Arts and the Craft of Activism.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words....well, since I'm racing around today wrapping up this amazing month in the Coachella Valley I will let the photos do the heavy lifting from the last week of activities and just say a few quick words for each.

Suffice to say I leave area with a mix of sadness and joy -- now that I've got a basic grip on the geography, and now that I've met so many wonderful people it is hard to drop the momentum...luckily there is a brilliant plan in place...read below!

Lisa Soccio, Ph.D. from the Marks Gallery at COD Palm Desert. We are standing in front of a piece by Nacho Becerra..provocative and beautiful.  PS...I bought it!  Stay tuned for exciting projects that we are cooking up, and hold the date of December 11th for a cool happening at the gallery.

With the remarkable Gina Chapa, assistant to Congressman Dr. Ruiz.  Gina is a super-connector, that is, a person who has cultivated and cared for lots of effective relationships throughout the valley, plus she is just generally brilliant and fun.

Indio Performing Arts Center and the Crisalida car...a drab photo I know, but important because inside the building I was interviewing candidates for the Program Manager jobs that will keep the project bubbling along.

TADA!!!  Meet the new Crisalida Crew, pictured here with members of the McCallum Theatre staff.  From left to right (with Crisalida team in CAPS): Kajsa Thurssen-Frary, Mitch Gershenfeld, Alan De Zon, LENIN SILVA, John Baicu, SOFIA ENRIQUES, Robert McConnaughey, JON BECERRA, yours truly.  Missing from the photo is RICARDO SANTIAGO, and the ever-wonderful Jeff Norman.  I am thrilled that these capable, talented young people have decided to join our efforts -- LOTS MORE TO COME!!

 

After a long day searching for the right beat-up trailer to convert into a mobile art van...options, options, options...

The Rancho Tenochtitlan event on Sunday 9/28 in Coachella, sponsored by CULTURAS, was a blast!  We had about 45 people for a long evening of music, stories, art work, hand-crafts, ceremonies, conversation and deep-hanging.  BIG THANKS to YAYA ORTIZ and RUBEN GONZALEZ for organizing this great night.  I met so many talented people!

The ceremonial burying of the ashes that had been used in a Nahuatl Ritual to bless the day and the event.

Hanging...

Music makes a party and there was plenty with Riz and Mike, and other fabulous players and singers.

The Rancho is packed with treasures in every nook and cranny.  This is real.

See what I mean...this piece is by Imari Nuyen-Kariotis.

It's a wrap!

More to come soon.