Happy Halloween Everyone!

Greetings!

Thanks for stopping by - a symbolic wave out to all of you - Going to the Chicago area for a few days - hopefully will post some great foliage shots on my return - enjoy Paris til then!

Warm Wishes,

Donna

Go visit Silvia and enjoy an inspiring weekend with the Power of Art!

Over 200 works of art displayed in the unique environment of the dormant AES Power Plant.
The Power of Art will include poetry reading, creative writing workshop, figure drawing workshop, Hands on Art workshops, Sea Lab workshop, story time, film, curator talk, Theatre, music and dance. Brought to you by the Redondo Beach Art Group. All events are FREE to the public.

Friday 10/17

7 – 10pm—ARTISTS’ RECEPTION - Hosted by Spectrum Catering.

FABULOUS SILENT AUCTION

Chuito Valdes—music

Redondo Beach Art Group All Media

Exhibit “SWITCHED ON” — Curator Scott Canty

Portrait Gallery—Curator Mary Oliver

Gift Gallery—Art Crafts by RBAG artists

Dialogue Project—Mike Garibaldi Frick

Sponsored by Redondo Beach Art Group

and Crowne Plaza Hotel and Marina

“Whirlwind 2008”—Cathie Goldberg

Saturday 10/18

10:30am—Dance Forever Studio

11am—Creative Writing Workshop Judith

Prager/Harry Youtt UCLA EXT. Writers

Program

11am—Freeman Valley Quintet (classical)

Noon – 1pm—Hands on Art workshop:

“Warhol Pop Art Portraits”

1:30pm—South Bay Little Angels

1:30pm—Entourage (folk)

3 – 4pm—Hands on Art Workshop:

“Abstract Monoprints”

4:30pm—Curator Talk – Scott Canty

Meet the Artists

5:30pm—“Power of Words” Poetry Reading

7 – 8pm—Fashion Show – “Tactile Textiles”

– Juried by Georgette Gantner

8pm—Redondo Union High School Salsa

Dance Team

8:45pm—Free To Be Me Drum Circle

Sunday 10/19

10:00 – 11:00am—A is for Artist, B is for

Brush: A Family Storytime - Kimberly

Bishop, Librarian,

Redondo Beach Public Library

11 – Noon—“Gyotaku: The Art of Fish

Rubbing” – Kris Perez, SeaLab Public

Programs Supervisor. All Ages

Workshop

Noon—Fusion Dance Studio – Hip Hop

12:30pm—Classique (Avant Garde Jazz)

1 – 3pm—Figure Drawing with Richard

Stevens. Sponsored by Cannery Row

Studios

2pm—Join Miriam and dance NIA

3 - 4:30pm—Film Screenings.

“Alta Vista Power of Art” By Tomas

Klouda

“Dialogue Project” By Mike Garibaldi

Frick

Meet the Directors

4:30pm—LA Metro Brass Band

5:30 – 7pm—POWER OF ART DINNER

THEATRE.

7 – 8pm—Margate (contemporary rock)

* program is subject to change
See website for a complete updated schedule www.redondobeachartgroup.org

Just found this beautiful piece on YouTube and was incredibly moved - the video speaks for itself. Thanks for sharing with us Juan! I send you a big energetic hug where ever you are out there…

free hugs campaign

www.freehomecampaign.org

Ps. Interested to hear more on your www.freehelpcampaign.org - it is not coming up so maybe the name has changed - a truly brilliant idea!

Ravaged by the dark night of the soul of our country, losing grasp of our tightly held capitalist ideals, unsure in our footing of how to proceed without losing everything we have come to know as our truth, our path, our way of existence, it can be positively unfathomable to some how this could have ever happened. To some it is unfathomable to think that it never would.

We are without doubt on the down side of this particular cycle, not many would argue that. There will be much more pain experienced by many world wide on a variety of levels and some of us won’t be able to see it through. We are being forced to wait out the wake of this global transformation. We will be thoroughly cleansed, held accountable and will change our course of action both individually and as a global unit, or we will wither and die as a civilization. Don’t think this is a mere economic issue, this ripple is the largest and most powerful to date in all of human existence.

But it’s just what we needed - a gift of a global wake up call. There have been certain voices that have been heralding warnings to us all for some time now, but they haven’t been heeded. What we are experiencing is the universe in a state of self-correction on course to reclaim balance - and it will with or without us.

Let us not get sucked in to the media vacuum and frenzy though as that won’t serve us or our cause. It’s too easy to buy into the bombardment of doom and gloom commentary, (yes, I am aware things aren’t looking great right now, I am not an ostrich) but what we really need is clear heads when working it all through, try and reach some level of detachment, so we can focus. Lets start being accountable for our own part of the plight though, and personally develop our own plans of how we can improve the situation. This is not to be left solely in the hands of our leaders. It is much much bigger then that and needs everyone’s participation. If you can’t lend a hand on a physical level to assist one of the many situations that need addressing, consider praying. You don’t have to be religious to pray. If you prefer, call it visualizing. Visualize the changes necessary to achieve balance. Don’t focus on the negative, focus on seeing a positive change. In the most precious words of Mahatma Gandhi “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Reevaluate your present values, make immediate changes where necessary. And they can be immediate, just express it out loud to the world whatever it is, and keep saying it ’til it sticks.

Don’t turn a blind eye. (This is reminder to myself here just as much as to anyone else - it is easy to point fingers under such circumstances, but we all need to hold ourselves responsible for our own parts of the imbalance, not to mention for our own future.) We are not a perfect species, but as my sister reminds me often, “It’s progress, not perfection.” We just need to begin and take positive action somewhere.

Yes, I think this was a very generous gift, this upheaval. Got all of our attention didn’t it? Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Fires and we still neglected to see. (Okay, hit ‘em in the pocket book - gee that might actually work… ) We have the chance to turn it ALL around though. What an opportunity! We can make it even better than before. We can rise to this challenge and look forward to brighter days ahead. We just each need to step up and get involved. We will see the light again. We must have hope and positive expectations.