Hey Everyone,

Just a quick update with some very important news.

1) The ESSENCE for February is cancelled. We are very happy that our host, Parafernalia got a big job so they will not be available. But, this means no art walk after-party this month. There is so much going on this weekend, though, so get out and enjoy it!

2) Do not forget our upcoming erotic fundraising party at MI-VI on February 19th! Entry is free before midnight, just tell them you are there for Erotique. They are donating a portion of each book to Life Is Art to help us continue our mission. This is a beautiful coffee table book filled with awesome art. The hardcover is $59.95 and softcover is $39.95. Info here
http://www.soulofmiami.org/2010/02/04/la-fete-erotique-at-mi-vi-nightclub-the-worlds-greatest-erotic-art-of-today-release-party-and-fundraiser-21910

3) The Miami Heat Life Is Art fundraiser is just over a month away! Tickets to the Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers are only $20.00 and part of that goes to our mission to support the south Florida arts. This is expected to be a sell out crowd, so please get your tickets soon! Tell your friends, family, and co-workers. A very fun and inexpensive way to support your arts.
http://www.lifeisartfest.org/blog/heat

4) The Knight Arts Challenge is coming soon. If you do not know what this is, we will be posting all of the information as soon as it is available. Start thinking of ideas that you want funded!

Thank you,
James Echols
Co-founder
Life Is Art, Inc.
www.lifeisartfest.org

The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs asked us to help them spread the word about their new communications policy. Please read below for further information.

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Greetings from the Division of Cultural Affairs! I am writing today in hopes of reaching more members of your organization via email. We make important Division announcements available in several ways: through press releases and news items on the Division Web site, via email through the Patron Mail service, and through our program managers. We know this is an effective way to reach some staff members in your organization, and I hope that you will help us share more information with more people by forwarding this message to your colleagues within your organization.
As we continue to increase our communication through e-blasts and electronic newsletters, I hope you will encourage others to join the Division’s electronic mailing list for news, information, webinar announcements, and more. I am also working to have more conversation on the Division’s Facebook page. I hope you’ll become a fan and join the conversation there. You might also find our news feed helpful.
Please contact me if you have questions about the Division’s information services. I am always glad to help!
Very best regards,
Jennifer Hoesing
Public Information Specialist
Florida Division of Cultural Affairs
850.245.6462
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Received this call for help from Bibi Andrade. It is originally from the Wallflower Gallery. For those that do not know, the Wallflower has been an alternative culture bastion for the past 13 years in downtown Miami. They are in danger of closing down permanently, if something is not done. The building is being torn down and they need to move. They are having an organizational meeting on February 1, 2010. If you can help, please do what you can.

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The Wallflower Gallery Organizational Meeting 02-01-10
WE NEED TO MOVE!!

Hello, Everybody, how’s it going? I wanted to reach out and see what we can do together to save and revitalize The Wallflower Gallery. This is a group project, so if we want to have an artistic and creative community space in Miami, The Wallflower Gallery can be that platform.

I was recently informed by the landlord that he plans to tear down the building as soon as possible – he mentioned April, but I think we can delay it if we can get some money to him. This money will buy us the time to transition smoothly.

For almost 13 years, The Wallflower Gallery has stood as a place for musicians to play, for poets to share their poems, for visual artists to display their pieces, for independent film makers to showcase films and videos, for actors to act, as well as host a larger assortment of creative showcases. In addition, we have worked with a variety of community organizations to help with local issues, programs for young people, alternative transportation, animal rights, environmental causes, marijuana laws reform, secular humanism, electoral campaigns and many other causes. Even now as we are struggling to keep the business alive, we are giving support to the people of Haiti and we have hosted a collection event – overall it is about compassion. Now it is time to focus a campaign on The Wallflower Gallery.

I am calling for an Organizational Meeting on Monday, February 1 – 7:00 p.m. to discuss what we can do to bring ideas together. I will lay out the details of the situation and see what we as a group can do with suggestions. Bring your cash, checkbooks and credit cards to contribute some financial support. Donations can also go through PayPal on our website – www.wallflowergallery.com – other information will be posted there as well. If we don’t get the financial resources to make this happen, it won’t work.

Now the large task at hand is to generate money to cover the expenses in the current location and find a new location that will have to be set up to meet the needs of the business. In addition, there needs to be an accounting of the inventory and make sure that the items get back to the various artists and any balances due are covered.

I would like to take this opportunity to change the current dynamics. We need to create an active Board of Directors who can work together to organize the various aspects of The Wallflower Gallery and establish a better system to manage the whole operation. Part of this includes establishing a non-profit organization to work with tax-deductible donations.

The Wallflower Gallery brings to the table a strong talent base, a hefty database of connections, a good reputation, lots of experience and a kick-ass sound system. This is the starting point for the new phase of The Wallflower Gallery.

If The Wallflower Gallery fades, there is not another business of its kind waiting in the wings. We are not a simple CD store, art gallery, coffee shop or venue. We are more than those elements and as a community center we have always reached out to younger people to include them and feature their talents.

We have had people from all over the world come to The Wallflower Gallery and remark how unique and cozy the space is. People are always saying that there is nothing in Miami like it. At the same time, they wish they had a place like this where they lived.

This is our opportunity to come together and make something happen that will enrich our community in many ways. We are here to represent South Florida and our creative and progressive spirits, so let’s make it happen!

Let’s see what we can do together. More information will follow.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Thank you for your effort.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD & GET OTHERS INVOLVED!!
Hope all’s well.
Enjoy
Flash Funk Finder
The Wallflower Gallery
10 N.E. 3rd Street Downtown Miami 33132
305-579-0069
www.wallflowergallery.com
www.myspace.com/wallflowergallery
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We received this very moving information about how one local art studio is responding to the Haiti emergency. If you can help, the contact info is below.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2010
Contact: Beth Degi, Art Studio Miami
Phone: (301) 448-8701
Email: Beth@ArtStudioMiami.org

PRESS RELEASE
Little Haiti Based Non-Profit Responds to Meek’s Call for Leadership
Art Studio Miami Increasing Capacity to Serve Youth Impacted by Haiti Earthquake

January 22, 2010, Miami, FL- Little Haiti based Art Studio Miami (ASM) is ramping up volunteer efforts in response to the anticipated influx of refugee children pouring into Miami from earthquake ravaged Haiti. ASM annually serves approximately 200 youth from the impoverished area of Little Haiti, and staff expect demand to increase dramatically in the coming months as children orphaned by the earthquake arrive in South Florida.

Kendrick Meek (D-FL) addressed news crews on Tuesday at the City of Miami’s staging area for Haiti relief, located directly across the street from ASM. Meek called for local organizations to provide leadership and support during the long period of rebuilding.

“South Florida is in this for the long haul; this will be the center for the recovery. . . and we are going to need leadership and understanding,” said Meek.

In response to Meek’s appeal, ASM volunteers and staff have begun working around the clock to prepare for additional students in the coming months. An army volunteer teaching artists and administrators have stepped up to provide holistic programming that will allow children impacted by the disaster to express their feelings through creative projects that prepare them for academic success.

“We must provide safe spaces where youth can heal and build solid foundations for better lives,” said Art Studio Miami Founder and lead volunteer, Rachel Hughes.

Since 2007, ASM has served over 500 youth from Little Haiti and Overtown using creative, art based projects to nurture students’ creative thinking abilities and prepare them for classroom settings and job situations. The organization partners with professional artists and community leaders to provide students with mentors and concrete tools to remain in school, and gain stable employment after graduation. Programs incorporate yoga, meditation, and deep breathing to help student’s develop positive ways to address the distressing living situations they face daily.

“In the wake of this disaster, people are forgetting that many Haitian people who have already immigrated to Miami are in desperately impoverished conditions, living below the poverty level, which in several cases means homelessness, no running water, and little to no food or water,” said Hughes.

According to Hughes, many of the youth served at ASM are struggling to obtain an education due to language barriers and health issues from lack of water, food and clean living conditions.

Hughes is calling on the Miami business and philanthropic communities to provide financial support and supplies for youth being served at Art Studio Miami. Donations of non perishable food, bottled water, and funding are being accepted to offset the costs of increasing programming. Donations can be made starting Monday at www.ASMHelpLittleHaiti.org or by calling the ASM office at 786-317-8118.

ASM volunteers are also on the ground in Haiti. A team of ASM volunteers left for Port-au-Prince early Tuesday morning to assisting directly with the relief efforts on the ground. Nearly all of the students served at ASM have family still in Haiti.

Art Studio Miami uses art as a tool for educational, emotional, and career development. Through the arts, we teach life skills to prepare students for successful futures. Youth in foster care, homeless situations, and extreme poverty depend on us to provide tools that empower them to gain stable employment and contribute to our community.

Art Studio Miami programs go far beyond art – they are lifelines out of poverty. According to the Florida 11th Judicial Circuit Court’s Juvenile Justice Board, one in three youth in the area served by ASM will be imprisoned by age twenty-one. Our programs focus on dismantling the ‘Cradle to Prison Pipeline’ by providing students with mentors and tools to create a future free from the crippling effects of poverty.

–
Art Studio Miami
7230 NW Miami Ct
Studio #5 Purple Door
Miami, Fl 33150
Phone. 786.317.8118
www.ArtStudioMiami.org
“Every Child is an Artist. The Challenge is How to Remain an Artist Once We Grow Up.” –Picasso

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Hello Everyone!

Normally, we at Life Is Art are the ones providing services to the community, but today, we are in need of some services. We have some legal and tax documents to process and they need to be reviewed by the professionals.

We are in need of both a lawyer and a CPA that specialize in non-profits.

If you are such and are willing to donate a little time, or know any that would, please contact me, James Echols at james@lifeisartfest.org. And we thank you very much!

Sincerely,
James Echols
co-founder
Life Is Art, Inc.
www.lifeisartfest.org

Holiday Greetings Everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know what is up with LIA. We are mostly out of town for the holidays and have spotty internet access, so if we are slow to reply to any emails or phone calls, we apologize in advance, but rest assured, we are still working hard to make Miami the art center of the world.

What a wild first year we have had! A dozen events, shows, fairs, networkers, seminars, and so much great art and fun. We are already looking forward to next year. We have the ESSENCE art party on Jan 9th, the Miami Beach Festival of the Arts on Jan 30th-31st, and maybe one or two other events in January. And we are planning larger events for later in the spring.

All of us here at Life Is Art wish you the best of holidays and an amazing and prosperous new year.

Sincerely,
James Echols and the whole Life Is Art team

This in from the great folks at Arts at St. Johns. Want to be in a musical? Have any stories to tell? Give them a shout now!

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WISH YOU WERE HERE – the history of Miami Beach – The Musical has plenty of opportunities for individuals, performers, organizations and businesses to be part of this show!
Please contact us if you have stories about living, working or visiting Miami Beach, particularly in its earlier years!!
Mark Your Calendar Now!! March 19, 20 and 21, 2010!
performances at St John’s on the Lake, 4760 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33140

305.613.2325
artsatstjohns@bellsouth.net
visit our website at www.artsatstjohns.com

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Some great news from our really good friends at Locust Projects..

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Locust Projects is pleased to announce a limited edition artwork by the TM Sisters.
This piece was made in conjunction with the Miami-based artists’ exhibition at Locust Projects WHIRL CRASH GO!

Artwork details:
TM SISTERS POWERPACK
(from left to right)
Don’t Stop, Git It Git It, 2009
Party DVD: Looping digital video animation on DVD
Hand-made packet: sparkle vinyl, gold thread, fiberfill, gem button
The Moonlight Made Me Do It, 2009
Poster: Xerox on paper, Highlighter, Gold ink
18 x 24″
Temporary Tattoo transfers
Edition of 20
$80.00
Available now at a special discount of 10% to Locust Projects Members!

Monica Lopez De Victoria, 28, and Tasha Lopez De Victoria, 26, grew up in Miami and collaborate under the name TM Sisters. They work in the media of video, digital video performance, VJing, collage, social experiments, zines, clothing, installations, and interactive video created along with their brother Samuel. Their do-it-yourself ethic began with their being home-schooled together by their parents. Their upbringing included frequent discussions regarding spirituality, psychology, behavior, relationships, creativity, and truth. The sisters’ work has been included in the international exhibitions “Uncertain States of America: American Art in the 3rd Millennium,” curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Daniel Birnbaum, and Gunnar B. Kvaran; the Second Moscow Biennial of Contemporary Art; and “PERFORMA 07.” Recent exhibitions include “(((sparks))),” Hedreen Gallery at Seattle University, Seattle, WA and “IDEALTONIGHT,” Hollywood Art and Culture Center, Hollywood, FL.

We are pleased to share that Kate Gilmore has been selected to participate in the 2010 Whitney Biennial!
A limited edition photograph by the artist is now available at Locust Projects.

Artwork details:
Kate Gilmore
By Any Means (aftermath), 2009
Archival Print on Harman Glass FD AL
24 x 28″
Edition of 15
$1,500.00
Available now at a special discount of 10% to Locust Projects Members!

By Any Means (aftermath) was produced in conjunction with Gilmore’s exhibition By Any Means, at Locust Projects. By Any Means is a performance-based video and site-specific sculpture in which the physicality of architecture is pitted against the female body and will. Gilmore is the sole protagonist in her single-channel videos, where she sets up a difficult physical task to overcome. Her videos, always filmed in private, are destructive, comedic and only attempted once. For By Any Means, 2009, Gilmore, donned in feminine dress and heels, dug, built and climbed her way out of a dirt-filled wooden sculpture. The large-scale sculpture was installed in Locust Projects’ adjacent courtyard for the duration of the exhibition. Outside of the video piece, this special edition photograph is the only evidence of the performance.

Kate Gilmore received a MFA from the School of Visual Arts in 2002 and was the 2007-08 recipient of the Rome Prize. Gilmore’s work was recently on view as part of “Reflections on the Electric Mirror: New Feminist Video” at the Brooklyn Museum, New York and on MTV’s outdoor video screen in Times Square, New York in “Chewing Color” curated by Marilyn Minter. Recent exhibitions include the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; Smith-Stewart Gallery, New York; Akademie Der Kunste, Berlin; Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Istanbul; Apex Art, New York; Artpace, San Antonio; Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati; Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, Waltham; Menil Collection, Houston, MAK Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna.

All proceeds provide funding for Locust Projects’ exhibitions and programming.
For further information, please contact director@locustprojects.org or 305.576.8570

Locust Projects
155 NE 38th Street
Suite 100
Miami, FL 33137
www.locustprojects.org

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Greetings Art Lovers!

This past week was kind of a busy one for the Life Is Art crew. Out promoting and supporting the south Florida art scene, just like always.
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On Tuesday, Nov. 10th, we had a very nice Creative Connections, our fifth one already! It was hosted by Tamarind Thai restaurant. A good group came out, had some tasty appetizers, networked, and listened to a legal presentation by Paul Vicary.
Check out the photos here
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Then, on Saturday, Nov. 14th, we ran up to the Broward New Times Artopia to set up our booth. Dianne Romero, Mike Diaz, and Flex Zerotonine all came out and presented their work in front of a crowd of many hundreds.
Photos here
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We have been asked many times what we are doing for Art Basel week. Well, we are going to take time off work and enjoy the extravaganza of art! You can be assured, we will be promoting Life Is Art. Handing out cards, networking, schmoozing, and generally making ourselves known. But, we are not producing an event for Art Basel week this year.

Surprised? Don’t be. Life Is Art is here all year. There is already so much going on during that week, who would notice yet another fair? But, when all the hullabaloo is gone, we will still be here, all year, doing everything we can to bring the art scene in south Florida up, up, and up.
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We do have a very exciting event starting December 12th. Collaborating with Parafernalia Studio, we are going to start producing an Art Walk after-party on Second Saturdays. This is going to be a chance for all the creative people to really go wild and show off. More info coming very soon!
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I also want to remind you all again to check our blog regularly. We post all sorts of information there, from organizations, museums, galleries, and events all over south Florida. If you know of something that should be posted, please send it to us, and we will get it right up.
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We have some very interesting ideas for our second year, 2010, so keep a look out!

Sincerely,
James Echols
Co-founder
Life Is Art, Inc.
www.lifeisartfest.org

Greetings Life Is Art Fans!

I come bringing good news and a very short time-span to tell you about it all, so this is going to be really quick. After a few weeks off, we have a LOT coming up.

1) November 1, Downtowner Mini-Fest on the River: 10 Great artists, music, food, drinks and fun! Full details coming this weekend, but you can see the preliminary details here.

2) November 10, Creative Connections #5! At Tamarind Thai in Miami Beach. Full details coming soon, but you can go ahead and RSVP here.

3) November 14, Broward Artopia sponsored by Life Is Art! Still looking for performers and other artists, if you are interested, email me at art@lifeisartfest.org. Details here.

4) December 9, I (James Echols) will be teaching a seminar on SEO and the web for the Association for Women in Communications. Not specifically for artists, but I think it’s cool. More details to come.

Future tease: we are working on doing a 1 year anniversary party/fundraiser in early January. Woohoo!
Plus, the full Downtowner Arts on the River should be announced soon, with a re-opening of the call for artists.
More stuff in the planning stages!

Lots more details and big emails will be coming on all these events, but I wanted to give you a taste of what is ahead!

Sincerely,
James Echols
Life Is Art, Inc.
www.lifeisartfest.org