LetterToObama

Do What You Gotta Do

M. Liz Andrews — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:48:06 +0000

La Bracera is a show featuring transnational women and was curated by transnational women on view at the Yippie Museum (9 Bleecker Street) in New York City. The exhibitions is presented by AF3IRM, a national organization of women engaged in transnational feminist, anti-imperialist activism. Join the conversation at the closing reception this Sunday, May 6th, 3-6pm. There are many stories.

CRYSTAL CLARITY (Nuyorican)

THOSE WE CARRY | 2012

MELANIE CERVANTES (Xicana)

DOMESTIC WORKERS DEMAND RIGHTS AND RESPECT | 2009

SAMRA GHERMAY (Eritrean)

TEA TIME: A WOMAN POURS TEA FOR VISITORS IN DEFERE, ERITREA | 2010

MADONNA DAVIDOFF (Filipina)

FLYING FAIRY IN BALI | 2012

DONNA CHOI (Korean American)

AM I HOME YET? | 2012

36KOLKS (Jamaican/Jewish)

I CAN TEACH YOU TO FLOW, YOU WILL RISE ON YOUR OWN | 2012

KAREN JOHANA LOPEZ-ACERO (Xicana/Colombian)

LA BRACERA ALTAR

Text painted by Mensen.

CURATORS. STATEMENT.

Co-curator OLIVIA CANLAS said about the show: “Personally, I think all of the members of AF3IRM and the artists who participated chose to be part of La Bracera because we connect with what it means to be transnational.”

Co-curator LEILANI MONTES speaks about the importance of having this exhibition in the East Village of New York City. She said that often shows with women of color are relegated to deep corners of the outer boroughs.

It’s all about borders.

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For the 44th on May 4, 2012 by M. Liz Andrews, Leilani Montes, Olivia Camlas, Crystal Clarity, Melanie Cervantes, Samra Ghermay, Mensen, Madonna Davidoff, Donna Choi, 36 Kolks is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com.
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5(44)6 That’s My Number….

M. Liz Andrews — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:44:03 +0000

OBAMA’S ANGER TRANSLATOR

KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY & JORDAN PEELE

ARTISTS. STATEMENT.

Cool like that….

M. Liz Andrews — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 05:44:56 +0000

Whitney Houston’s Super Bowl performance of the National Anthem was released as a single during the Gulf War and re-released after the attacks of September 11, 2001 as a way to promote patriotism. Just as Houston brought something fresh to a familiar song, Barack Obama made the performance of politics something cool. Artists created products with his likeness and some even imagined him as a hero.

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER

WHITNEY HOUSTON

CAPTAIN AMERICA

WILLIAM MWAZI

ARTIST. STATEMENT.

In A Hero Among Us, Series 2, I explore the heroic image and those who have the power to influence us and make decisions that impact our way of life. In this series, I capture some of the most powerful and influential people in our society, and transform them in to some of the most powerful beings in superhero allegory!! “With great power comes great responsibility.” Excelsior!

ABOUT THE ARTIST

WILLIAM MWAZI was born in Harlem, NY and grew up in Baltimore and primarily Miami. He now lives and works in China where my mother’s family is from. Mwazi holds an MFA in Panting, Drawing and Sculpture from the New York Academy of Art and a BFA in Graphic Design from Pratt Institute. He has exhibited at MoCADA gallery in Brooklyn, NY; Gallery Aferro, Newark, New Jersey; Rush Arts gallery, NY, NY. Mwazi an established history of exhibiting work in various media (paintings, photo art, murals) in NYC and the surrounding areas, as well as in Miami, FL, Italy and China.

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For the 44th on March 4, 2012 by M. Liz Andrews, William Mwazi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com.

Mr. President

M. Liz Andrews — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:00:37 +0000

Dear First Lady Michelle Obama;

“The arts are not just a nice thing to have…” the arts “define who we are as a people.” These words you spoke at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2009 still resonate with me. My name is M. Liz Andrews and I am an artist, curator and director of LetterToObama, a platform presenting “Letters” to the 44^th President through art.

On the 4^th of July in 2009, I mailed a text and image poem, “Sonnet: January 20, 2009” to White House. Since then, I have created art, curated the www.LetterToObama.com monthly publication “For the 44^th on the 4^th,” and produced events in Washington D.C. and New York City.

On November 4, 2012, LetterToObama will present “Live From Chicago.” Precisely four years after President Barack Obama’s historic victory, and two days before the 2012 election, the event will provide a space for political expression beyond ballots.

04 NOV 12 | LIVE FROM CHICAGO | @ 4PM

Your presence is requested,

M. Liz Andrews

Created at the “I Have a Dream” Collage Portraits workshop at the Studio Museum in Harlem with the Laundromat Project.

For the 44th on February 4, 2012 by M. Liz Andrews is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com.
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Are You Ready?

M. Liz Andrews — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:55:47 +0000

As we begin 2012, take a moment to prepare to participate in democracy. Some have already begun to caucus and many of us will go to polling places in November. If you are a United States citizen, please make sure that your are registered to vote. The coming election will certainly be a important one.

HAIKU MEMO #3

Thankful to people…

artists, lawyers, mothers… who

fought so I could vote.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: X O

M. Liz Andrews — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 05:01:16 +0000

On March 4, 2011, I presented “I Am A Man,” a series of twenty text panels by Hank Willis Thomas, as a “book of stamps.” I imagine them situated among the United States Postal Service Black Heritage Stamp Series featuring “notable Black American” stories. Current forty-four cent stamps in the Black Heritage series include a painting of Barbara Jordan and a stylized portrait Oscar Micheaux; both based on photographs. In 1999, a 33¢ stamp with a photograph of controversial political figure Malcolm X was released. The Willis Thomas text stamps convey collective narratives alongside the USPS portraits.

According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, a Cinderella Stamp “looks like a postage stamp, but this imaginary issue is without postal value.” During the 2008 Presidential campaign season, the Shepard Fairey stenciled image of then-Senator Barack Obama, bearing the logo of his Presidential campaign, held great cultural value. The United States Postal Service memorializes figures of the past. A portrait based on a photograph, this iconic blue, red, and white rendition of the Presidential candidate imagined Barack Obama as the history of the future.

Click to view slideshow.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, X O by M. Liz Andrews, Shepard Fairey, Associated Press, United States Postal Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com.

the ashes give air | the air gives ashes

M. Liz Andrews — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:44:31 +0000

Tonight, I watched fireworks boom and burst over Times Square. I was blocks from this New York landmark at a birthday gathering when I saw the words blazed across the bar television screen three years ago tonight. As Angela Davis reminded us when she spoke in New York City on Halloween, this moment* meant much to many. It was about more than a man. That moment* was not so long ago.

CURATOR. STATEMENT.

Future:

One year from today, on November 4, 2012, LetterToObama will present Live From Chicago. It will mark the 4th anniversary of the historic* moment* of Barack Obama’s Presidential victory in 2008. This Election Event will be the third in a series of fo(u)r to take place over the term(s) of Obama’s Presidency as a part of the LetterToObama project.

Present:

On September 11, 2011, LetterToObama presented Live From New York. This was the second LetterToObama event and marked the Tenth Anniversary of the twin tower attacks. The words “the ashes give air, while the air gives us ashes,” were written and performed by George Emilio Sanchez on the 11th of September for this event. The video presented here is documentation of that day.

Past:

On Presidents’ Day, February 21, 2011, LetterToObama presented Live From D.C. This was the inaugural installment in the LetterToObama event series. These events provide a platform for “artistic citizenship.” Each artwork is presented as a “Letter” to the President. The idea is that art is a space and a medium to convey messages and engage democracy beyond ballots.

The ashes give air / The air gives ashes by M. Liz Andrews is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com.

November 4, 2008

M. Liz Andrews — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:30:30 +0000

Three years ago today, the world was tuned in as we waited….

Liberty, of thee I sing…

M. Liz Andrews — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:44:45 +0000

This issue of the Fo(u)r 4 features images of two performance pieces: Lady Liberty and Twin Towers. Patricia Faolli and Raquel Mavecq embodied the collapse of the iconic Towers on the tenth anniversary, September 11, 2011. Ladies Katrina De Wees and Lily Mengesha stood up as moving, breathing statues of (the concept of) Liberty at the same event, LetterToObama: Live From New York.

TWIN TOWERS: PATRICIA FAOLLI & RAQUEL MAVECQ

LADY LIBERTY: KATRINA DE WEES & LILY MENGESHA

Photos by JENNY EOM

CURATOR. STATEMENT.

Performance offers opportunities for people to sculpt bodies into artistic statements. These 44 photographs document the living memorials these four women collaboratively created of themselves.

- M. Liz Andrews

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

KATRINA DE WEES believes the process of generating performance/art is an intrinsic form of liberation, personal spiritual or otherwise. She likes to move, think, write and travel between spaces where she can feel the her/(his)tories in the walls.

PATRICIA FAOLLI é um pequeno animal selvagem from the Concrete Jungles of Brasil. She believes that creation of art comes with experimenting with the Tempo-Espaço surrounding us. She is excited by living in Nova Iorque and ringing conflito, chaos, and questionamento to its inhabitants.

RAQUEL MAVECQ prefers the noise. In São Paulo, Brazil, she was born with her eyes open under a clear sky winter day. She sees art making as a statement for existence and believes that late night local trains can tell secrets. Motion to move and be moved.

LILY MENGESHA is a neo(n)-native and a post-post-colonial tourist. When she’s not spending her time crafting 5-year-olds into revolutionaries, she fills the rest with sequin portraits and words in motion.
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Liberty of thee I sing… by M. Liz Andrews, Jenny Eom, Katrina De Wees, Patricia Faolli, Raquel Macecq, Lily Mengesha is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com.

Fresh

M. Liz Andrews — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 04:04:48 +0000

In this issue of the Fo(u)r 4, Ricardo Gamboa uses parody and satire to directly confront specific policies of the administration. His video demonstrates ways in which art can provide an alternate space for democracy.

THE FRESH PRINCE OF D.C.

RICARDO GAMBOA

ARTIST. STATEMENT.

You are here. At an intersection. An intersection of people with a stage. It is sacred. We often see politicians or priests take stages. The idea is that they have something to say and a certain implied authority or credibility to which we should listen. You are here. A stage. An opportunity to discuss how we can be here — in this world — together and better.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

RICARDO GAMBOA is a prolific theatre and visual artist in his native Chicago. An award-winning actor, director, poet, playwright, and visual artist, Gamboa believes art and media are powerful avenues for social change and dialogue. Gamboa’s talents extend beyond his own stage work as one of the Chicago’s most effective, innovative, and reputed youth and young adult theatre educators.

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04 September 2011 by M. Liz Andrews, Ricardo Gamboa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.LetterToObama.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.LetterToObama.com.
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