A dynamic month-long series of radical art exhibits and presentations in West Philadelphia!
Posted March 26, 2010 by k_c_ in Events
Beginning March 5th, international artists’ cooperative Justseeds presents Bring Down the Walls!, a series of artistic exhibitions and educational events. The series celebrates radical movements that struggle to collapse the boundaries of class, race, gender and generation. The majority of events will take place at two locations, blocks apart on Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia. An Independent Project of Philagrafika 2010, Bring Down the Walls! is organized in collaboration with local activists.
Exhibitions-
At the A-Space (4722 Baltimore Ave.), there will be an exhibition of Justseeds' recent portfolio Voices From Outside: Artists Against the Prison-Industrial Complex and related materials. This project is a limited edition portfolio of original prints that either critique the prison industrial complex or address alternatives to incarceration. Twenty artists from the US, Canada, and Mexico contributed prints, which were then collated and presented to 50 different groups working on prison related issues. Many organizations have organized exhibits and have used the images as tools for educating and discussing incarceration.
At Studio 34 (4522 Baltimore Ave.) there will be a larger and more varied exhibition of prints from Justseeds members. This show will feature dozens of pieces from over 25 artists from across North America, with bold images addressing topics from personal inspiration to environmental devastation.
Justseeds Artists' Cooperative is a decentralized community of artists who have banded together to both sell their work online in a central location and to collaborate with and support each other and social movements.
More Events below!
Events-
March 5th
Bring Down The Walls! Opening Celebration-
Featuring presentations by Laura Whitehorn (former political prisoner & member of the Weather Underground, editor of the recent book The War Before) and Josh MacPhee & Erik Ruin of Justseeds. Music TBA. At Studio 34, 7 pm. $3- $10 donation requested, benefitting Reconstruction Inc., a grass-roots community development company that strives to build people’s capacity to transform the communities in which they live.
March 6th
From Repression to Resistance: Lessons for our Movements
A workshop on combating state repression with Laura Whitehorn, Ricardo Jimenéz and Soffiyah Elijah (invited). The United States government has a long history of persecuting activists, radicals and community organizers, even those who don't break any laws. This workshop will explore the different tactics the state uses to disrupt political movements and discuss strategies for countering them. We will discuss the past decade of state repression in the United States, paying particular attention to grand juries and concrete ways to support people facing political repression. The discussion will feature former political prisoners Ricardo Jimenez and Laura Whitehorn, both released in 1999 after more than a dozen years in prison for political actions, and Harvard Law professor Soffiyah Elijah, who has represented several political activists in the past 20 years. At Houston Hall [3417 Spruce] room 236 aka Platt Rehearsal Room on Penn campus, 1-3 pm. FREE.
March 10th
West Philly Radical History: Lessons from the Movement for a New Society
The Movement for a New Society was a national network of feminist radical pacifist collectives based in Philadelphia that existed from 1971 to 1988. The organization made important contributions to anti-nuclear, ecology, and sexual liberation movements while pioneering and promoting many forms of activity—building counter-institutions, waging strategic direct action campaigns, and unlearning oppressive behavior—that anti-authoritarian social movements take for granted today.
Former members Lynne Shivers, George Lakey, Betsy Raasch-Gilman, Bob Irwin, and Nancy Brigham will discuss the history and political practice of the Movement for a New Society, relate lessons learned from their experience, and then open the floor for an intergenerational dialogue on movement building today. 8:00 pm at Studio 34. FREE.
March 28th
Bring Down the Walls! Read-a-Thon: A Day Long Reading/Discussion Session on Prison Justice Issues & Benefit for Books Through Bars
On this final Sunday of the month's events and festivities, Books Through Bars invites folks to come join us as we spend the day reading and discussing texts together about prison justice issues. Copies of some of the essays and book excerpts that we will be focusing on will be available at prior events throughout March and will hopefully provide us all with a chance to reflect back on some of the prior presentations and bring additional information and context to our understandings of these issues.
Come join us for a day of self-education, imaginative conversation, and reflective brainstorming - as well as snacks and hot beverages. The hours will be punctuated by presentations and guided discussions from various individuals and groups - a more detailed schedule of which will be forth-coming in the weeks to come. While some Books Through Bars members will be collecting pledges and also using this opportunity as a chance to raise always-needed funds for sending out educational materials to currently incarcerated folks, we encourage any and all to join us regardless of their ability to contribute monetarily. Thoughts, strategies, critique, and curiosity are for all of us as acutely needed a contribution as any. from 10 AM to 10 PM at the A-Space. FREE (donations requested).
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