Awesome Hawaiian Spoken Word Artist Performing in SoCal December 4th

I must confess that spoken word is not necessarily my favorite medium of artistic expression. Bad spoken word is one of the most unfortunate and avoidable forms of pain that can be inflicted on an individual. However, good spoken word is a rare but exhilarating experience. Cleaver and passionate monologue is one of the purest forms of communication. At it's best spoken word is as raw as it gets, and a good poetry performer is amazing to watch because that performer shows a powerful contradictory combination of vulnerability and strength. Jamaica Osorio is a precious talent whose work honors her heritage as a Native Hawaiian.



If you are in Southern California on December 4th you absolutely have to go to her performance. There will be many talented Pacific Islander artists at the event. For more information about the event and to purchase tickets go to: http://www.pieam.org/spokenword Here is the flyer:

Fellow Native Arts and Cultures Awardees

This is the second spotlight on Native American talent that I am doing for the blog in honor of Native Heritage Month. I was recently awarded a grant from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation http://nativeartsandcultures.com as part of the Artistic Innovation – Through the Soul of an Artist initiative. I decided that this week I will highlight just a few of the other individual artists who were also awarded this honor in 2010. This year eight artists were selected, below are just a few. To read more about all the artists from this year's cycle go to http://nativeartsandcultures.com/innovation It is such an honor to be included with this group of amazing talent.


Emily Johnson (Yup'ik)
Emily Johnson is dancer and choreographer whose work often functions as an “installation performance” that combines dance, storytelling vignettes, props, and theater sets. Funding for this project will assist the artist in the development of new work centered on movement, story, and sound housed within an installation of hand-made fish skin lanterns. The project will reach the stage after continued ripening of the piece. You can learn more about her and her work at: http://www.catalystdance.com/





Sonya Kelliher-Combs
Sonya Kelliher-Combs is a visual artist whose work is rooted in painting but is interwoven and influenced by traditional skin sewing and sculptural elements using animal parts. Funding for this project will support work with a master printer and the development of an exhibit. The project will culminate in a retrospective solo exhibit at the International Gallery of Contemporary Native Art in Anchorage. She is also on the board of the Alaska Native Arts Foundation: www.alaskanativearts.org



Ricardo Mendoza

Ricardo Mendoza is a seasoned muralist who follows in the tradition of the great Mexican muralists of the 20th century and the Chicano mural movements of California. Funding for this project will support the development of a large scale portable mural depicting the life of fabled Chemehuevi tribal member popularly known as “Willie Boy”. The project will culminate in the presentation of the mural in Yucca Valley, CA.

Take A Picture with a Real Indian

In celebration of Native American heritage month I will be highlighting the work one Native American artist each week during November. This week's artist is conceptual multimedia installation and performance artist James Luna of Payomkawichum (Luiseño) and Mexican American heritage. The first time I saw his work was when I was in high-school, he had a window installation at 911 Media Arts Center in Seattle, Wa. called Futuristic Native Outfits for Night Raids (and other paraphernalia). It was quite awhile ago, so I don't know if what I remember of the installation is real or just my memory twisting it up, but what I do remember was most certainly my first exposure to contemporary Native American art.

Here is a performance piece by Mr. Luna in observance of Columbus day from a few years ago.

Charles Peterson: VIMBY profile

Considering the legacy of his photography, which includes iconic images of Seattle's rock and roll scene in the early 90's in his photobook Touch Me I'm Sick, or in his latest work documenting the global B-Boy and B-Girl renaissance, Cypher.



Charles Peterson is perhaps not the kind of guy you would expect to meet. He does yoga, his words are thoughtful and measured, the answers to my interview questions were introspective, but not to the point of self-involvement. I really enjoyed the opportunity to sit down and have a pleasant conversation with this man about his work. I think if you take time to look beyond the sometimes frantic nature of his subjects, you can see the serene order that Charles is able to bring to all the chaos.

You can take a look at the finished VIMBY piece here:

VIMBY - Charles Peterson

Concrete Indians Portrait

A few weeks ago I was lucky to have a talented photographer named Nadya Kwandibens take this photo for her series called Concrete Indians.

You can see more of her work and the work in this series at:

Concrete Indians Facebook
Concrete Indians Myspace
Nadya's Flikr

Hotel Max: Art Gallery and Hotel

VIMBY - Hotel Max