestinian side of the wall. Voices from all over the world denounced, cursed, expressed solidarity and support, and simply bore witness to a people living up against the wall and everything it
represents.
I had precious little time within which to get to know people and try and comprehend the situation, so I will leave it to the photos to explain.
Kids in Bethlehem
Painting on the wall, by artist Blue
Mixing the paste
Getting started. It was so scary and windy up there.
Each of the squares is a pocket stuffed with quotes from Arhundati Roy, Assata Shakur, Martin Luther King, and many others with many brilliant thoughts to share
Getting a little help. I later learned that the fires that have blackened this guard tower that I paste on where set to mark the spot where a teenager from the neighboring Aida refugee camp was captured and given a seven year prison sentence for climbing a ladder and placing a Palestinian flag at the top of the wall
Sunset
Building something outta nuthin'
Posted April 28, 2008 by k_c_ in Inspirations | Comments (0)
Like I said in the earlier post, we've been busy building over at Ad-Hoc Art the last few days. Things are coming together and all the scavenged materials are beginning to take form as structures as opposed to piles on the floor. I'm really excited with a bunch of the images taken so far, yet am only going to give you this taste for the next few hours while I whip up another batch. Check in a little later for more!
Photos taken by Kevin Caplicki
The Threat of Chance
Posted April 27, 2008 by k_c_ in Events | Comments (0)
Justseeds members Josh Macphee and Chris Stain are having a show that opens this coming Friday. Its a collaboration with Billy Mode, and pictures by Mike Brodie. We've been building since last Wednesday and hope to have a kick ass installation for you to poke your fingers on, so get your tetanus shot before you enter.
The threat of chance art exposition is based on the temptation of possibility. The possibility of change in the face of stagnation, the possibility of hope in desperate times, the possibility of alternative thought and lifestyle in the doldrums of complacency.For this installation a railroad shanty town has been recreated to further emphasis the struggle between hope and despair. Amidst a gallery filled of shacks made with found material and walls decorated with freight trains and decaying industry you will find photographs by boxcar culture enthusiast the Polaroid Kidd. Proletarian signs, flags, prints, and banners from author/activist Josh Macphee. Interactive sculptures, drawings, paintings and stencils, from graffiti artist Billy Mode, and the sociological display of hand cut stencils by Chris Stain. The Threat of Chance art exposition is pure socialist propaganda , (at least that's how the mainstream will see it) , so stop by opening night and they'll tear you a new asshole.
-pollock johnny
Opening Reception:
Friday, May 2nd, 7pm - 10pm
Ad-Hoc Art
49 Bogart Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn
Afterparty from 10pm until 4am at the Wreck Room Bar
940 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY
On view from May 2-June 1, 2008
Collaboration at Mass MoCA
Posted April 27, 2008 by k_c_ in Inspirations | Comments (0)
I recently spent three weeks collaborating with 15 other people from the Miss Rockaway Armada on a "mezzanine" hallway at Mass MoCA. The project was really fun, and I'm proud of the product. The Armada was given a space that is used by student groups, visiting the museum, to eat meals. So instead of creating an installation that documented the journey down the Mississippi RIver, or designing a cafe,
On April 1, 2008 members of the Armada gathered in North Adams to build again for three weeks. The group worked together to sculpt this space, each member contributed individual projects to the overall design. It is a place where you, our visitors, can gather, play, eat, look, touch, and explore
Working with such a large group of people, formulating everything from the theme, to aesthetics, to functions, to well, everything, was, at times, a little bit frustrating. It was also the impossible ideas and dreaming that brought us in to the space to begin with. So the "off the top of the head" ideas were considered, and eventually incorporated into the installation, caves, tunnels, space ships... It was that kind of imagination with the skills of everyone involved that helped manifest our installation.
Walking thru the space you'll find two platforms that provide seating and eating space for around 25 people, our only "restrictions". We scrapped, scavenged and pilfered, 98% of the materials used for the installation from surrounding towns, yards, and MassMoCA's compound of buildings, where old installations are stored. Tables were made from Bavarian milled lumber floated over the Atlantic for other artists structures, and stools made from hacked up bike frames or desks. We were given such a small budget to work with and used our resourcefulness and heads to come up with something that we hope you get the opportunity to experience in real life. There are so many things to interact with, beyond brown bagging it, a marionette puppet, secret rooms, a "space ship" to listen to Rockaway Radio(clock radio's playing a radio stream transmitted in the space), a "story mill" to type out your wishes on an old Royal typewriter(strange thought, it will be the first time some children will see a typewriter), and walls full of "advent" calender-esque shrines, doors, windows, and diorama's to open, close, look thru, and be inspired by.
Following is a video walk-thru shot by SuckaPants Tod's camera and see the "thing" we made!
Photos taken by Tod Seelie Check out a whole Gallery of images of the installation at Everyday I Live
Check out-Antlered Girl or BlueCinema for more flicks
RALLY AGAINST THE VERDICT IN SEAN BELL CASE
Posted April 25, 2008 by molly_fair in Events | Comments (1)
TODAY, FRIDAY, APRIL 25th at 5:30 pm
All three cops who murdered Sean Bell were found NOT GUILTY this morning by Judge Arthur Cooperman. Join us in protesting this outrageous verdict! Demand justice for Sean Bell and an end to police violence now! People's Justice for Community Control and Police Accountability is calling for a rally and community speak-out in front of the Queens DA's office TODAY.
Rally will include performers & speakers who have been directly affected by police brutality.
In Nov. 2006, Sean Bell was murdered by the NYPD in a hail of 50 bullets. His friends - Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman - were seriously injured. After a two-month-long trial of his killer, three detectives, the judge has announced his verdict of NOT GUILTY on all charges. The NYPD's murder of Bell and attempted murders of Benefield and Guzman are NOT isolated or random events. They represent the continued targeting of communities of color by the police and the lack of accountability for police misconduct and abuse.
Why People Riot
Posted April 23, 2008 by nicolas_lampert in In the News | Comments (1)
Quiz. A major riot took place in Montreal on Monday night where store windows were smashed and close to a dozen police cars were set on fire. Can you guess why?
A. The city rises up against capitalism.
B. Anger over police brutality turns into a full-scale riot.
C. Axl Rose.
D. Justseeds cannot fulfill all of its orders on time. The public freaks.
E. The Montreal Canadians defeat the Boston Bruins in game seven of the playoffs. Rabid sports fans loot downtown.
For the answer, check out this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSQ5uw2UVbY&feature=related
NYC Memorial Ride: Wednesday, April 23
Posted April 22, 2008 by molly_fair in Events | Comments (0)
Alvaro Olson and Jian-Lan Zhang were both tragically killed by trucks on April 16, 2008.
Come out to a memorial ride in honor of them tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23
Wednesday, April 23.
7 pm, meet at Union Square South
7:30 pm, ride to Alvaro Olson's memorial, 36th st. and Broadway
8:00 pm, ride arrives
8:20 pm, ride to at Jian-Lan Zhang's memorial, Allen and Hester
8:50 pm, ride arrives
all times are approximate
check ghostbikes.org for more updates
I was over at Flickr
Posted April 22, 2008 by k_c_ in Inspirations | Comments (2)
I was checking out our Flickr account today and decided to look at some of my favorite flog's. My pal Anomolous takes incredible portraits, and is a voracious critic of US foreign policy. While looking over his, I came across a thread he began with a photo of Obama, and a piece by Paul Street, written right after Obama's "Race" Speech in Philadelphia.
I hope it reminds people about what it takes to be a presidential nominee, and stimulates the critical faculties in that organ inside their head, so we can get back to discussing how "we" really change power and our relationship to it.
Meet the Resistance: a speaking tour of affected indigenous communities
Posted April 22, 2008 by k_c_ in Events | Comments (0)
This April and May, hear voices of communities directly affected by the operations of Barrick Gold. "Meet the Resistance" brings together community voices from Australia, Papua New Guinea, the U.S., and Chile to share their experiences in going up against the world's largest gold miner.
New York Events:
Thursday, April 24, 7:30pm
"Indigenous Resistance to Gold Mining"-Guests, Carrie Dann, Western Shoshone (Nevada, USA), Neville 'Chappy' Williams, Wiradjuri (Australia), Jethro Tulin, Executive Officer Akali Tange Association Ipili (Papua New Guinea) will make presentations, show short films and answer questions about gold mining on their lands.
American Indian Community Center
11 Broadway, 2nd Fl, NYC
Sunday, April 27, 7pm
Indigenous Voices-Films and Speakers-Neville 'Chappy' Williams, Wiradjuri (Australia) Jethro Tulin, Executive Officer Akali Tange Association, Ipili (Papua New Guinea)
Bluestocking's BookStore
172 Allen Street, NYCWednesday, April 30, 7pm
Meet the Resistance: Indigenous struggles from Australia and Papua New Guinea
ABC No Rio
156 Rivington St, NYC
for more info, go to Protest Barrick.
Art & Design Needed-Coalition to Abolish the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
Posted April 22, 2008 by k_c_ in Artwork Needed | Comments (0)
I received a request from a friend over at the Center for Constitutional Rights(CCR) to ask artists and designers if they are interested in designing a logo for the Coalition to Abolish the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA)
It is my hope that we can find an artist to create a logo and/or other images to be incorporated into a poster, website and other educational and organizing materials. Its important to create an imagine that represents the Green Scare and feels inclusive to people outside of the animal and environmental rights movements because this is not just about animals and trees, it is about the criminalization of dissent in the name of corporate profits. It is also about creating a culture of fear by calling everyone and everything a terrorist.
Read below for more about the AETA, and for contact information.
Gangs of the South Bronx Documentary Double Feature
Posted April 21, 2008 by molly_fair in Events | Comments (0)
If you are in NYC you should come out these rare screenings of the 70's documentaries Ain't Gonna Eat My Mind (dir. Tony Batten, 1972) and 80 Blocks from Tiffany's (dir. Gary Weiss, 1979) depicting the Ghetto Brothers and Savage Skulls- legendary gangs that originated in the South Bronx.
The Ghetto Brothers were founded around 1967 by Benjamin "Yellow Benjy" Melendez and his brothers. They were infamous for transforming from a gang into a an organization that lead community service initiatives and helped organize the pivotal 1971 Bronx truce among all other prominent gangs following the murder of their peacekeeper Black Benjie. The Savage Skulls were one of the most notorious gangs at the time, and headed by Filipe "Blackie" Mercado. Despite their scorn for revolutionary politics, they once fought alongside neighbors and members of the Young Lords in an epic street battle against the Fort Apache cops in retaliation for beating a Savage Skull member.
Friday, April 25th, 7:30pm: Special Guest Benjy Melendez, founder of the Ghetto Brothers presents Ain't Gonna East My Mind & 80 Blocks from Tiffany'sSaturday, April 26th:
The 51st State, 7pm
Original TV program featuring Ain't Gonna East My Mind and studio debate with Benjy Melendez and filmmaker Tony Batten
80 Blocks from Tiffany's, 8:30pmSunday, April 27th, 7:30:
Special Guest Filipe "Blackie" Mercado, former president of the Savage Skulls presents 80 Blocks from Tiffany's & Benjy Melendez presents Ain't Gonna Eat My Mind
Maysles Cinema
343 Lenox Ave./Malcolm X Blvd.
Between 127th and 128th Streets
$7 Suggested Admission (Limited Seating Available)
Box office opens 1 hour before showtime
Groundswell Mural Tours, Summer Jobs, and Angela Davis!
Posted April 19, 2008 by molly_fair in Events | Comments (0)
TODAY, Saturday, April 19th, Groundswell Community Mural Project is giving guided bus tours to see a selection of their murals celebrating immigrant communities in Brooklyn. Tours are offered from 11am-1:30pm and 2pm-4:30pm. Open to all ages, suggested donation $10.
Tours begin at their studio, contact ryan@groundswellmural.org to RSVP.
Wed. April 23, Groundswell Executive Director Amy Sananman will particpate in a panel moderated by Angela Davis "Urban Artists and the Politics of Visibility: A Conversation with Angela Davis". Panelists include Dread Scott, Alan Ket, and Hank Willis Thomas and will explore making the invisible, visible. Pratt Institute, Main Campus, Memorial Hall 12:30-2:30pm. FREE. No ticket necessary.
If you know a NY teen that wants a summer job making radical socially consicous murals, tell them about Groundswell's Summer Leadership Institute.
Job Details:
For teens 14 and 21 years old
Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm
$7.15 hourly pay for 175 hours
Begins Tuesday, July 1st
call Ryan at 718-254-9782 or contact summerjobs@groundswellmural.org to set up a time to visit the studio and fill out the SYEP application. Applications must be submitted by May 18th
Being Here Is Better Than Wishing We'd Stayed
Posted April 17, 2008 by k_c_ in Events | Comments (0)
Hey folks! Since finishing the last collaboration piece at ABC No Rio, I've been up at the Mass MoCA in North Adams, MA working on another one. Its been a really intense experience. Collective process, group & individual dynamics, and just plain old opinion and not liking someone's idea or aesthetic has given me a lot to think about.
North Adams has given me the break that I've been needing, from NYC. I have no cellphone service, its quiet here, and I'm surrounded by the Berkshire Mountains. And I have something to focus on, the installation.
The Miss Rockaway Armada (for Aquatic Glee) was invited to MassMoCA to design an installation related to the journey that lasted over two summers. The small number of crew members that gathered for this opportunity decided that would be a bad idea. Instead we have brought the intentions, ingenuity, and impractical ideas of the project to New England. There have been some outrageous ideas, some scrapped, others manifested with the instruction of those with experience. All very much like the building of the initial rafts in 2006.
We've gotten thru three weeks of process and are coming down to the wire. Our installation "Being Here is Better Than Wishing We'd Stayed" will have its opening Friday April 18th! And remain up for almost a year.
99 percent of the lumber and materials used was scavenged, scrapped, or found at MassMoCA or discarded in the surrounding area. Hardware is another issue, that's where our small budget went. I find it disconcerting, yet unsurprising, when I hear about the new trend that funding and philanthropy are going towards, "green" art projects. I'd like to hear about discussions or writings on the art markets response to the current interest in Capitalism's newest trend.
I'm highly critical of any industry that uses the same infrastructure and inefficiency to produce a product that "appears" to have a conscious or address ecological issues. What are the means being used to express the message, and where does the funding come from?
Seeing Green art show project: 28 Years of People Power mural
Posted April 17, 2008 by nicolas_lampert in Street Art / Graffiti | Comments (0)
For the Seeing Green show, Susan Simensky Bietila (who co-organized Drawing Resistance and frequently contributes to World War III Illustrated) created the mural "28 Years of People Power" dedicated to the 28-year grassroots campaign and Native and non-Native alliance that defeated the proposed Crandon mine on Wisconsin’s Wolf River. This alliance won an historic victory against one the most powerful mining corporations in the world. This victory is celebrated world wide and the mural is meant to continue to draw attention to this vital history and the need to stay active in ensuring that the river stays protected. The mural will be displayed at Woodland Pattern and then will travel.
For more information on the show, See: http://seeinggreenartshow.wordpress.com/
