Tag: Niborama

Know Your Rights! Cre8tive YouTH*ink and Tania Bruguera’s Immigration Movement International

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Story by Alicia Prieto and Mista Oh! – Photos by Nibor, Tashonna and Mista Oh! Know Your Rights by the Clash

Cre8tive YouTH*ink commemorated May Day 2011 in Corona, Queens with Cuban-artist Tania Bruguera on Make A Movement Sunday.

]Immigrant Movement International is an artwork and a social movement by Tania Bruguera and presented with support from Creative Time and Queens Museum of Art.

Last January Tania Bruguera moved to Corona, Queens,  in order to explore the conditions facing immigrants and their political representation. Her goal for this project: to meaningfully engage the community in building coalitions of people and organizations invested in redefining how immigrants and immigration are treated worldwide!

Alicia, Tashonna, and Tineal, along with Nibor and Mista Oh!, gathered with members of the community at Immigrant Movement International’s headquarters in Queens, at 10:30am for a DIY workshop to make pro-immigrant buttons, posters, and silkscreened t-shirts in support of The Rally for Immigrant and Labor Rights at Foley Square scheduled for later in the day.

After a hot lunch was served and water bottles distributed, the group, drums-a-beating, and proudly displaying their pro-immigrant slogans, colorful posters, buttons and t-shirts, boarded the 7 train towards Manhattan.

In the subway uring the ride downtown, Bruguera led the group in a “Mobile Workshop in Public Space”.  Talking with strap-hangers on the train, we told them about our immigration stories and invited them to tell us about their own. We also gave out immigrant-made stickers from the members of the QMA’s New New Yorkers program. Working our way downtown, with a transfer at Grand central Station, we arrived at Foley Square to find the rally already in full swing.

Writes Alicia P. from cre8tive YouTH*ink,  “…the place (Immigration Movement International storefront headquarters) was small and the vibe was positive. I’ve always viewed political movements as angry, heated things – and that’s what I expected. Instead, here I saw see people working together – quietly talking, and making posters. The many kinds of different people involved, reminded me of how immigrant rights issues affect everybody.

During the workshop, and the ride on the “7” train to the Rally, I talked to immigrants from Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Italy, Jamaica, and Mexico. I concluded that there is absolutely nothing that differentiates the needs of one immigrant group from another. We are all equally underrepresented and condemned for our drive to thrive in America as an American.

This day confirmed for me that everybody has something to offer us, and that I welcome and celebrate the diversity around me. Through mixing arts with politics, we can organize and unite people around common goals, and that we can all do something for us – all of us. Maybe that’s what the “us” in United States really means. — alicia p.


One Love – Mista Oh!

You Gotta Be in It to Win It

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Mista Oh! is pleased to announce cre8tive YouTH*ink’s selection as a local partner by The Alliance for Artists and Writers to host tours and raise awareness of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Below is a slide show of some of this year’s Gold medal winners. 

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Images courtesy of the Artist and The Alliance for Artists & Writers.

Teens in grades 7 through 12 apply in 30 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published on a national stage. This award recognizes boasts a noteworthy roster of past winners, including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates, and great friend of the Gallery Club – Tom Otterness.

This year, the Alliance has selected cre8tive YouTH*ink to bring the program to our local communities. To that end, on Tuesday June 14, 2011, Los Galeristas Adolescentes will host school group tours of the ART.WRITE.NOW. National Exhibition from 12:00-4:00pm (see the calendar of events here).

Cre8tive YouTH*ink interns will host student groups on a guided tour of work submitted for the competition by their same-age peers. Our guides will explain how the Alliance supports young artists and writers, and explain how kids can apply for next year’s competition. Then they’ll lead a fun hands-on activity.

Mista Oh! hopes that cre8tive YouTH*ink’s involvement with the Alliance will serve to to also raise awareness of the problems that contribute to low reading levels throughout our public-school system. We’re ready to help inner-city kids to prepare their own entries for next year’s competition.

Cre8tive YouTH*ink hosted and led group tours will be held on Tuesday June 14 from 12noon – 4pm. Tours are currently booked to capacity. To schedule a different group visit of the exhibition, please contact Nora Gomez at ngomez@artandwriting.org.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
ART.WRITE.NOW. National Exhibition
World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery
220 Vesey Street New York, NY
Click here to view map and find directions

One Love – Mista Oh!

“This is Our Revenge”: Tim Rollins and K.O.S.

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Mista Oh!, Nibor, and cre8tive YouTH*ink’s Nick Frizalone met up with Tim Rollins, K.O.S. member Angel Abreu, and Tang Curator Ian Berry at an exhibition of new work at the Lehmann Maupin Gallery.

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In the early ’80s, Rollins began to encourage his students to read through the exploration and making of art. A group of them eventually become known as the Kids of Survival (K.O.S.).  Already tracked into special education programs, and written off by the school system, the Kids of Survival challenged the status quo, and, working with Rollins, created new possibilities and a new cultural and social currency for themselves – defiantly proclaiming “this is our revenge.”

During our walk-through of the exhibition with Tom, Angel, and Ian, we talked about the significance of creating  structures where there can be no failure – starting from scratch – including K.O.S. making their own paint. The biggest tool an artist has in the studio, as Tim put it, is the garbage can.

We learned about the various metaphors in K.O.S.’ work – the collaborative process being like a pick-up basketball game – The Tang’s role as teaching museum and its focus on unique artist stories that have yet to be told, and  Ian’s perspective and role as the curator.

When I started my first SPARK BklynArts after-school mural project, I thought about how and why people come to art, and very specifically, about Tim Rollins and the Kids of Survival whose work with marginalized kids, was inspiring. Imagine then, how  super-pleased I was to discover that K.O.S. members are still actively involved with each other, collaborating on new work.

It made me think of Monique, Tashonna, and Tineal – who just yesterday returned to the fold, signing up as cre8tive YouTH*ink interns, giggling endlessly over the possibilities with me, as we plotted our next adventure. Maybe we’re on to something!

All photos by Mista Oh! – courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin Gallery

One Love – Mista Oh!