...and Counting:

http://wafaabilal.com/html/andCounting.php
Wafaa Bilal's brother Haji was killed by a missile at a checkpoint in their hometown of Kufa, Iraq in 2004. Bilal feels the pain of both American and Iraqi families who’ve lost loved ones in the war, but the deaths of Iraqis like his brother are largely invisible to the American public.…and Counting addresses this double standard as Bilal turns his own body – in a 24-hour live performance -- into a canvas, his back tattooed with a borderless map of Iraq covered with one dot for

each Iraqi and American casualty near the cities where they fell.

Telling Stories

I hear a lot of good stories. And I had the idea to tape them and put them in a slideshow format like a beautiful piece that I saw on the New York Times website. Somehow I didn't realize how much I am not like the New York Times - in terms of knowledge, know-how,  resources, equipment...

Barbara is a friend of mine, nearly 35 years my senior. She has shown me a different way of  "growing up" than I knew was possible. And she achieves a lot through the art of storytelling.

Here Barbara tells me about the purple lady, an artist and character who impacted her life.

http://hosting.soundslides.com/mkv9v/

May was Mental Health Month

I may need all of June to recuperate! I had a garage sale/fundraiser for Firewalkers. Then we hosted a Wellness Expo with On Our Own on the 20th. I put out a little art group leaders guide book. We applied for grants because our money runs out in July. Then the VOCAL conference and all that brings. In my case it brought a crown making workshop, among other festivities. Here are some pictures:

I had all of my usual art supplies and together we made crowns. At the end we had an official crowning ceremony where we took on a title, such as Princess of Faith, Queen of Books and King of Jews (this one caught me off guard!).

Being an activist can be draining and I'm not even much of an activist! Happy to have this time to play...

What have ya'll been up to?

Firewalkers in the East Village

If you happen to be in NYC tomorrow....

I'm presenting the book "Firewalkers: Madness, Mystery and Beauty" and some dialogue about what this thing we call "mental illness' even is...

 “Firewalkers: Rethinking Mental Illness”


Bluestockings Bookstore, 172 Allen St. New York, NY 10002 212.777.6028
...
Friday, April 1st @ 7PM - $5 Suggested

www.thefirebook.org

Altered Books

Here is some of the work done by a group of 12 in an hour and a half class. It was a first time experience for all, even though some of the people felt very comfortable about their artistic abilities.

I was really pleased at how everyone dove in and I was impressed with the results! I love how we all start with the same materials and the finished products are so very different.

Great audio peice in the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/09/16/health/healthguide/te_schizophrenia.html

In other news, I am going to be on public radio talking about what it is like to break down, why we need a variety of services (and quick access to them) and why it matters.

AND this coming Saturday is art group at the VOCAL office 11:30 until 1:30. malaina@vocalvirginia.org for more info.

Love this magazine!

http://www.mulemagazine.com/

Worth a peek for a job well done!

Collage Crush

http://www.salaczar.com/collage.html

David Wallace. Love this.


Two facts - I am exhausted and I love these collages.

New Blog to Follow

http://www.coriberg.blogspot.com/

The blog of artist Cori Berg. My sister in Cyberspace whom I just met.

FRIENDS IN HEALING

Join us! We are a healing support community, where you will find connection and laughter, but most of all support in our troubles. We work toward being defined, not by our challenges, but by our strength, knowing that only together can we become better than we are today. Our chat room is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and we have members from all over the world. 

JR, French artist, wins humanitarian award

 

http://jr-art.net/

Quasi legal street art - images of the poor on the grand scale - a desire for the art to speak, not the celebrity

"Winning such a prize is a consecration for JR and a headache. He was refusing to give media interviews yesterday because he regards celebrity as an obstacle, even a threat, to his work"