AMP member Kitty Diggins posted this on the AMP website. We at AMP encourage you to sign the petition, as well as comment on the post on AMP.

An "artist" from Costa Rica - Guillermo Habacuc Vargas - as an installation piece took a dog from the street and caused it to suffer and starve to death in the name of Art.

Click here to see photos of the situation.

While I do not believe in censorship, I do believe that a line must be drawn when it involves taking an unwilling model and using them against their wishes. Maybe it is not very humane of me, but I strongly believe that people who use and abuse animals, or people for that matter, for any reason, deserve to have the same thing happen to them. It may be an old clich� that many artists suffer in various ways for their work, but causing another being to suffer is another story.

I did not compose the following letter. I believe it was composed by a British artist. I am reposting it and encourage you to examine it and do something about it. Read on, as more information follows the letter.

EXHIBITION IS TAKING PLACE AT:

info@madc.ac.cr

Centro Nacional de la Cultura
Antigua F�brica Nacional de Licores.
Avenida 3, calle 15/17. San Jos�, Costa Rica.
Tel�fono: (506) 257 7202 / 257 9370
Fax: (506) 257 8702

SAMPLE LETTER TO SEND THE GALLERY:

I am writing regarding the horrifying actions of Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, who paid local children to catch a dog on the street and then confined, starved and publicly displayed the dog as an "art" exhibit until the innocent animal died of starvation.

I, along with many people worldwide, am outraged that Guillermo Habacuc Vargas has been selected to represent Costa Rica in "Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008." This man is by no definition of the word an artist. He is a criminally insane sadist and enjoys inflicting prolonged suffering upon his innocent victims. He is a danger to all of society, as it is well-documented that those with the capacity to intentionally cause harm to an animal have the same capacity to harm humans. To state that this animal would have died eventually of natural causes is unjustifiable and defies logical, rational thought.

To allow Guillermo Habacuc Vargas to represent Costa Rica in Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008 will in no way benefit Costa Rica. The world is watching, and the actions of this so-called artist have brought many negative assumptions as to the humanity of the people of Costa Rica. The fact that many witnesses of this animal's suffering did nothing, and that the organizers of this event allowed this to happen, rather than taking action to see that Guillermo Vargas be criminally charged with animal abuse, is sending the world a message that Costa Rica is a cruel, uncivilized society that has no regard for life, but enjoys viewing and contributing to the loss of life.

Each and every person who knew of and witnessed the suffering of this innocent dog is guilty of causing its unnecessary death. To let this crime go unpunished, and instead to reward Guillermo Vargas by choosing him to represent Costa Rica in Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008 is unacceptable and shameful, not only to Costa Rica but to all participants in this event.

I urge you, do not condone the heinous actions of Guillermo Vargas by allowing him to participation in Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008. He should be jailed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for this animal's death, and should not be allowed to represent Costa Rica as an artist, for to refer to him as such is an insult to all true artists.

Sincerely,

Your Name

ANOTHER GALLERY SHOWING HIS WORK: This is the email address to a gallery which currently holds some of Vargas' work for display and sale. If anyone would like to ask the gallery to drop him from their list of artists the email address is below.

Email address: info@jacobkarpio-galeria.com

What he says on his blog (translated):

I knew the dog died on the following day from lack of food. During the inauguration, I knew that the dog was persecuted in the evening between the houses of aluminum and cardboard in a district of Managua. 5 children who helped to capture the dog received 10 c�rdobas for their assistance. During the exhibition some people requested the freedom of the small dog, which the artist refused. The name of the dog was Natividad, and I let him die of hunger in the sight of everyone, as if the death of a poor dog was a shameless media show in which nobody does anything but to applaud or to watch disturbed. In the place that the dog was exposed remain a metal cable and a cord. The dog was extremely ill and did not want to eat, so in natural surroundings it would have died anyway; thus they are all poor dogs: sooner or later they die or are killed.

VIEW AND SIGN THIS PETITION:
http://www.petitiononline.com/13031953/petition.html

Performer and curator Federico Hewson moved to the Netherlands more than a year ago from Los Angeles, where he worked with Rachel Rosenthal and performed at Highways Performance Space. Prior to his time in Los Angeles, he worked in Chicago as an associate director with the avant-garde Blue Rider theater, and co-founded Same Planet Different World dance theater, now celebrating its 10 year anniversary. Federico has also lived and performed in San Francisco, New York and Brighton, England where he directed a play for the International Theater Festival.

Federico is involved in various arts projects now in Amsterdam, including helping to promote AMPsterdam, singing Mozart in a choir, and working to launch a new, more expansive view of love with The Valentine Peace Project. He also works with socially sustainable entrepreneurs in a group called Hub Amsterdam. He is currently seeking volunteers and a volunteer coordinator for his Peace Project which involves poetry, art and public participation. The Valentine Peace Project has already been launched in Los Angeles and New York City, and will expand in 2008 to also include San Francisco, Chicago and Amsterdam. It's the beginning of a global campaign including participants in Australia and Canada to create an inclusive Valentine's celebration involving peace education, poetry and public participation. Read our next article in this newsletter to learn more about the project. Federico is also looking forward to organizing a nice group of performers for the next AMPsterdam event in March 2008!

If you're looking for a way to get involved with some great community art projects, here are two under the initiative of AMP members: Federico Hewson's Valentine Peace Project and Farzad Kohan's River of Life.

The Valentine Peace Project

Take part in a new and dynamic public expression of peace next Valentine's Day!

AMP Member Federico Hewson's Valentine Peace Project is a project to expand and transform the expression of February 14 - Valentine's Day - in America and around the world. The Project collects poems about peace through its website, http://www.valentinepeaceproject.org. These poems are attached to thousands of flowers and passed out from individual to individual in public places on February 14. This provides an opportunity for unique expressions on the themes of peace, community connection, peace education and gratitude.

Begun in Los Angeles two years ago, the Project will take place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, and Amsterdam in 2008. Federico Hewson, the project director, currently lives in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Federico is currently seeking Volunteer Coordinators for Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Chicago. The Coordinator's work involves organizing individuals and meeting points throughout the city for Valentine's Day, coordinating the activities of participating schools, arranging for documentation of the event, and acting as a press liaison. Volunteers to help the main coordinator are also very welcome!

If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity for The Valentine Peace Project, please send information about yourself to Federico at fhewson@valentinepeaceproject.org. Coordinators will be chosen before the end of December.

The River of Life: A Community Art Project

Build a boat, write a message, and sail it down the river of life!

You are invited to create, build, and decorate as many simple paper boats as you wish. Your boat(s) will be part of the River of Life art installation. This installation is a free-standing art piece that explores the perceptions of our lives and will be part of a larger gallery exhibition.

Los Angeles-based artist Farzad Kohan is known for his creative and original works of art. Farzad is inviting members of the community to participate in this installation by contributing their own creative boats. The River of Life will be part of the exhibition: "Laura Hipke, Farzad Kohan, Lois Ramirez: the Human Element" at the Brand Library Art Galleries from December 1, 2007 to January 25, 2008.

Mail your paper boats to:

River of Life Project
c/o Brand Library
1601 W. Mountain Street
Glendale, CA 91201-1200
USA
Click here to see boat-folding instructions.

And yes, there's now a contest on. Fill in the blank. If Amsterdam is to vla as Los Angeles is to ____, then what is ____? Of course you have to know what vla is to figure that one out. I don't even know what the LA equivalent would be. Your answers will be posted soon. Top 5 amusing answers get something cool.

And if you're not into being called "AMPers," maybe you can come up with something else. ;)

Say Vla!