A community-oriented art & graphic design collective. We make graphic apparel, hand-crafted accessories and produce events. And most importantly, spew randomness about important and non-important topics.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

How to MOVE your Money To a Local Credit Union & Not Die Trying

By now everyone in the world knows that Oakland law enforcement went crazy with the tear gas, sand bags and baton smashing on non-violent citizens who were expressing their right to assemble and speak freely.   Two posts ago, I wrote about some action items that the regular average joe like me can take to make some change (or at least be part of making some change). If you know anything about me, I'm an action bunny. I can do my own share of talking any day but a lot of times, I feel helpless if there aren't any action items. I'm still working on my ten things we can do to make change in the 99% #Occupy Movement.   But I wanted to focus on one that folks are talking about and that is coming up pretty soon:
Change from a reg corporate Bank to a Credit Union and TWEET about it...
Now most folks (me included) have been trying to figure out how, where, when, can I make this happen. The facebook page BANK TRANSFER DAY has some resources and talking points around this. FYI Bank Transfer Day is coming up Saturday November 5th.

Here's the message from the Event page for November 5th with some steps you can take.
Together we can ensure that these banking institutions will ALWAYS remember the 5th of November!! If the 99% removes our funds from the major banking institutions to non-profit credit unions on or by this date, we will send a clear message to the 1% that conscious consumers won't support companies with unethical business practices.

• Research your local credit union options
• Open an account with the one that best suits your needs
• Cancel all automatic withdrawals & deposits
• Transfer your funds to the new account
• Follow your bank's procedures to close your account before 11/05
FIND A CREDIT UNION
USA: http://www.findacreditunion.com/
CANADA: http://locator.cucentral.com/
UK: http://www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk/



Peace!!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Holiday Design Bazaar Benefit for Harvey Milk Creative Arts Academy

One3snapshot will be here!! Stop by and begin your holiday shopping while supporting Artisan and education for youth

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Crawling the Art of the Twin Cities

I've been playing this game of: if not one in the Bay Area ...in what other cities could I see myself possibly living? I may have just added the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Minnesota to my short but growing list. I've had hints of an interesting arts/culture scene coming from this area but never was quite convinced and since I hadn't visited and explored it as an adult it was never really on my map. Hmm...

From the homey streets, nostalgia-inducing buildings to the menu boards at Golden's Deli, an eatery that boasts fresh, local and tasty all wrapped in pretty. I was mildly smitten.
(I have been intrigued with the mysterious-to-me art of Menu signage and this place has one of the best I have seen in the country/world?)

After my delicious garden omelet and fresh squeezed lemonade I was able to get a sneak peak of the St. Paul art crawl which I unfortunately didn't get to check out in all its glory because I had other engagements elsewhere, but the little I did see made my heart pitter patter, and maybe my love for this place became full blown.

I met two artists/artisans who had items that I adored and I'm sure you will too.

The first was Storm

I think Storm is my Mid-west Jewelry concept counterpart...I always wish that I had the patience or diligence to make necklaces but I may have just been inspired to actually do it.  love the found pieces put together to create something new and fresh. I started making earrings from using old/broken jewelry and random found object things so this is really cool to me. From a little e-birdie I've found out she's a May baby. Lightbulb! Of course she is... her work is fabulous (not that I'm biased or anything). She is definitely a May Fly!

The second was "Deli Girl"

I love the bright colors of her pieces, and her unique style. She had originals, prints and sketchbook and journals. I meant to purchase a journal book (addict that I am) but had a brain fart and planned to go back but ended up not having time.

Still as much as I crushed on Twin Cities..Cali trumps... Weather, Racial & Cultural diversity, unlimited fresh healthy food options at low prices. So I won't be moving to the Twin Cities any time soon. I'll be back to visit though!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

How Can the 99% Occupation Movement Actually Change Things?

Yesterday I was at an amazing action.  The Foreclose on Wall Street West/ Shutdown of Wells Fargo Headquarters in SF (business at that site was paralyzed by protesters for the day). This was organized by a coalition of organizations in the Bay Area including but not limited to Causa Justa Just Cause, Chinese Progressive Association and East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy,
Groups and personalities like Naomi Klein, SF Supervisor and Mayoral Candidate John Avalos,  Brass Liberation Orchestra and Homoeconomixx were around to help fire up the movement with speeches, live music and remixed renditions of Shaggy's 'It wasn't me' with lyrics like "(the) Federal Reserve... were all buck naked banging on the trading room floor".

I went to this action filled with an arm-load of criticism that I will not go into in this post, and a feeling of 'here we go again'.. oh I also had my good ol' camera with me

I left with tears in my eyes, butterflies in my stomach and a bounce in my feet.

Check out the photos I took and please keep reading, because I have a question I need answered

So maybe I'm not as plugged in as I could, and haven't done my research. Although I think what is going on right now in the US is powerful I've been also having this feeling that is typical for me... that of being overwhelmed. stuck. hopeless. What next?

These days I shy away from waxing politics/activism that much and frankly my rhetoric is not sophisticated when it comes to political and social discourse, so I typically save my thoughts to conversations with close friends and my various alter-egos.

What I do mildly well though is try to walk part of the walk.  So that's what I'm asking for.

What do we do? How can we play a part in making ACTUAL change. What are the action items? What are the small and big things we can do? Short & Long term goals. The occupy movement as it stands is not sustainable (in my opinion) so I would like to see some sort of 10 commandment list.... what the 99% can do now to walk the walk.

I've started the list...I need help
  1. Take it to the streets and pose for pictures while looking and acting rad. Make sure the News talks about it. Check!
  2. Change from a reg corporate Bank to a Credit Union and TWEET about it... getting ready to do that 
  3.  ?? 
  4. ??
  5. ??
  6. ??
  7. ??
  8. ??
  9. ??
  10. ??

I'm calling all all my organizers, youth, parents, teachers, writers, workers. Let's get this going!



Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy looking for Artists to Donate Art & do Live Demos

Dear Artist,

Would you be willing to donate a piece of your artwork or an hour or two of your time to host an art demo to help raise money for arts education?

The Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy is organizing a Holiday Design Bazaar that will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 12-6 PM at the school, located at 4235 19th Street (one block up from Castro). The proceeds of this bazaar will go towards our developing visual and performing arts program. The event will have 30+ local vendors selling their handmade art-wares. In addition, we plan to host an ART AUCTION. We also want to have live ART DEMOS throughout the day celebrating what the arts is all about.

In 2010, this event grossed roughly $10,000 and with the donations received, we were able to partially fund the school's Visual Arts Program. We are raising money specifically to fund 10 art classes per year in each of our classrooms.
Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy is a small, public school located in the Castro District of San Francisco. Our mission is to empower student learning by teaching acceptance and non-violence, celebrating our diversity, achieving academic excellence, and fostering strong family-school-community connections. Our kids need art, and the San Francisco Unified School District has virtually eliminated arts funding. This is why we are asking you, our San Francisco art community, for your help. Young children are our investment. What we give them now sets the foundation for the future. We hope you will consider our request and take this opportunity to help fund an innovative, urban public school arts program.
We will feature gorgeous, hand-made crafts, yummy food, art auction, live art demos, childcare, a presentation on the value of arts education, and more! This is a beautiful event and a real community builder, plus a great opportunity to support our little school!


If you are interested in participating please let us know by replying to this email, or contacting us at <artsdesignbazaar@rocketmail.com>.
Thank you so much for considering our request,

Design Bazaar Committee
artsdesignbazaar@rocketmail.com

 http://harveymilk.com/

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

the 99% ignored in Arts Funding #Occupy

REUTERS/Mike Segar
 Even if you were living under a rock. You know about the occupations happening around various cities in the US. What we're also talking about is the various ways this crazy 1% plays out. This Washington Post article talk about how Foundations basically pretty much fund more wealthy-white serving institutions than it does diverse communities. This funding trend does not match up with the growing population of said diverse communities.

“It is a problem because it means that — in the arts — philanthropy is using its tax-exempt status primarily to benefit wealthier, more privileged institutions and populations,” wrote the report’s author, Holly Sidford.

Talk about keeping it in the family.

Of course it's not telling me anything that I don't know. The money just circles around and 'philanthropy' is just a guise that rich people use to keep the things that entertain them alive.

Even though seemed like an ad for the Ford Foundation (which hopefully may encourage them and others to continue diverse funding) at the end, the point of the article is still something to that can be paid attention.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Visual Inspiration: Nobel Ladies


2011 Nobel Peace Prize winners: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee; and Tawakkul Karman, a Yemeni opposition leader and mother of three.

This time for Africa!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Gollywood Takeover?

I'm a big fan of Nollywood movies. I haven't watched them in a while because these days, I can't sit still to watch anything that lasts two hours or more. Before I got to my 2-hour breaking point, I slowly got tired of trying to sort through good Nollywood movies to watch. For every good one it seemed like there were six bad ones I had to weed through. I don't really mind production quality, it's the storyline that gets me going. Enter Gollywood (Ghanian Hollywood), specifically producer Shirley Frimpong-Manso whose work is putting majority of our movies to shame.

Exhibit A: Adam's Apple (Ghana)


Exhibit B: Blackberry Babes (Nigeria)


I think Emem Isong may be Nollywood's only hope, looking forward to watching her latest effort. I really do wish the good movies will be made more accessible. There is great PR for awesome Nollywood movies but they can only be watched in Silverbird Cinemas. haba!
Update: Just learned that a new movie, Damage, starring Uche Jombo is being screened in select U.K, U.S. and Canadian cities. I hope more will follow suit. Indian movies have been doing this for a long time.