Thursday, April 23, 2009

Youth in Arts


Youth in Arts - San Rafael CA, has one of the largest chalk drawing festivals in the world. Each June hundreds of artists, both well know chalk drawers and newbies gather for a weekend to get covered in chalk and made some of the most amazing art ever - and it's temporary, and it for the people. Thousands and thousands of people flock in to watch artists work, listen to music, eat great food, and celebrate the visual arts and this totally unique medium.


Here are some chalk drawings that were created at the festival and at other festivals around the world by artists who hang in the hood.

Clayton Thiel's and my piece from 2007 is the last one. We'll be there this year so put it in your calendar. June 13 & 14.
















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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Last Night


Last night we worked the final edits on our documentary film. Victoria Zorraquin, a young cute 24 year old new to the documentary film world and step kid of a Kevin Footer (who is the original film maker on this project) is leaving town today for France, then? Argentina. So we needed to put some hours in before she left. Kevin will do the last minutes tweaks.

Vic ready to film - I drove!

This is Victoria's first big (small) film experience. She's done an excellent job, she has the obcessive qualities that a true artist needs, and she sticks up for what she believes in which is a quality I admire. She also is young and gives her power away too easily feeling frustrated and saying, "I don't know what to do here, so you just tell me!" Ha... I say, "don't you do that, I want you here/now trying to figure it out with us, this is your training ground, another client might not be so appreciative. Take a brake, get some air, and get back in the seat and let's do it - together!" She also learned Adobe Premiere for this project.

I meet Kevin Footer through the men's group that we are connected to. The East Bay Nation of Men (EBNOM.org). The name doesn't quite say it, we are really a circle of men who support men, families, and communities. I do like the "Nation" thing, I'd call us a United Nation of Men, we are all seperate counteries that make up one body of spirit. Great guys! Our World Record project was partly originated by this group 6 years ago, and the event was primarily produced by these guys - watch the DVD!

Victoria, Kevin, Mark

The first day Kevin came to one of our Sat. monthly morning meeting out in a park, I was there going my best to enroll the guys into helping me (which did take some work - nothing being for free, I had to "enroll" them). I had all these jobs listed for the project written on sticky pads. One said "Documentary Film." Kevin was the one and only guy at that time to reach out and pick one.

Kevin's beautiful and talented wife is a Latin Grammy Nominated Singer - Maria Volonte. She is singing in San Francisco Jazz Festival May 31, 2009 at 2pm.

Maria and Kevin

The Rev. Alexandra "Sasha" Childs also hung out with us to edit the film. Sasha and I meet in art school at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn NY, in the early 80's. She now lives on the island near by and has been an elemental force in the creation of our event last year, but also in the book and film's production. Her sense of design, type, what visually works is unsurpassed in my experience.

Sasha and Cristin Barnes (our brillant dog soilder Project Manager)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Creative Spirit Women





I found these photos on the web, and yes truth be told .... women making art, being creative is a beautiful thing. It combines some very powerful things; sex, art, and spirit. These elements come together and create something larger, a deep pull to and from the human race, an invitation to grow and expand, to evolve, and to celebrate. Blessings!

~M