Los Angeles – William Grant Still Arts Center’s Dragon’s Flight is a six-week exhibition of artwork and action running from October 6 through November 24, introduced by a free one-day community arts festival concert and celebration as the opening event on October 6 from 12 - 6 p.m. The exhibition’s theme is the transformative power of creating art, and its ability to reclaim and re-grow personal identity in the face of negative trauma. The artists curated into the exhibition are specifically people who are or have been incarcerated or work in collaboration with incarcerated artists. The work exhibited is drawn from pieces created both inside prison and on the outside. Exhibition partners include A.D.E.L.A.N.T.E., a transition organization founded by artist Victor Bono (whose work will be featured in the exhibition) which is focused on healing the negative trauma of incarceration; Sheila Pinkel (artist) and Margie Ghiz-Gillies (of Art Release and former founder of Midnight Special Community Bookstore), featuring a collection of artists in solitary detention at the SHU in Pelican Bay; the Youth Justice Coalition, a youth-led movement to challenge race, gender and class inequality in the Los Angeles County juvenile justice system; AK Angels, an incarcerated women’s support group; Critical Resistance LA, a national organization dedicated to opposing the expansion of the prison industrial complex; and the Old Timers, a mentorship and support group for youth and elders. The exhibition is put on in partnership with the generous donations of local organizations, United Neighborhoods Neighborhood Council and Mid-City Neighborhood Council.
The exhibition opening will take the form of a free one-day community arts festival concert and celebration that will showcase musicians and a variety of community organizations in support of the opening of Dragon’s Flight.
Exhibited artists are Victor Bono, James “Doc” Holiday, Amanda Perez, KUSH, Oran Oshune Huston, Katrina Amaya, Leonard Dixon, a multi-generational Oral History Documentary project initiated by John Martinez which gives cameras to youth to document and discuss elders’ experiences, Sheila Pinkel, Jack L. Morris, David Earl Williams, Diane Fellman, Youth Justice Coalition, Sharing Our Stitches (SOS)/Women of CIW, murals by AISE and more. Live music, community information tables from exhibition partners and related service organizations, arts workshops and other family-friendly activities will take place to launch the exhibition.
PROGRAM EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Dragon’s Flight
Opening Reception, Saturday October 6, 2012 12:00 pm -6:00 pm
Dates: October 6 – November 24, 2012
Times: Tuesday - Saturday, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Events: Concert & Resource Fair
Performances by
Kamau Daood, Chicano Son, Marcus L. Miller World Drum Ensemble, Rifleman
DJ Ern Medina of Soul Assassins Radio
Hosted by MC VerBS
Also presentations by grass roots organizations working on issues of incarceration
Live silk-screening by Dewey Tafoya
Saturday October 6, 2012 12 – 6 pm
STAINED
A performance by Patrisse Marie Cullors
October 20, 2012 2-4 pm
Dia De Los Muertos Art Workshop
Lead by artists Cheryl Williams and Raul Baltazar
November 3, 2012 2-4 pm
Panel Discussion
More info TBA
November 10, 2012 2-4 pm
Health and Wellness Fair
More info TBA
November 17, 2012 11 am-1 pm
Location: William Grant Still Arts Center
2520 South West View Street
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Cost: Free
