Women's Caucus for Art "Art and Social Justice" Conference-July 22, 2011

I've been invited to speak on a panel at the Women's Caucus for Art,
'Art and Social Justice' Conference

Event Details

The midwest region of the Women's Caucus for Art 'Art & Social Justice' conference
Friday, July 22, 2011
8AM-4PM
Regional Arts Commission
6128 Delmar Blvd
St. Louis MO 63112

Held in conjunction with the national Women's Caucus for Art
Summer Board meeting July 21- 24, St. Louis, MO

The WCA's mission is to create community through art, education, and social activism. We recognize the important role that the arts play in all our lives and acknowledge the power of the arts to affect positive change. In this spirit, the conference is intended to be a venue in which to explore the role of the arts in promoting social justice and quality in our communities and around the globe.

The conference is open to artists, activists, art historians, curators, community organizers, educators, arts administrators, students, and anyone interested in how art can change the world for the better.

TENTATIVE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:
(The conference schedule will be finalized with complete panel descriptions, panelists names and bios by May 31)

8am – 8:45 Registration / Coffee / pastries

8:45 – 9am WELCOME REMARKS

9 – 10:30 Building Bridges - Art and Global Healing.
Peace Through Pyramids project --- an ongoing collaboration between our youth circus troupe, the St. Louis Arches and an Israeli Jewish/Arab youth troupe, the Galilee Circus – Jessica Hentoff and Circus Harmony

Global Healing Through the Arts: A Model for Cross-Cultural Engagement in a Racially Isolated Community - Gitana Productions, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 arts and education company that provides global healing through music, dance, and drama in the St. Louis community.

10:45 – 11:45PM Art & War: The Artist Perspective
regarding genocide at the MIzel Museum - an international exhibition of work curated by Lee Lee
One million bones – Naomi Natale is the founding artist behind One Million Bones. Both an installation artist and photographer, Natale recently completed a large scale installation titled, The Cradle Project. TED

11:45 – 12:45PM Art for Healing.
Re-imagining the Self Through Creativity: Art for Empowerment as Feminist Counseling for Social Change in a University and Community Settings -Elka Kazmierczak
Pearls of Strength: Using Art Therapy to Heal the Wounds of Abuse and Violence - Katie Kamholz

12:45 – 1:45PM Lunch/Performance (PLEASE note: lunch is included in the conference fee)

1:45 – 2:45PM Access for the Arts.
Why Access to the Arts Matters - Panel discussion with: Leslie Holt, Executive Director, VSA Missouri, the statewide organization on art and disability Carol Fleming, installation artist and Lynne Green, photographer and film maker

3 – 4 PM Engaging Youth in Social Activism
We Are Storied: Our Visual Becoming within Communities," will share a burgeoning community initiative that ties the fields of community art, social media, and graphic design with visual storytelling in efforts to advocate the needs and causes of those within our most vulnerable communities - De Andrea Nichols

Punk Rock and Social Justice: Leadership development and civic engagement through subcultures - Angela Evans from the Coalition on Human Needs and Will O’Neill from the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)

4-4:15 – CLOSING REMARKS

Performance or art activities

1:10 PM - Con Christeson performance- managing artist for the community collabARTive, an integrated arts component of the Allen Ave Transitional Program of Peter and Paul Community Services.. A spoken-word piece that talks about homelessness and its impact on individuals, seeking to build bridges and form relationships to co-communities who need to know: it is not about THEM...it is about US.
Outside of RAC (morning) - Priti Gulati Cox

Inside tables (more info TK):
Artist trading Cards – Jennifer Weigel
Wish tree- Ben Chu
Name badges – YWC
Info tables: Circus Harmony, Yeyo Arts, LGBT dance group
Any groups wishing to have information at one of the tables please contact outreach@wca-stl.org

PRESENTERS BIOS:
Angela Evans is the Outreach and Policy Coordinator for the Coalition on Human Needs, alliance of national organizations working together to promote public policies that address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable people. Angie’s background includes organizing and leadership development with the Center for Community Change, Jewish Funds for Justice and state and local campaigns. She spent her youth organizing and attending punk rock shows. She holds a Master Degree in Social Work, concentrated in Social and Economic Development from Washington University in St Louis.

Con Christeson is an artist/educator living and working in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to teaching at Webster University and Ranken Technical College, she is actively engaged in building a practice as a community artist. She is co-founder and managing artist of the community collaborARTive, an arts-based integrated component of the Allen Avenue Transitional Housing Program of Peter and Paul Community Services. The collaborative engages men [who are/have been homeless] and program staff along with community artists, partners, and students to create visual, written, and public art. More about the collaborative can be found here: http://ppcsinc.org/community.html http://communitycollabartive.wordpress.com

Leslie Holt, Executive Director, VSA Missouri. Holt is a visual artist and educator with extensive experience in social work and advocacy for people with disabilities, including mental illness and developmental disabilities. She has worked at several St. Louis organizations including Life Skills Foundation, Places for People, NAMI St. Louis, and St. Louis Community College. Most recently she coordinated a program at Washington University School of Medicine, Pediatricians in Community, which gave pediatric residents community experiences with children living in poverty and with disabilities. She has ten years experience teaching studio art and art history on the college level at schools including Fontbonne University, St. Louis Community College at Meramec, and Lewis and Clark Community College. She exhibits her paintings nationally and is represented by galleries in St. Louis, Memphis and Washington, DC. Leslie has a BFA in Painting from Washington University in St. Louis, an MFA in Painting from Washington State University and is a 2008 graduate of the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute. Leslie has been involved with VSA Missouri since it started getting off the ground in 2008 – first as a contracted artist, then as its founding board president, and now as executive director.

Ticket Information
TICKET TYPE REMAINING SALES END PRICE FEE QUANTITY
Art & Social Justice Conference Early Registration (purchase before July 1) more info 123 tickets Jun 30, 2011 $35.00 $2.92
Student discount more info 22 tickets Jul 18, 2011 $25.00 $2.37
WCA Bus tour Saturday July 23 48 tickets Jul 15, 2011 $30.00 $2.64
Art & Social Justice Conference Regular Registration (July 1-18) 100 tickets Not Started $45.00 $3.46
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