Gallery 210 Panel Discussion & Exhibition!

From Gallery 210 @ UMSL:ALL-AMERICAN: JESUS MACARENA-AVILATHURSDAY October 22 - December 5, 2009Gallery 210 is proud to present the ALL-AMERICAN: JESUS MACARENA-AVILA, an art project concentrating on the idea of "community building." Distinguished Chicano art historian and scholar, Victor Alejandro Sorell will write the exhibition essay.
In Chicago, Illinois, Macarena-Avila works as a community based arts educator with many social service organizations. He serves as a faculty member with the Art Education Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Liberal Education Department at Columbia College Chicago. Macarena-Avila is the co-founder of POLVO, an alternative cultural space promoting contemporary art in Chicago.
The artist's main aim of this exhibition is to challenge viewers to see what has happened to American 'values.' They depict their insight of 'America' with contemporary art practices like installation work or digital video. You will reconsider what American values are through their conceptual language to represent their 'American' perspective. Are they decaying? Are they based on mythical identity? Or is it all about cultural assimilation: baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.
The project functions in four components: 1) "Tell It Like it Is" (video installation); 2) "Melting Pot" (installation work that re-defines the American cultural landscape); 3) "Community Building" (documentation of art residency between Art Dimensions [ArtD] and an interactive campus project "drive"); and 4) "Revision" (a mini-exhibit of books re-addressing American identity and history values).
OCTOBER 22 AT 6 PM: The panel discussion "Got Community? Defining Community Art and the Teaching Artist" with panelists Jesus-Macarena-Avila, Andrea Richardson, Fabio Rodriquez, and moderator Dr. Louis E. Lankford will start at 6:00 PM. A reception for the artist will follow immediately after the panel until 8:00 PM.
All of the Gallery 210 events are free and open to the public. Public parking for Gallery 210 is available at the South Millennium Parking garage on the east side of East Drive on the UM-St. Louis Campus. Handicapped parking is available behind Gallery 210. Gallery 210 is also within easy walking distance from the MetroLink Station.
This exhibition is supported in part by grants from the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council with additional assistance from the Center for Humanities at UM-St. Louis.

Gallery 210 is on the University of Missouri-St. Louis at 44 East Drive, TCC between the North UM-St. Louis Metro Station and Touhill Performing Arts Center. The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The gallery phone is (314) 516-5976; the fax is (314) 516-4997; and email is gallery@jinx.umsl.edu. For parking locations, directions, and campus map please visit http://www.umsl.edu/~gallery/

The Empowerment Experiment

Check out the enpowerment Experiment at their website! This was shared on facebook and had to repost!
http://www.ebonyexperiment.com/

"What's Our Experiment?
For The Empowerment Experiment (EE), the Anderson Family publicly commits to live off of Black business for one year. National media covers The Empowerment Experiment. The Black community begins to act on their duty to solve our own problems and improve our situation in America by leveraging our near $1 trillion in consumer power. Americans, regardless of color, who understand that Black businesses and communities deserve to thrive, just like everyone else's, try to support and join the effort. Black businesses profit. Black professionals, too. Black children have more role models in their community from the business world. Black households and communities are economically empowered. Money spent in Black neighborhoods starts to work at solving the community's problems. The EE nation shows the world the true value and strength of Black business, Black talent, and the Black consumer/investor dollar."

Najjar & Varsity Center for the Arts Hall of Fame

Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, Associate Professor of Fine Arts at Southern Ill. University Carbondale's School of Fine Art & Design has recently completed a commission art work for Varsity Center for the Arts Hall of Fame. The work revolves around the academic experience of Dick Gregory: legendary activist, writer and comedian originally from "the Ville" in north St. Louis.

Congrats Najjar, your pioneering spirit as an arts educator and activist is well appreciated!

To read full ceremony article visit the link: http://thesouthern.com/news/article_dd95faca-b487-11de-80d5-001cc4c03286.html?mode=story

To watch video visit the link: http://thesouthern.com/news/article_dd95faca-b487-11de-80d5-001cc4c03286.html?mode=video

Future Featured Artists

If you are interested in being a featured artist, please email me for more details! dailchambers@gmail.com

We will cover: musicians, visual artists, and performers

You will need: A few images, an artist statement, and a completed interview.

If you are in CHICAGO

We sure would like to see you at this Saturday's art reception forChicago Black Artists.
October 3 from 1-4 p.m.
at Liz Long Gallery,1957 S. Spaulding Ave. Chicago, Il. 60623 is where the show is at!

We are located at the corner of S. Spaulding Ave. and 21st street,just 2 blocks west of Kedzie stop on pink line.

The reception is free and we will celebrate Chicago Black Artistsin honor of Chicago Artists Month. There will be refreshments, music,and door prizes. A young black musician from Portland, Oregon named Christopher Clay will be the featured music.
Please say you will be a part of this celebration and show artists that you do care! Leave a message on voicemail 773-542-9126 saying your name and that you plan to attend. Or send an email to sophiebella@sbcglobal.net
We can't do it without you.
sincerely,
Dianna C. Long at URBAN ART RETREAT