THE BUZZ OF ONE CITY ONE PRIDE

The cast of Stuart Timmons' City of West Hollywood LGBTQ History Mobile Tour on June 6

Feeling such an immense wave of heartfelt gratitude for the City of West Hollywood's One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival. Not quite a third of the way through the 40 days and I have been so moved by the variety of events with the primary theme of “WeHo@30” (it was incorporated as a city on Nov 29, 1984 with the first elected majority gay city council and lesbian mayor) and additional theme of exploring how the AIDS crisis forever impacted our history and has yet to receive the attention and respect it deserves in the art world with “Art AIDS America”. 

Helping to work with gay historian Stuart Timmons and a truly amazing cast and crew on bringing his historic tour of West Hollywood to fruition yesterday has moved me in ways beyond my ability to fully describe in a singular post, but I had to at least share some of this:

The intricate tapestry of life is taking on a fascinating glow, putting me into an even deeper reverent awe.  These moments have been coming more and more and I feel blessed to have shared experiences with many wonderful people over my 17 years in the Los Angeles area , whom I love, respect, and admire. Then there are those I never met but who move me so from their bold actions in the past and by getting to read about and/or share their stories, or have multimedia experiences about, which educate me as to their life and impact. So much to share…lots of thanks and credits to give, but for now…these are the words I share. Now on to dive into more of the festival events…

Performance artist & friend Yozmit delivers a stunning walk through the West Hollywood Library at the exhibition opening of "Art AIDS America"

A few quick snapshots from Stuart Timmons' Tour...more to come

Thanks to Cake & Art for providing beautiful and delicious cakes for the reception.

ENCORE! A bit more about Cavafy's Relevance

Well, the creative honey continues to flow - as is appropriate in the blossoming springtime of May.

Cavafy's Caress had an encore presentation in Long Beach at the Affinity Gallery - May 7th at 6pm. As noted in many recent blogs it is an intimate exploration into the world and words of the remarkable poet who lived in Alexandria, Egypt most of his life from 1863-1933. Much of Cavafy's poetry is rich with the concepts of history, memory, and longing - as if the grand city itself, once home of the famed Ancient Library of Alexandria, infused its soul into his work. He was sensitive to the past greatness and reveled in moving among both the cities most vibrant and bustling areas, along with its cracked ruins and most seedy nieghborhoods. All of it comes through in ways that resonate with today's modern world: full of beauty and hope, chaos and uncertainty.

I had no idea going into this project just how deeply I would fall in love with his words. I've been intoxicated by the profound meaning he executes so elegantly. In many ways I feel a sense of relationship to him. One of those is that I have lived in the Los Angeles neighborhood of MacArthur Park for the past 6 years. While no Alexandria, it was once one of the most opulent and wealthy parts of the city, but after WWII and the overpowering force of cars spread people out, it collapsed. For a period of time gangs, drugs, and poverty reigned, but in recent years a revitalization has occurred that is still not fully realized, but yearning for it. I've documented my own exploration of the neighborhood for years and look forward to sharing more insights of its fascinating dichotomy.

A view of downtown LA from a hillside in MacArthur Park

It seems that Cavafy's works resonates with everyone in remarkable ways. Young and old, male and female, and of all sexual preferences enjoy the production. It is truly universal work. There is a reason why Jackie Onassis requested that one of Cavafy's greatest poems "Ithaka" be spoken at her funeral - because it captures a whole lifetime of experience and advice so elegantly. There is a reason that other respected writers, like EM Forster, WH Auden, Christopher Isherwood, and Gore Vidal, hold Cavafy's work in high esteem and praise. I have been graced by some beautiful comments from those who attended the original production and were equally moved by his works and the way the production presents them. You can read about them at the following link:
http://www.arttoartpalettejournal.com/2011/05/performing-arts-theatre/

I am ever so grateful to Tony Clark of the Affinity Galleries and Stathis Orphanos, whose book and exhibition "My Cavafy" (with original photographs side by side with corresponding poetry by Cavafy) sparked this journey. I find myself excited by the opportunity to share this fantastic poet with more and more people as I continue my own exploration of the art of life. Having a guide and inspiration like dear Constantine has been such an unexpected, but most welcome blessing in my life at this time. I'm learning a lot from him, and it feels so good to focus on some one as remarkable as him and weave his essence into my own journey.

MUCH MORE TO COME!

CPARS Part 2: The VALENTINE PEACE PROJECT

Federico Hewson in Amsterdam on Feb. 14, 2010

Holidays are moments filled with all manner of ceremony and traditions passed on for generations. Since talking last week a bit about Contemporary Performance Art Rituals and the fact Valentine’s Day is close at hand, I thought it would be great to focus on how one individual, Federico Hewson, is leading the cause to redefine (and ReBegin) the way we perceive the tradition of giving out flowers on that special day (and others) with his non-profit initiative, The Valentine Peace Project (The VPP).

Imagine walking down the street and suddenly coming upon a group of people passing out free Fair Trade produced flowers. Attached to the stem is a refreshing poem about world or inner peace that was written by school children or famous authors submitted to The VPP website. It isn’t about forcing a religious perspective, but about raising awareness of peace, conscious practices, and Fair Trade products. I love it for it’s simple, refreshing take on a ritual that has been mass marketed as a romantic event and excuse for selling sugar and flowers that leave a massive carbon footprint.

Federico and a happy flower recipient in Amsterdam 2009

I’ve participated in handing out the flowers on many occasions since its beginning, and the response from people can be so amazing. I’ve had several experiences where the receiver of the flower was filled with joy by the receipt of the flower, or was moved to tears by the poem. One lady gave me a hug because she had never received a flower on Valentine’s day before. Being a giver of flowers is so rewarding, and there is definitely an energy transfer that takes place as you hand out flowers imbued with messages of peace. In time, with enough people participating in this new type of Contemporary Performance Art Ritual, it could bring about a real transformation in our relationship to peace.

with Rochelle Palkowitz at the Downtown LA Art Walk on Feb 14, 2008

Federico shares the following about his labor of love:

The Valentine Peace Project started as a community project in 2005 to open up the definition of February 14 as a day to not only celebrate romantic love - but love in all its many faces - friendship, basic human connection and community, and to underline the work of peace building.  Love and peace is normally a cliche 60s slogan - but what does love mean outside of romance and next to spiritual practice?  Where is peace in our relationships, in our hearts, and where can we locate it in a global community still plagued by deadly violence?

Moving into the 21st century the Project is now evolving into a social enterprise to be a vehicle for many of our 'symbols of love' to 'work for peace' via products or gifts of love giving to conflict resolution on many levels - a business with a social development goal.

But this is about The VPP as a performance ritual - a ritual that started by writing a poem or message of peace - rolling it into a scroll and giving it away or wrapping it around a flower to handout on the streets.  With thousands of Fair Trade roses donated in the Netherlands together with thousands of poems the city of Amsterdam has been and will be blanketed February 14 in citywide peace performance art with individuals making cards, passing out flower poems, performing music and folding origami to leave on cafe seats or hand out to tourists.  

Children participating in Peace Education project in Amsterdam 2009  that includes putting the poems on flowers before handing them out

"Make something beautiful and give it away.  Energize, underline and help manifest the true integrity of love."

Flowers, poems, cards, thoughts of peace - tied with a ribbon or wrapped around flowers or chocolate or shared virtually - these have been the rituals of the Valentine Peace Project for five years now- reflecting, promoting and acting upon the work of love and the promise of peace in today's connecting world.


SO…Take action - write or find a favorite poem on love and pass it around this February- and check out the website  at www.ValentinePeaceProject.org to become involved!

More pictures of The Valentine Peace Project in action can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/geminirise

while singing a song of peace during "Love & P's"party at the Pollination Pavilion on Feb 14, 2010

Shakuntala & Kuva look great with flowers at the Downtown LA ArtWalk on Feb. 14, 2008

Rochelle is one happy woman who loves to pass out flowers for peace!

CPARS Part 1- Contemporary Performance Art Rituals - Clean Square

Performance Art: an unconventional form of theatrical performance that can occur using a variety of media, anywhere, anytime, and for any length of time
Ritual: a state or condition characterized by the presence of established procedure or routine

Performance Art Rituals are an ancient art form, connected with the power of community gathering, prayer and ceremony. Think about Native American Rain Dances, African Warrior Dances, Catholic Mass, Jewish Seders, and Weddings as a few examples and the deeply rooted cultural roles they play. There is a certain type of sacred power that performing such rituals contain, an energy that comes from a traditional routine passed along for generations. Some new age practitioners and scientists are even looking into the energy fields that are created over time by the repetition of such events, but more on that another time.

Contemporary Western life contains "minor" forms of performance art rituals: one could see a morning cup of coffee while reading the paper or the attendance of an annual sport or theatrical event (like the Super Bowl or Nutcracker) as types of it. Today marks the 2nd Anniversary of the historic Presidential inauguration, which is a good example of one. It was indeed an event attended by a large number of people, involving various performances and a traditional practice passed down for many generations (the swearing in, among other elements). I feel that creating personalized performance art rituals in your life is a great way to manifest more vital creative energy. 

Clean Square from Jason Jenn on Vimeo.


For me personally,  today also marks the 2nd Anniversary of the collaborative creation of my own contemporary performance art ritual: the Clean Square Project - created on a busy urban sidewalk just three blocks away from my loft in MacArthur Park. It was performed at the same time as the inauguration as a symbolic gesture of cleaning up the energy of the past administration and paving the way for a new reality. I really love the message and visuals this project conveyed, and while I looked forward to the creation of many more, some unfortunate issues prevented it from happening. Still, I happily share this footage as an example of what is possible with Contemporary Performance Art Ritual and hope that someday soon it may be revived by its collaborator.

Click picture for larger view