art, politics

Censorship

“CENSORSHIP: an exhibition featuring artists in distress”. Now that sounds like a great topic for an art show. The following is yet another email I received for an event that looks interesting so much that I thought to repost it. And again, lately I am finding myself posting more and more events because hey, it’s less writing sometimes. And what better venue to have an art show titled Censorship, than at the Brecht Forum. And I hear The Himalayas will be performing there also. So if you happen to be in the New York City area tonight, this looks like an event worth checking out. And I have for some reason found myself using that word lately in regards to free speech, democracy and the Pacifica, WBAI elections radio drama that I have been following lately. And what is censorship, free speech and democracy anyway. That’s a whole another blog posting. And what does this have to do with a No Police State? Have a great art day.

Friends,

This Thursday, November 8th, from 6-9pm is the Exhibit Opening and Reception of the Censorship Show at the Brecht Forum in the West Village. Featuring Live music, poetry, dance, and artist talks. This will be a group show with art of different media, all exploring the impact and boundaries of censorship.

Curated by L2EL Arts

The unimagined evolution and status of many politicized cultures continues to inspire multimedia artists throughout the world. The CENSORSHIP show presents the work of New York City and international artists who openly choose to create art that rejects the systems presently dominating humanity and its ways of thinking. Curated by L2EL Arts, this month-long, multimedia exhibition also serves as a benefit for freeDimensional whose efforts work to promote social justice through artistic communities around the world. CENSORSHIP is curated by Jennifer Harris and Thomas Bell. Please visit freeDdimensional and L2EL Arts for more information and details as the show approaches.

November 8 – December 6, 2007

Closing Celebration: Friday November 30, 7-10pm
Featuring live music and dance.

From New York Magazine

Founded in 1975, the Brecht Forum is devoted to promoting social change and independent thought. Though the institute is supposedly nonpartisan, its programs and classes — some run by in-house groups like the New York Marxist School and the Institute for Popular Education — unabashedly skew to the far left. (Not surprising given the center’s namesake: socialist German playwright Bertolt Brecht.) With a full-time staff of just two, the center relies on over 100 volunteers to teach classes and lead discussion groups. Now housed in its sixth location, an artists’ complex near the Hudson River, the organization’s 5,500-square-feet of space is divided up into a gallery, two classrooms, and a theater set apart by a semicircular drywall built by local high-school students. The theater’s chairs are stacked amid exposed wooden pillars while films are projected onto a white wall; a function-first aesthetic which Brecht himself would’ve approved heartily.

All Are Welcome

Though most classes and events have an admission fee, rarely is anyone turned away because of an inability to pay.

Rare Books

One of Brecht’s classrooms contains a small library of Marxist books – some quite rare – by the likes of Lenin and Trotsky.
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art, music

Till’s Gig

I’ve been meaning to blah blog about Till’s gig lately for quite some time now. He’s been sending out those email invites for his latest gig for a while. And he’s been calling those events “Eazy” or “Eazy does it”. Till plays some good music, mostly jazz, as I have always known him as a sax man though now it seems as if he is playing, how does he describe it on his MySpace page; Psychedelic / Electronica / Trip Hop. And this time around he seems to be calling himself Senor Bonobo. I am not exactly sure what that name is all about, maybe it has something to do with me calling myself No Police State Girl sometimes, who knows. There seems to be photos of apes all over his page and I guess that’s what a Bonobo is. And he describes Senor Bonobo as something like “Bonobos are supposed to live a more peaceful lifestyle in part because of their habitat, which has more nutritional vegetation, allowing less hunting, less competition, and a social outlet of eating. Bonobos, at least in captivity, are generally held to have superior intelligence to Common Chimpanzees and so on and so on and so on…” I made it to one of his parties and it was at this really cool loft in Queens with this view of Manhattan that was awesome. Till B’s music rocks and his event for this week is as follows. Have a great rock n’ roll day.

Area 17/ Visual Cortex Productions presents

EazY

a psychedelic Wonderland
provided by Remus Pop
and the Romo Building
featuring Señor Bonobo
Thursday, October 25th, 9pm

37-06 36th St 4th floor
Romo Paper Products Building
Long Island City

Jazz Crooner ‘Billy Joe Taylor ‘ at kicks of the party at 9 pm
with some Jazz standards, after that
will follow a set of mixed styles by DJ ‘Onkle Karl’;
‘Señor Bonobo’ rocks out starting at about 11:30.
this week the band is featuring drummer Ulysees Owens
and drummer/bassist Andrew Bertrand, guitarist Fro,
Mik will spit and Till the SXAddikt will complete the picture.
Also expected to make an appearance are Gabe with
mad freestyles and Susan Cagle adding her 2 cents in.
Edward the 3rd will be on the scene to create some crazy
visuals and DJ Earthian will spin minimal techno latenight.
Art and setdesign by Remus and Mark
special of the week:
Mr Pomegranatoff presents Benoit Cornet’s ‘signature’
home-made honey vodka (if he doesnt finish it off by himself).
Test drive your Halloween Costume and don’t forget to feed the Monkey.

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art

Clayton’s Art Show

I have been seeing the reviews in the papers the past few weeks. “Clayton Patterson: The Lower East Side. Kinz, Tillou plus Feigen. 11am-6pm. Free. Patterson has spent the past two decades collecting portraits of everyone from politcians to junkies in his eclectic LES neighborhood. 529 West 20th Streets between 10th and 11th Aves”. And I keep wanting to make it over to see Claytons art show. I can imagine his show rocks and that he probably has some cool photos in the show as he has been around the neighborhood The Lower East Side that is now called the East Village for marketing, gentrification and genocide purposes maybe, for seemingly forever, documenting the scene and characters of the neighborhood. I can imagine there may be photos of the squats, squatters, Thompkins Square Park, punk rockers, the homeless and maybe even junkies and everyone else in between as his photos are all over the place. He has the really cool gallery in the Lower East Side that rocks also. Long Live The Lower East Side.

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art, music under new york, NYC MTA, subway

Going My Way?


As it happened yesterday and may happen again tomorrow, so much that I find myself cutting and pasting the same blog entry over and over with no end in sight. Does this mean my friends should find another subway station to play their music in or quit playing their music altogether. Should they quit their day job? And so I guess the Metropolitan Transit Authority trauma drama with my friends really cool drum and horn band who play as part of the MTA Arts For Transit/Music Under New York Program usually starts out something like this: “Dear MUNY Musicians and Performers, the next Call-in will be another double, scheduling for 4 weeks. You did really well last time juggling and projecting your availability. Good luck and talk to you on September 26 or 27 @ Call-In etc.. And also Happy Birthday to Angel Marin of AGUA CLAA, and Natalia Paruz the Saw Lady on the 25th. All the best wishes, and life long happiness to you both!” And so the story goes; can somehow the Metropolitan Terrorize its subway riders going their way Association change it procedures for the harassment of its subway musicians and riders. Is it possible the New York City MTA can somehow free everyone and make its fares free to ride the subway so that all of those underground polizei will not be necessary. This band has been keeping this blog busy with its subway gigs and the many times it has been shut down at the 42nd street Times Square subway station every time they show up to play by the same polizei over and over with no end in sight. This time they were issued a summons for disorderly conduct, to appear in court five minutes after they started playing. And these tickets seem to be discerning, as they are issued to the same person in the band over and over. And by the way, is it possible to have a close all courts day, month and year? Oh, that’s a whole another blog posting. And those prerecorded “If you see something, say something and all bags are subject to random bag searches” messages are a whole another blog posting also. I can cut and paste the the many times I have blah blogged about this topic before and you can read some of the posts here. How do other subway systems in other cities and countries operate. Do these confrontations with polizei and subway musicians happen all the time everywhere. Do all cities follow the same models and procedures for fares and entertainment and are there any trauma drama support groups for these types of situations. Is another world possible? Since when is art a crime and what does this have to do with a No Police State?

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art, music

DUMBO Arts Festival

Hey Bloggers, if you are into art, DUMBO will be having their 11th annual art under the bridge festival next weekend, September 28-30th. There will be art, open studios, exhibitions, installations, performances, projections, videos and lots of art with artists Jackson Martin, Alfonso Munoz, Eve Mosher, Myk Henry, Cynthia Ruse, Rashaad Newsome, Duran Jackson, Dana and Karla Karwas, NATSU, Caitlin Berrigan, Zach Gold, Vitaly Komar, Caspar Stracke, Gabriella Monroy, Aniko Erdosi, Felicity Hogan and hundreds of other artists and more art in different venues.

There will also be a Dumbo Arts Festival Afterparty with a 3-Day Draw-A-Thon at Re Bar in Brooklyn as well. 3 Nights -16 bands- 3 day draw-a-thon, Sept 28-30th, Main room gallery show of Michael Alan’s work and live music by: I love you airlines, bamboo shoots, Tim Love Lee, Bom Bomb, Todd Michaelsen, Orange Park, The Choke, Bones of Davey Jones,The Rats, Saucerboy, biz, The Krays, Umami, Supermansguestlist, used to be women. Also live music by the Hungry March Band, and jesus. Portable Soundtracks for Temporary Utopias, produced by Grammy-winner Danny Blume, and co-produced by Matt Moran of Slavic Soul Party, are Hungry March Band’s fourth album. And if you are into music, music and more music, The Deli Magazine will be having a 2 day free Deli party at the Water Street Lounge as part of the event September 28-29th. Their line up includes: spells, doom dub, cale parks, thing one, The Halcyon’s, djs till 4am and in between. Also, The Epochs, Magic Caravan, smite, Fashion show, Bluprint Clothing, Bovine Homecoming, Benzos, The Picture, The Velocet, Fhe Fatales, Danny Sleep dj’s, Then Halcyon’s dj till 4 am
And if that’s not enough entertainment as part of this gigantic arts festival; there will be dancing, dancing and more dancing. White Wave Dance Company presents their 2007 Dumbo Dance Festival and they will be kicking off the festival with a Gala Benefit and Festival Performances September 27-30th, with more than 80 choreographers and companies performed by over 400 dancers. Dance performers will include works by Terry Dean Bartlett, Arthur Aviles, Azul Dance Theater, Pascal Benichou, Betsy Miller and Dancers, Catey Ott Dance Collective, T. Lang, Push Up Something Hidden, Meg Herbert Dance, Tina Croll + Company, Anabella Lenzu/Dance Drama, Zoe Klein & David Paris and many, many others.
Have a great art, music, dance and rockin roll day.
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art, festival, music, performance, theater

The Howl is Back!

Hey Bloggers, if you are in the neighborhood, there is a full page ad in this weeks New York Press. We’re back! Howl! 2007. FEVA presents September 5-9, 2007 centered in East Villages, Lower East Side Tompkins Square Park for free. An event not to be missed.
With:

MOBY, ChiChi Valenti and Johnny Dynell’s Lowlife, Felice Rosser & Faith, Rene Risque, the Art Lovers, Heavy Trash, DJ Spooky, Richard West’s Melange, Urban Word, Akim Funk Buddha, Judith Malina and The Living Theatre, Waldos, Crosby/Miz Metro/Alex Cowings, Skin God, Vision Jazz Fest with music by music by William Parker, Charles Gayle, Rob Brown, Sabir Mateen, Roy Campbell & Lewis Barnes, Jason Kao Hwang, Gerald Cleaver and Patricia Nicholson. Urban Gypsy Circus, Hattie’s A Salute To Black Lips, Alien Comic, Keiko Bonk, Fire Flies, Ravens and Chimes, David Amram, Paper & Sand, Robert La Fosse, Dean Johnson, Middle Collegiate Choir, MM Serra’s Avante Garde(N)s, Angel Orensanz, Fusion Arts Museum, A Gathering of the Tribes, Bowery Poetry Club, Nyorican Poet’s Cafe, Pianos, LES Girl’s Club, EVCC, The Living Room, Crash Mansion, Rapture Cafe, Comix Thinktank, Performance Art, LIT, Rock and M/F Punk Panels, Manhattan Samba, Hungry March Band, kidrock, The Allen Ginsberg Poetry Festival with Taylor Mead, John Giorno, The Mayhem Poets, Poetry Drill Team “4 Minute Howl” led by poet Gary Glazner, Stacy Szymaszek, Bob Holman, Danny Shot, Amy Ouzoonian, Chavisa Woods, Paolo Javier, Rachel Levitsky, Filip Marinovich. The Bowery Poetry Club Art Auction with auctioneer Marguerite Van Cook featuring works by Paul Pope, Donald Baechler, Peggy Cyphers, Steven Lack, Kiki Smith, Mike Bidlo, Marguerite Van Cook, James Romberger, ArturoVega, Mark Enger, Matt Enger, Riki Colon, David Pushkin, David West, Jack Natz, Gibby Haynes, John Ahearn, Thom Corn. A Chorus of Poets: (The) Desiccate Ablution: directed by Butch Morris and much more!
The Federation of East Village Artists (FEVA) 4th Annual celebration of the arts. Five days of dance, music, performance, poetry and writing. And if the Howl Festival is still selling that Howl Souvenir Book, check it out. It has a great history of the neighborhood.
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art, New York, peace

Chico

I have been reading the local papers often and finding myself commenting on interesting articles I read in them lately. And one interesting sentence in an article that caught my eye today was “You never see me draw guns. I want to make the neighborhood something nice to look at. If I see a negative message or mural, I go up to that person and say we need to change something.” That sentence is an excerpt in this weeks The Villager titled “Still keeping it real on L.E.S.: Chico’s message is indelible.” Chico makes his mark a positive on the Lower East Side. Antonio “Chico” Garcia is a graffiti mural artist who has painted thousands of colorful murals on walls throughout the Lower East Side neighborhood in New York, now the East Village for real estate marketing purposes maybe, over the past few decades. The neighborhood is his gallery and he is recognized as a pioneer in graffiti art. The article goes on to say that Chico is tired of graffiti that glorifies drugs and violence, and even made the personal decision some years back to stop doing the neighborhood mural memorials to those lost to violence that launched his career. This article sticks in my mind because Chico speaks for peace and end to violence. As I have written in what seems like every other blog posting, who invented guns? Guns are the worst invention ever. And the news stories are endless of persons losing their lives on a daily basis as the news story was yesterday and the news story will be tomorrow with no end in sight for no reason at all. I could cut and paste my appeal to banish the gun industry and guns from every human being on planet earth and to end the use of the images of guns in all forms of advertising and marketing as I have written in blog posts of the past. I am only one blogger, one voice. Is another world possible. Peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind. And what does this have to do with a No Police State?
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art, music, poetry, theater

HOWL! Charlie Parker Festival

Hey Bloggers, if you are in the neighborhood, here is are some great events to check out.

Bird’s the Word – A Gathering of the Tribes 14th Annual Charlie Parker Festival, August 2-29, 285 East Third Street, New York, New York.

8/11 Bird Flew in the Garden
3pm poetry reading featuring the original works and readings of poetry from Charlie Paker’s era (50’s): Bob Holman, Yuko Otomo, Steve Dalachinsky, Danny Shot, Amy Ouzoonian, Merry Fortune, Chavisa Woods, Eve Packer, Dorothy Friedman August, Tom Savage and Papoleto Melendez

6pm Butch Morris Chorus of Poets avant-garde conduction
8pm Harpin’ in the Garden featuring Billy Harper performing original compositions with his ensemble

8/26 Shadows and Sound
6pm Live musical performance by pianist and composer Sabrinna Chap.
Shadows Film Screening – John Cassavettes’ “Shadows”

8/29 Charlie Parker Block Party
11am-9pm Street Festival, poetry, performances, open Mic’ and musical performance by the Hungry March Band at 7pm

And also not to be missed

HOWL! Festival of East Village Arts September 5-9. The Federation of East Village Artists (FEVA) 4th Annual celebration of the arts. Five days of dance, music, performance, poetry and writing centered in East Village, Lower East Side’s Tompkins Square Park. And if the Howl Festival is still selling that Howl Souvenir Book, check it out. It has a great history of the neighborhood.
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art, music

Cave Canem

Hey Bloggers

If you happen to be in the neighborhood, I will be performing with Funk Monk, Wednesday, June 20th, 8pm at Club Canem.

DJ Charles Blass spins

There will also be an artists slide show with my art and several other visual artists.

Club Canem is located at 24 First ave btw 1st & 2nd Street.

$5 cover

weds. 20 June

Lovolution Presents

9-11p
Funk Monk
with
No Police State Girl

Funk Monk combines the hypnotic groove of hip hop, elements of world music and d&b with the dense harmonies of jazz.
The band features Sean Dixon on drums, Michael Kiaer on bass, Tosso Hettinger on guitar, Okai on rhymes and Welf on sax and keys. Funk Monk has performed all over New York including Nublu, the Knitting Factory and the Williamsburg Jazz Festival.

Funk Monk
Okai
All About Jazz

11pm Tamango & Charlie Hunter
Tamango
Charlie Hunter
Lovolution
Cave Canem

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art, Google

Writers Block


Today I am having I guess what could be called writers block, the block of writers. What do I write about today? I am somewhere in between writing about all of the horrifying world news I see everytime I turn on the television or read the newspaper, or link building for this blog to increase my search engine optimization for advertisers and sponsorship (would anyone like to exchange links with me?) I’ve read that Google page ranking is all about link popularity for websites, and posting in blog forums, or that Entrepreneurs blog I see on MyBlogLog which is a really great blog because I think I would like to be an entrepreneur also. And what if I can’t think of anything to write, could I just copy and paste some other bloggers post to save myself time and thought? Is that ethical? There are lots of wonderful writings and topics out there in bloggerland. Or maybe I can ask someone to contribute content to this page to help with posts? Well what’s the purpose of starting a blog if one does not want to blog? It is Friday the 13th today, if you are superstitious be aware.
Also, I will have artwork in a group show. If you are in the neighborhood please come and support fellow artists in the next exhibition at South 4th Bar/Cafe’: Art and So4th presents: Home April 19 – May 24, 2007 an exhibition featuring artwork by: Joel Simpson, Arthur Kvarnstrom, Pedro Da Paz, Rene Mayorga, Tom Wilson, Carla Cubit, James Banta, Carla Torres.
Opening reception: Thursday, April 19, 2007 6-9 pm South 4th Bar & Café 90 South 4th Street (corner of S. 4th & Berry St.) Brooklyn, NY 718-218-7278 http://www.south4thbar.com


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