Ian Weaver, The Black Knights of the Black Bottom, and Are You My Other?

On the afternoon of November 18, 2010, on the Island of Facebook, history was made...in response to the Fat Free Elotera post:Ian Weaver: I take ALL the credit for this (and future) collaborations between these two exceptional artists....! [just needed to make sure I put in that legal boilerplate stuff, just a formality]Andria Morales: No doubt! We are eternally grateful to the prolific genius of Ian Weaver for the inspired notion of pairing us together.Maya Escobar: YES!!! So true- we are Are You My Other? because of this Fine Man. We keep trying to figure out just how to pay homage... Latina Black Bottom promo girls? Just saying :)Ian Weaver: By commenting on my post you have in effect given me the legal authority to profit in part from any future performances, lectures, presentations, and sales of related merchandise. I will work out the percentages later with my BB lawyer, but for conversation sake, let's just say if you perform jointly at, say, the Mattress Factory or the Renaissance Society that I will net 33.33% of profits from said performance.Again, I will get my BB lawyer to draw up the papersAndria Morales: Did we just get served??? So much for the We ♥ BB Knights campaign...Ian Weaver: Nooooo! You haven't been served! I can't do that online; you will be formally served in person presently (I think someone is at your door; delivery guy??? Flowers By Irene???)Maya Escobar: I think a cut of all "BB profits" is totally fair and should be required.. LOL.. "profit" what an interesting concept... "to make money from art"... am I dreaming? But hey Ian if you can work us in to an of the aforementioned "performances, lectures, presentations, and sales of related merchandise" and oh "performances at, say, the Mattress Factory or the Renaissance Society" Are You My Other? would be eternally grateful.Ian Weaver: Done! I am on the phone with Hamza was we speak. I will work the Pittsburgh angle after the holidays.And seriously, fantastic work by both of you! I got on the blog; really interesting! I am having Maya present in my spring Research class for artists, and if I had the dough I would fly you out Andria and have you guys co-present. But, that would blow my transfer student's minds!Andria Morales: I think Maya and I meeting each other in person would blow OUR minds. Lets start a fundraiser!Maya Escobar: Wow, wow, wow!!! Is it okay with the two of you if I screen-shot this convo and re-post? Ian, I am going to try to see if there are any opps to lecture in other SAIC departments that week so that we could get funding for Andria to come in.Andria Morales: Summon your internet powersIan Weaver: GO FOR IT! I AM OPEN TO IT!!

The Cuentos Foundation

I just submitted the work of Michele Feder-Nadoff, to the magazine I work for Zeek. Michele is a dear friend and a phenomenal artist, activist and educator. I thought it would be a good idea to share some information about Michele and to promote her organization the cuentos foundation.Artistic Director, Michele Feder-Nadoff, who is Jewish, founded Cuentos in 1998 with the humanist vision and commitment to tikkun haolam, a Jewish principal expressing each person’s responsibility to play a part in "healing the world." Cuentos members believe art is a transformative catalyst for effecting positive social change. Our work combats prejudice and discrimination through artistic and educational intergenerational projects and programs promoting mutual understanding.The abundance of cultural wealth living doorstep to doorstep in our neighborhoods provide all of us an opportunity to engage with and learn about each others' backgrounds. What connects us and how can live in peace together, connected by mutual understanding and appreciation of different cultures from around the globe?

CUENTOS PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: To design programs that promote strong personal and cultural identity, as well as cultivate the ability to positively engage and communicate across cultures. We believe these are the keys for empowering youth, families, and communities with the capacity for participating in positive social change and mutual understanding. To provide reciprocal learning/ educating of artistic strategies and art-making practices, techniques, traditions, such as copper-smithing, poetry writing & publishing, performance, curating. To provide a safe, nurturing, extremely creative environment to test out ideas, performance, theater, music, a poem, or an exhibition idea in Cuentos’ storefront windows or space. To empower through collective practices: A place to collaborate with others from similar and different backgrounds. To make cross-cultural links and networks between groups. To use art across disciplines to give projects a holistic and contextualized vision. To develop the acquisition of transferable skills and knowledge: artistic, social, and cultural. To provide an opportunity to express differences in cultural heritage, history, and traditions. To act as an incubator for creating community connections and fellowship.

check out their new book: Ritmo de Fuego

Ritmo del Fuego / Rhythm of Fire is a unique achievement, telling the story of the deep-seated copperworking tradition of Santa Clara del Cobre, an ancient community in the forested mountains of Michoacán, Mexico. What is often seen as “folk art” is shown to stem from early workshops established in Michoacán during the 8th-9th centuries AD, by coastal traders and artisans from the Andean Region of South America. Since then, the manufactures have included utilitarian and ornamental objects. Many have been recovered at archaeological sites, most notably from the 15th century Tarascan Kingdom. Others embrace forms of Spanish origin after the 16th century conquest. Today in the expanding international market, Santa Clara copperwares include a wide range of sophisticated decorative vases, pitchers, trays, dinner wares and related forms. A vital community has evolved with this ongoing tradition, portrayed with affection and care by the project organizer Michele Feder-Nadoff, and the many other authors in this remarkable, well written contribution to the cultural history of the Americas.

click here to purchase

How does it feel to be called a JAP?

Please take this as an opportunity to let your voice be heard. I welcome anyone who would like to offer a response online, either written or in the form of a video blog. Remember that the acciones plásticas videos are not the stereotypes themselves, they are women who have be affected by their presence.I will continuously update this post with videos as they are submitted. "How does it feel to be called a _____?" Feel free, (but not limited) to respond to the stereotypes I have presented. Use this as an opportunity to share your own experiences.If you are an educator takes this as an opportunity to discuss these issues with your students. I am in the process of developing curriculum for presenting acciones plásticas in the classroom.

while the "youtube" video blogs are played on a reel. The public will be invited to respond, by altering the text accompanying each doll. Over the course of the exhibition the original cards displaying the stereotype will be replaced by the new cards with altered text.Your video responses will be incorporated into the reel. From the show Now I am asking you to participate. Hopefully viewing these images has caused you to question if and when similar stereotypes have been applied to you or those around you. Please take the time to share your experiences by clicking on any of the dolls to submit your response.I have included a section with guiding questions. If you have more you would like to submit post them herePlease feel free but not limited to answering the following questions regarding each doll:

Is there any truth to this description?Are all of these things negative?What is the origin of this stereotype?What is a _________ really like?What does this stereotype leave unsaid?

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