BACK TO MARK VALLEN'S "ART FOR A CHANGE" NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Mark Vallen's Newsletter. May. 2004
Art Activism & Social Change
www.art-for-a-change.com
Drawings by Mark Vallen
A R T  F O R   A  C H A N G E

IN THIS UPDATE...

1) - PEACE SIGNS... Mark Vallen's work included in "The Anti-War Movement Illustrated"
2) - REACHING TO EMBRACE ARTS/GALLERY ROW CELEBRATION... L.A. Art scene expands
3) - GEORGE CATLIN AND HIS INDIAN GALLERY... Exhibition at the Museum of the American West
4) - BLACK PANTHERS... The Historic Photographs of Baruch and Jones
5) - ARTISTS IN ACTION... Children - Their Lives, Their Safety, Their Voices
6) - MORE THAN A WITNESS... Vallen's upcoming solo exhibition and retrospective
___________________________________________

Bookcover for "Peace Signs"

PEACE SIGNS: THE ANTIWAR MOVEMENT ILLUSTRATED is the ultimate collection of posters and graphics from the war in Iraq, uncensored, political and thought-provoking.

The book contains 200 full color posters from artists and designers from over 22 countries worldwide, featuring artwork by artists Mark Vallen, Sue Coe, Seth Tobocman, Winston Smith, and many others.

The majority of the artworks in the book were used in public demonstrations all across the world. For example, Vallen's drawing Not our Children, Not their Children was distributed in the thousands as a street flyer. It was also made available for free on the web as a .pdf document that people could print out. PEACE SIGNS, with a foreword by famed historian Howard Zinn,
is now available at:
Amazon.com
Vallen's drawing, "Not Our Children, Not Their Children"
___________________________________________

GALLERY ROW in historic downtown Los Angeles has been officially recognized by the L.A. City Council as a vital center for the city's artistic community. On May 15th, 2004, the City of Los Angeles will hold a public Gallery Row Unveiling Ceremony! www.galleryrow.org

Plugging into the Gallery Row celebrations will be Reaching to Embrace Arts (RTEA), the non-profit organization that raises and donates money to help fund children's arts programs in the Los Angeles
public school system.
Old Farmers and Merchants Bank

Artists showing and auctioning works at the RTEA exhibition and fund raising event include Mark Vallen, Chaz Bojorquez, Mear One, and many others. The beautifully restored cultural landmark, the Old Farmers and Merchants Bank at 401 South Main Street (built in 1871), will serve as the venue for this worthwhile event.

RTEA plans an all day exhibition of art, kids workshops, auctions, and live painting. The exhibition opens at 10 a.m. on May 15th. and runs until late in the evening. Art workshops for children will be held from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., and the auction will be conducted starting at 9 p.m. Monies raised during the auction will be donated to programs that enhance youth art programs and events in the L.A. school system. Come and participate in L.A.'s historic Gallery Row Unveiling Ceremony, and don't miss RTEA's fundraising event!
For more information: www.rtea.org

___________________________________________

GEORGE CATLIN traveled across the United States from 1830 to 1836 in order to paint portraits of the Native American peoples and their vanishing lifestyles. For many red nations, Catlin was the first white man they had ever encountered. The artist painted hundreds of magnificent portraits that respectfully, and with great accuracy, portrayed tribes as diverse as the Sioux, Mandan, Pawnee, Seminolees, Osage, and dozens of others. The artist also made numerous sketches, collected artifacts, and kept a written journal of his daily experiences and adventures. The body of work this artist left to the world is priceless beyond belief.
Painting by George Catlin

Opening May 9th, 2004, the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage) will present George Catlin and His Indian Gallery, a spectacular exhibition of over 100 original paintings by Catlin. The show not only includes the artist's portraits, landscapes, and scenes of indigenous life... but also the artifacts collected during the artist's travels (items not shown for more than a century). The show, organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, will run until August 4th, 2004, and includes a full program of documentary video, audio tours, and selections from Catlin's journals. The Museum of the American West is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA. For more information visit the museum's website, at: www.museumoftheamericanwest.org
___________________________________________

Panther women at a "Free Huey" rally, 1968.

BLACK PANTHERS is an exhibit of historical photographs from the late 1960's Black Liberation movement taken by Ruth Marion Baruch and Pirkle Jones. Presented by the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica California, the photographs are stunning portraits of Panther leaders, cadre of the revolutionary organization, and their radical sympathizers and followers.

Baruch and Jones first published their original photos of the Oakland Black Panther Party as a book in 1970, titled The Vanguard. As part of the exhibition there will be a lecture and slide show by the legendary Black Panther leader, Kathleen Cleaver. A book signing by photographer Pirkle Jones will follow the presentation. The opening reception is Saturday, May 15th, 6 - 8 pm, with the slide lecture by Cleaver held on Sunday, May 16th at 3 pm. The exhibition takes place at the 18th Street Arts Center, 1639 18th Street, Santa Monica. The show runs until July 23, 2004. For more info, please contact 310-453-3711... or visit the center's website, www.18thstreet.org/happenings.html
___________________________________________

ARTISTS IN ACTION is a group exhibit and activist art project produced by the Lankershim Art Gallery and the Human Arts Project of Los Angeles. The show will focus on the theme of "Children - Their Lives, Their Safety, Their Voices." The exhibition presents artworks created by the children and teens of L.A., along with artworks created by professional artists like John Paul Thornton, Daniel Wooster, Dover Abrams, Mark Vallen, and photographer Charley Morey.
Painting by John Paul Thornton

The exhibit also has an activist component with an Art March that takes place on Saturday May 22nd. The March begins at 11 am in front of the Lankershim Art Gallery. It will proceed to the North Hollywood Metro station and then travel to the famed Universal City walk. Participants of all ages will form a living, moving art exhibition as they carry their own artworks. The purpose of the Art March is to take art beyond the boundaries of the gallery. The action will be viewed by thousands of L.A. citizens and visiting tourists.

The Artists in Action exhibit is scheduled to open May 4th, and will run until May 29th. An Artist's Reception will be held on May 13th, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The Art March takes place on May 22nd. To participate in the March, contact John Paul Thornton at (818) 378-8381. The Lankershim Art Gallery is located at 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in the NOHO Arts district. Visit their website, at: www.doversart.com/lag
___________________________________________

COMING JULY/AUGUST 2004 "MARK VALLEN - MORE THAN A WITNESS"

More Than A Witness is an upcoming retrospective exhibit at the A Shenere Velt Gallery featuring the artworks of Mark Vallen. The solo show will encompass some thirty years of work by the artist. The exhibition of Vallen's paintings, drawings, and prints could just as easily be called "A brief history of the 20th Century." Known as the advocate of a new social realism, Vallen's thought-provoking artworks confront the public with a myriad of political and social issues.

The A Shenere Velt Gallery of the Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring in Los Angeles will be presenting the Vallen retrospective starting July 12th and running until August 26th., 2004. On August 6th (Hiroshima Day), the artist will give a special lecture and slide presentation at the Gallery on the subject of art activism. More details will be provided as the exhibit draws closer! Visit the Workmen's Circle website, at: www.circlesocal.org
___________________________________________

Mark Vallen's ART FOR A CHANGE website serves as a resource center for Art Activism. It encourages and promotes the creation of artworks that envision a just, peaceful world. Please inform others of this site, and forward this notice to all appropriate lists and individuals. If you wish to be added or removed from the AFC mailing list, or if you'd rather receive a text only version of this mailing... send an e-mail request to vallen@art-for-a-change.com
"I am Goya! I am the voice of war, the charred wood of town... I am the throat of the woman whose hanged body, like a bell, clanged over the empty square... I am Goya!" ~ Andrei Voznesensky (Russian poet)