Project Partner Spotlight:
A Collaboration between
Prisoner Express and An Open Window
Ultimately, art asks that we forget the artist in order to experience fully the aesthetics of what has been created. Is this possible when we know that the artist is a prisoner? Typically, art made by prisoners is viewed through the lens of rehabilitation, rather than simply the lens of art. To address this issue, Prisoner Express and An Open Window have collaborated to produce a unique exhibition entitled Art, Alibi, and an Anonymous We.
This exhibition, opening in March at the Rosenfeld Gallery in Philadelphia, features the works of 50 artists--half of whom live in the "free world," and half of whom live in solitary confinement or on death row. Each has responded to the same theme: the restricted space of a six-inch circle. Their contributions are anonymous, thus inviting us to consider whether this art---or any art---can be experienced without the story of the artist.
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Mona in Prison, shown to the right, is the result of another interesting collaboration between An Open Window and Prisoner Express. The project's goals were to bring the work of 70 artists living in solitary confinement together in a kind of visual choir, taking their art beyond the world as an assortment of objects to an experience of relationships.
A 36-by-24 inch poster of the Mona Lisa was cut into 72 three-by-four inch pieces. Without revealing the identity of the painting, these mostly unrecognizable rectangles of abstract color were sent to the participants along with some drawing paper. The prisoners were asked to redraw their rectangle of the poster onto an eight-by-eleven inch sheet of paper. They were also asked to draw a self-portrait. The self-portraits were compiled separately, each in the same grid location as the artist's Mona Lisa piece. The different mediums used by the artists depended largely on what art supplies were permissible in their prison.
Some participants were unable to submit their piece. Their blocks were left black. The most common reason for being unable to contribute was that the drawing paper was considered contraband by prison officials.
Several inmates in solitary confinement couldn't draw their self-portraits because they have no idea what they look like. Mirrors and photos of themselves are forbidden. As Emil writes, "I cannot figure out what to do with the self-portraits. I have not seen myself since 2005 and we here in the SHU are not allowed ID's. So I really have no idea what I look like."
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Lester did create a self-portrait and writes to ask for a copy so that he can send it to his family; "...they have no idea what I look like now." It has been a while since Lester has been allowed to see them.
In actual dimensions, the composite, Mona in Prison, is 8 feet high by 6 feet wide.
Both Mona in Prison and the Self-Portrait Composite will be made into 17-by-11 inch posters and sent to all participating artists. This size paper is the maximum permissible in most prisons.
For more information contact Treacy Ziegler of An Open Window Project.
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The Food Systems Journal Gains New University Sponsors
The Food Systems Journal is published by the Food Systems Development Project, a CTA Project. It publishes four issues a year and is online only.
The journal was founded in 2010 to fill the gap in the applied research literature on farming and food systems-based community development, such as regional food value chains, urban food systems, farmland protection, and food sovereignty. It focuses on public policy, research, and practice in food systems work, and emphasizes "accessible scholarship" that maximizes its usefulness in the transdisciplinary field of food systems. Authors include scholars across many academic fields, as well as food systems development practitioners such as educators, activists, and nonprofit and public agency staff. It is currently licensed by academic and institutional libraries around the world and is available free to libraries in less-developed countries.
The four new financial sponsors are helping the Food Systems Journal
expand its global reach as well as its impact.
The journal nurtures early-career authors, provides editorial assistance to non-native English authors, and, seeking to be a meaningful source of change in food systems development, recently published over 20 open-access commentaries from around the world on food systems research priorities for the next five years.
With the support of its sponsors, the journal expects to expand its current distribution, and launch new value-added activities such as producing policy and practice briefs (two-page summaries of published papers that are immediately useful in the field). Also on the drawing board is a "Senior Corps of Researchers and Educators" to leverage the talents of retired faculty and researchers in working with select limited-resource organizations in conducting program evaluations and publishing the results in the Food Systems Journal.
"We are pushing the boundaries of what it is to be a journal," says editor-in-chief Duncan Hilchey. "We take great pride in contributing to the nascent literature on food systems, and publishing the very practical work of the growing number of researchers and writers in the field. But we want to take this to an entirely new level, and this will begin to happen now that we have the right partners in place to do it."
For more information on the Food Systems Journal, the Food Systems Development Project, and the journal's four sponsors, click here.
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News and Events
TEDxCornellU Videos are now available!
The theme of our TEDxCornellU event held last November was "Creating Socially Just and Ecologically Sound Communities." All videos are available here. Below is the list of speakers. Enjoy! - Kirby Edmonds '99, Senior Fellow, Dorothy Cotton Institute "
- HOW WE CAN ELIMINATE STRUCTURAL POVERTY"
- Bill Myers '73, Office of Small Credit Union Initiatives, National Credit Union Administration "FINANCING CHANGE"
- Natalie Bridgeman Fields '99, Accountability Counsel "DARE TO DEMAND JUSTICE"
- Lauren Braun '11, Alma Sana "CONSCIENTIOUS INNOVATION"
- Ben Justus '08, EGBOK Mission "HOSPITALITY DREAMS"
- Liz Ngonzi '98, Amazing Taste "WANT YOUR ENTERPRISE TO CHANGE THE WORLD? START WITH YOURSELF!"
- Rob Garrity '05, Finlo Solar Powers "NEW WORLD(VIEW) NOW POSSIBLE"
- Meredith Ramirez Talusan, PhD Candidate, Ricefield Collective "KEEP YOUR HAT ON TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE"
- Lily Yeh, Barefoot Artists, "FROM BROKEN TO WHOLE"
Durland Alternatives Library
The Winter Holiday has been a time of deep rejuvenation at the Durland Alternatives Library. We have some exciting new additions to our collection, including a number of documentaries from the Media Education Foundation, currently on display at the library. With the help of our amazing staff, we keep extended hours-staying open until 8pm on weekdays (free parking at Anabel Taylor Hall), and being open both Saturday & Sunday-so stop on by!
We're starting off the new year collaborating with other groups around Ithaca on a number of events.
February 1st, 6:00-7:00pm, Mid-Winter Puppet Extravaganza!
It's a Riot Puppet Theater invites you to an out-door, after-dark life sized puppet performance! The event is free & welcome to all people of all ages & ability. Stick around after the show for a reception with live music & warm drinks.
The Mid-Winter Puppet Extravaganza is a celebration of the environment and winter season, taking place on Brigid, a time of replenished love & renewal, marking the mid-point of this winter season as we look forward to spring. Dress warmly as the puppet show will take place outside, behind Standard Art Supply.
6:00 - 7:00pm
Standard Art Supply
308 E. Seneca St.
Ithaca, New York
Free to All, Although Donations will be accepted.
Feb 7th, 5:00-9:00pm, Celebrate People's History Art Show Returns to Studio West!
Studio West celebrates their two year anniversary as Ithaca's West End coworking space with a group exhibit by coworking members and community groups who have utilized the space to further their community impact. The show will feature graphic design by blink! digital graphics, permaculture planning by SEEDS Sustainability Consulting, and the Durland Alternatives Library's "Celebrate People's History" poster series by Just Seeds Artist Coop, among others.
And here's a link to the Facebook event. It will be great to see you and your friends down February's gallery night, Feb 7th, 5-9pm at Studio West, 516 W. State St, Ithaca, New York
Third Root Education Exchange (TREE)
As part of TREE's ongoing "Just Wellness" panel series, we are pleased to announce: Anger and Activism: Fire and Fuel Panel DiscussionFeb 5, 2014, 7.30pm Brecht Forum in Brooklyn Panelists: Jay Toole, Gaurav Jashnani, Sumitra Rajkumar, Penny Arcade, Ethan Nichtern Facilitator: Elisabeth E. Garrett, movement consultant Does anger at gentrification, healthcare discrimination, police brutality piss you off? Is anger something you work with skillfully, to empower and emblazon your activism? Have you had conflict within your organizational work where powerful feelings were evoked but not held well? Have you sat with your own anger at oppression in the world long enough for it to dissipate? Is your anger held against you or presumed to be illegitimate because of your race or gender? At the New School's public dialogue between bell hooks and Melissa Harris Perry, "Black Female Voices", and at the Brecht Forum's "What Do We Mean When We Say Privilege, Ally & Comrade?" panel, both held in October in New York, pain and anger within our movement and our spiritual work arose as a significant question for our justice and liberation work, inside and out. There is a lot to say, so let's take a minute of pause on February 5 to talk about anger. This is a panel discussion amongst prominent and experienced organizers and spiritual teachers, to explore the ways in which anger contributes to our movements, and the ways in which it burns us out. The intention is to bring together spiritual practice communities and activist communities to see what we can learn from each other about utilizing anger, taking care of our anger, digging beneath anger, moving through anger, transcending anger.
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Wood's Earth Living Classroom
Ready for Spring? Grow your own food and save money on groceries! Wood's Earth community garden plots are available for 2014. - 10% discount on plots of any size at Wood's Earth by March 1!
- 20% large plot discount for plots over 1,000 sq.ft--great for groups!
When you rent a plot, you help our nonprofit organization purchase program supplies to grow school food with local youth groups & expand collaborative farm-to-school programs in our region.
Benefits:
- Choose your plot size
- Drip irrigation makes it easy and efficient to water your plants
- The perimeter deer fence means you don't have to buy or install fencing
- A variety of soil amendments are on-site
- Tools, wheelbarrows, books, and other resources are available in the shed
- The site is conveniently located, but tucked away with great views and easy access to state parks.
- Many transportation options: TCAT Bus Route 67, bike from town, or park on-site
Click here to to purchase a plot with a secure online payment , or to set up an online payment plan. If you prefer to write a check or pay by cash, contact Audrey Baker.
Visit www.woodsearth.com for more information on the community gardens and our nonprofit farm-to-school programs.
CUSLAR
Documentary film at Cornell University:
"Soil Struggle and Justice: Agroecology in the Brazilian Landless Movement"
Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 7-9 pm.
Venue TBD, check cuslar.org closer to the event.
With the filmmaker:
Dr. Andreas Hernandez
Chair, Department of International Studies
Marymount Manhattan College
This film is the story of a cooperative of the Brazilian Landless Movement (MST) in the South of Brazil, which struggled for access to land and then transitioned to ecological agriculture, or agroecology. This MST cooperative is demonstrating the possibility of an alternative model of flourishing rural life, which provides thriving livelihoods for farmers, produces high quality and low cost food for the region, and rehabilitates the earth. 60 minutes, Q&A with filmmaker to follow.
Co-sponsors: CUSLAR, Latin American Studies Program, Latino Studies Program.
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 The Center for Transformative Action (CTA) helps to create communities that work for everyone. We do this by providing fiscal sponsorship to innovative social change agents in New York State, as well as financial, human resources, and grants management services. CTA is an educational non-profit organization affiliated with Cornell University.
Our Vision
We envision change makers everywhere engaging and strengthening the power of the heart to remake the world.
Our Mission
We are an alliance of individuals and organizations inspired by principles of nonviolence and committed to bold action for justice, sustainability, and peace. CTA supports change makers with the tools to build thriving, inclusive communities that work for everyone. We serve our projects, the public, and Cornell University by offering educational programs and strategic organizational resources.
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