EXTRAnews.NET - April 2009

[Disclaimer: The following is an archive of content that was originally on another website/printed magazine. Originally in the APRIL 2009 issue of EXTRA NEWS - see www.extranews.net for the original archive.]
Opportunity to Make Global Connections
The 2nd Annual Global Activism Expo takes place

by Adriana Gallardo

Chicago Public Radio's, Worldview has transformed a weekly segment on their daily show into one of the largest gatherings of international activism in Chicago.

On April 25, over 100 local Global Activists will come together at the second annual expo hosted at Northeastern Illinois University.

For the last six years, the Global Activism series, which airs every Thursday at noon, has highlighted the exceptional initiative of locals taking on issues outside our borders such as access to medical treatment, women's global education, the development of fair trade markets and after-school programs in developing countries.

Jerome McDonnell, host of Worldview and the expo encourages those who are not involved in global activism to join the expo and discover the individuals behind the projects presented on the show.

"People always tell me that the Global Activists inspire them to think they can make a difference too, anybody who comes will see it's actually people just like them that are overcoming some of the world's greatest challenges," McDonnell said.

The projects featured on Worldview move beyond the targeted relief programs that most are familiar with. Dozens of organizations working in Latin America that have been featured over the years include: medical work with rural communities in Bolivia, hospices and orphanages in Haiti, leprosy clinics in Equator and vocational opportunities for the deaf in Nicaragua.

Aasia Mohammad, U.S. Coordinator for the Chiapas Media Project participated in the first Global Activism expo and found that the gathering allowed her to connect with fellow activist in new ways.

"I am looking forward to coming back. I appreciate the opportunity to request and add friends in the organizing community without the Internet. The Global Activism expo is a colorful way to link our energies for creating a stronger social fabric," Mohammad said.

The expo will feature local food vendors from authentic ethnic restaurants and a performance curated by Lethal Poetry, Inc.

"Working with Chicago Public Radio and Worldview is a blessing - it's rare to work with a media source that so consistently tries to service the community through its programming. This is important to us because Lethal Poetry is a mission-based company," added Mojdeh, president and curator for the local arts and entertainment company.

In the theme of Global Activism, Mojdeh focused the lineup at the expo to include Chicago artist and musicians who are either activists through their music or represent global communities in the city. Some of the featured acts are Guerra Freitas (Angolan music), Son Del Viento (Son Jarocho music), Rebel Root Music (Reggae music) and Ogundamasa (Afro-Cuban music).

McDonnell sees the expo as a rallying point for the Chicago community and an extension of what media can do for people.

"It reminds us of the power of broadcasting to make a contribution to people lives here and around the world," he said.

Discussion groups and presentations by the Global Activist will also be held in the classrooms at Northeastern University.

Adriana Gallardo works as a production assistant for Worldview, which airs on 91.5 fm WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio, Monday through Friday at 12 p.m.; Monday through Thursday at 9 p.m.

Global Activism Expo 2009
Northeastern University: Sports Complex
April 25
Noon to 6 p.m.
chicagopublicradio.org/expo

Editorial
by Adriana Gallardo

[see original image archive of the article below]

www.lethalpoetry.com

TIME OUT CHICAGO - August 2008

[Disclaimer: The following is an archive of content that was originally on another website. Originally posted August 2008 - This is an excerpt of a feature in anticipation of Art On Track 2009. - to visit the original post click here. Please be aware that some press/posts do expire.]

Ideals on wheels

Art on Track curates an El of a show.

By Lauren Weinberg

OFFICE FACE Don’t be fooled by the suits: Stoakley, left, and Hummel, right, hope their entrepreneurial skills will help local artists.

Photo: Liberty Harring

Even the most jaded CTA riders may be shocked when an art gallery rolls into the Adams/Wabash El stop on Saturday 30. “Art on Track” will fill an entire Orange Line train with work by emerging local artists. As the eight-car train circles the Loop from 6–10pm—skipping most of its usual route to Midway—its curators hope the project introduces a new audience to the Chicago art world.

Tristan Hummel, 21, a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, came up with the idea for “Art on Track” three years ago. After reading an interview with a director who rented an El train for a film, he learned that anyone can charter a train (except during rush hours) for a fee of $1,200 or more, depending on the size of the event. Hummel won’t say how much “Art on Track” cost. “It’s not as bad as you’d think, but I had to take out a sizable personal loan from the bank,” he admits.

The CTA readily gave Hummel permission to rent a train in order to fill it with art—once he agreed to show works that would be appropriate for all audiences. “Art on Track” faces other unusual constraints, since it can only display pieces that won’t pose a safety hazard on a moving train. Participating artists are making creative use of suction cups and Velcro, and Hummel explains that none of the art is very heavy: “A lot of it is prints.” Everything will be for sale, but collectors must pick up their purchases after the mobile show ends because a Chicago Transit Board ordinance prohibits the sale of merchandise on board.

Hummel coordinated “Art on Track” through Salvo, an arts and entertainment company he founded last fall, and his classmate Scott Footer collaborated on the early stages of the project. (Footer left this summer to pursue his own artwork.) During the last several months, Salvo has received curatorial assistance from Lethal Poetry, a local arts-management company that specializes in socially responsible projects. Cofounder Mojdeh Stoakley, 21, a recent SAIC alum, says she found many of the featured artists through her alma mater.

Six of the eight “Art on Track” train cars will highlight artists from the Colibri Studio Gallery in Pilsen; the Flat Iron Artists’ Association based in Wicker Park’s Flat Iron Arts Building; Quennect 4, a multiuse art space in Humboldt Park; the North Side’s Peter Jones Studio/Gallery; and the Silver Room, a Wicker Park jewelry boutique. The other two cars, one of which was curated by SAIC student Becky Pfluger and the other by Hummel, present young, local artists not affiliated with any galleries or organizations. Hummel notes, however, that Aldo Castillo submitted an installation from his gallery: Cuban-born artist Antuan’s Izquierda o Derecha. Don’t take out your frustrations on this set of red punching bags, suspended from the ceiling, which are printed with the faces of politicians such as President George W. Bush and Senators Barack Obama and John McCain: Volunteers will ride in each car to discuss the art on board and “ensure its safety.”

Stoakley acknowledges that “Art on Track” is a “stunt”; Salvo and Lethal Poetry were founded on the premise that advertising and marketing techniques can be turned to artists’ advantage. Despite her youth—and her colleagues’—Stoakley insists, “[We have] a lot of power to be entrepreneurs, to create a new path or community for artists if we want.”

Admission to “Art on Track” is $5; patrons’ CTA fares will be waived.

[see original screen shot archive below]


www.lethalpoetry.com
www.themojdehproject.com