Wow, here’s my friend Desi, a street artist and youth worker, with a crew of young spray-can muralists creating a major work right on my block in the Temescal District of Oakland! This wall on the corner of 42nd and Telegraph has been tagged and painted out a hundred times or more — a spot waiting for just this kind of full-scale expression. The sidewalk is jumping today with hip hop and people watching and taking photos. Cars slow down to enjoy the scene, too. Desi explains the meaning of this particular mural and community rejuvenation. It’s my first spontaneous attempt to use the movie mode on my camera!

Sidewalk scene in front of Pizzaiolo Restaurant, Oakland, California, September 18, 2009 around 7:15 pm.

Imagine my surprise Friday evening to emerge from a favorite dinner spot and discover a party on the sidewalk. But wait, there was something different about the street — beyond the sidewalk artist, busy with his pink chalk and boombox syncopation there was a full-blown game of Scrabble taking place on a real grass lawn, with lawn chairs and umbrella right where there used to be a parking spot on busy Telegraph Avenue! (more…)

Anusha Venkataraman has written a thoughtful and enlightening review of Beverly Naidus’s new book Arts for Change. From the apt overview—

“Part memoir, part historical narrative, part resource guide, Naidus’ book summons in an accessible and easy-to-read format her experiences, challenges and advice from years of working in the field.”

to insight about how 20th century social movements influenced teaching—

“. . . the social movements of the 1960s and 70s brought forward the re-emergence of the artist as social agent. It was during this time that Naidus shaped her creative practice in relation to feminism, the antiwar movement, environmentalism and, eventually, progressive education theories. What all of these movements — and Naidus’ involvement in them — have in common is that they advocate, implicitly or explicitly, a politics of pedagogy that fundamentally shifts the power dynamics between student and teacher, haves and have-nots, oppressor and oppressed.”

it’s the kind of meaty, reflective review that sets one to wondering years later if we have, in fact, read the book or just a great write-up of it. To increase the effect, CAN also offers a tasty pdf excerpt of Chapter 4, “Facilitating an Interdisciplinary Arts Curriculum.”  Nonetheless, dear friends, please note that however useful Venkataraman’s commentary in CAN’s Reading Room, I am not suggesting you skip a full and rewarding reading of Arts for Change!

Photo of Reverend Joseph Lowery by Pouya Dianat, staff photographer at the Atlanta Constitution [permission pending].

It’s been a day of jubilation, and, as many head off to inaugural parties, local celebrations, and some to fancy balls, I want to share my own gratitude for the closing words of today’s presidential swearing-in ceremony—the benediction offered by the Reverend Joseph E. Lowery.

Reverend Lowery is recognized by the NAACP as “dean of the civil rights movement” and has a lifetime of speaking truth to power. His prayer was a fitting blessing for today’s momentous occasion and the inspiration and wisdom the nation needs.

Thank you, Reverend Lowery, for reminding us to “pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.” We are indeed a world community, interconnected and interdependent, economically, environmentally and socially—may we at least respect the heritage of our own citizenry, so very very few of whom come originally from this land. (more…)

New Village author and syndicated cartoonist Keith Knight has picked up the best bailout idea of the week. Other treasures in his K Chronicles strip, too, like Toyota’s laudable practice of starting paid community service for employees on downtime. And, yes indeedy, I’ll be ready for the rails (Keef’s 20-year national public transport plan). Read it in today’s Salon Comics.

When Obama appoints his court jester — we know who he’ll call!

From the man with the pink box bringing doughnuts for everyone lined at the polls this morning to John McCain shushing boos during his beautifully unifying concession speech tonight, I have been moved today by the warmth of people. Here in Oakland I could hear the election results before finding them on my news screen by the crescendo of horns in the street. Three hours later, 11:00 pm in California, the excitement has not waned. I walked out earlier to experience the celebration on Telegraph Avenue and was joined by an African American couple clearly as jubilant as I. We introduce ourselves on the way back — turns out they live in the apartments next door! An American moment. Another neighbor comes by. We put stars in our hair, run back to the same corner and light sparklers. Great waves of honking rises at every stop light. Dancers on the sidewalks hoop, skateboarders flash peace signs, bicylists ring their bells, even buses beep. Obama 08 glistens wet on the favorite neighborhood tagging wall. I’m grateful to be witnessing this fearless wave of joy for a better day, for working together, for building that beloved community that Martin Luther King (Sr. and Jr.) and Howard Thurman before them held so dearly. Yes we can!!

You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

Yoko Ono is inviting people around the world to join together in wishes for peace as she lights the Imagine Peace Tower today in Reykjavik Iceland honoring John Lennon. The tower is a beam of light powered by local geothermal energy.

Dear Friends,

Please join me not only in remembering John on October 9th but also in spreading the message of peace. This is something that was so important to John - the fact that we could all work together for the positive good of our planet. He would have loved how we are all mobilizing ourselves in thought and in action. It’s time for action and the action is peace!
with love, yoko

Yoko Ono
9 Oct 2008

As a young artist, Yoko imagined the tower, and in 1967 John invited her to create it, however, at that time she did not know how. In the same spirit, let us envision peace, even if we don’t yet know the way to build it — through love and clear intention, we will find a way.

Steven Dahlberg, contributor to the latest issue of New Village Online will be teaching a new course at the University of Connecticut, “Creativity and Social Change”, which is the first offering in a new interdisciplinary Creative Community Building Program that includes partners outside the university. The program is offered through the Center for Continuing Studies for a Bachelor of General Studies degree, as well as non-credit workshops and seminars for professional development. Learn more about the course and program on Steve’s Applied Imagination blog.

Craig Zelizer, Ph.D., visiting professor in Conflict Resolution studies at Georgetown University and co-founder of the Alliance for Conflict Transformation has written a sensitive and enlightening review of Bill Cleveland’s new book — Art and Upheaval: Artists on the World Frontlines. In his review for the Community Arts Network, Zelizer offers lessons he learned from the book. Here is his opening.

Art and Upheaval: Artists on the World Frontlines by William Cleveland (Oakland, CA: New Village Press, 2008, 352 pp.)

What are the roles that artists can play in the midst of severe violence? How can artists create meaning and empower communities during conflict and war? What are the motivations that lead individuals and groups to undertake arts-based processes at great personal risk? Why do authoritarian regimes feel threatened by creative acts?

These are some of the powerful questions that William Cleveland explores in his timely and compelling new book, “Art and Upheaval: Artists on the World’s Frontlines.” The book is a product of an eight-year journey, in which Cleveland, a leading community-arts practitioner in the United States, journeyed around the world to document and learn from artists working on the “frontlines.”

. . . link to full review

Patience is a word that has been showing up for me lately—at least three reminders this month to consider a slower mode of living. In this why-didn’t-we-fix-it-yesterday world, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer potential of what we can do, what we feel we should do, and what we feel we must do, not mention what we wish we had done. Finding reminders about patience, I am nudged to give myself permission to ease into the space of just appreciating what is, take off the yanking bridle that pulls me ever forward and really feel the luscious grass on my bare feet.

You may think this is only metaphor, but that is exactly what I did this past Saturday at a festival called the Big One that our parent organization, ADPSR, co-sponsored at Golden Gate Park in SF. Wisely, we were invited on arrival to take off our shoes and sit down for a guided meditation. I never put those shoes back on and enjoyed all day the glorious lawn of Sharon Meadows that stretched for a hundred yards in all directions from the event center, a space dressed in colorful Indian cloths and tables of fresh organic strawberries, bread and beverages. (more…)