Frances, Malalai, Chouchou & The Legacy Of Roots.

 

On some days I launch myself forward toward my new project, “Body Is A Guest”, an Art project that is very personal and that only asks for my hand in painting it! Then I watch Frances Crowe wheel into the Roots exhibit gazing at her portrait as she remembers outloud the adventures of Resistance that we have painted into this likeness, and I am reminded that the main objectives of this endeavor lie ahead.

The main objectives are simple: To share the stories of these Women in honor of the work they have done and are doing so they may move, inspire and push us down the paths toward our own change making capabilities, at whatever pace or level they may be.  To raise funds for  these twelve Women Activists and their Organizations so that I am not merely using their images and stories for my own means but sharing and amplifying their voices to help gather funds to continue their Earthshaking, Earthsaving work.

These are the three objectives that remain and I know well that the easiest part of this Project, nine years of painting twelve Portraits is behind me, and the challenge stretches ahead.

The challenge requires me to find venues of all kinds inside and outside of this Community, across New England, where I can share these Portraits, the Women, and their stories. Where I can raise funds for these Women Activists one by one through the sale of our Posters and through kind donations.

This is the hardest part for me, all of this asking, the reminding, the calls for help and support and the new venues that I ask you all to come out for, one more time. Sometimes the challenge of having to call on you again is so much so that I want to give up, but this does does not last long as I am snapped into attention by Malalai Joya’s emails from a bombed Kabul, Frances Crowe’s remembering as she wheels to yet another of the Roots exhibits, Chouchou’s reminder that things in the DR Congo are still so very bad. So Please accept my gratitude for joining this adventure in all of the ways that you are able to.

I have a goal and that goal is just a start. An exhibit for each of the twelve Women and during that exhibit 50% or more of the funds raised through Poster sales and donation will be put into the hands of the Women or those who survive in their stead. Our first two exhibits in Vermont were profoundly successful! We raised significant funds for Bangladeshi Organization BRAC who are aiding the Rohingya refugees fleeing Burma and for fallen leader Berta Cáceres’ organization COPINH. The funds for Berta were actually taken directly to Honduras & COPINH in March by a trusted Activist on the West Coast.

Our current exhibit at the Anchor House Of Artists will end in two weeks and it is for the amazing Afghan Activist Malalai Joya, who is in need of our hearts, our informed attention and of our support. Here is the Anchor House Link in case you would like to visit!

We have yet to secure a venue for our Summer/Fall Fundraiser in support of the Zapatista Women and their new “Women In Struggle” campaign. We are profoundly lucky to have a close connection with the Zapatista Community who will be hand delivering the funds in Chiapas! Now we need only to brainstorm a venue and get feet, faces, hearts and minds in the doors!Thus while all of my instincts are pushing me to quietly duck into my studio for beloved 12 hour painting stints, I will also be pushing myself out toward you and toward new places and possibilities for this project.

So my dear friends, please bear with me in the months ahead as I call out more than I ever want to for your attention, company and support. I send profound gratitude to you in advance for your help in finding venues for this project, whether that be churches, community centers, farmers markets or spaces and venues unimagined across New England.  I send great armfuls of thanks for your help in showing up to the exhibits when you can, and I know so many of you have come to so many! I send endless appreciations for your support of the Women and the project through donations and through purchase of the Posters at shows or at our new Etsy shop! 

You truly must come down to Anchor House and see the beautiful Women bathed in natural light, dancing in the Museum space for the next couple weeks. The show spotlights and supports Malalai Joya and if you cannot get down to the show, you can support her and Roots through our poster sales: Postershop

Big Springtime love out to you all