Monday, April 11, 2011

Practice Random Acts of ART!


"Practice Random Acts of Art"
Lauren Odell Usher and I met at JFK graduate school in Berkeley, while obtaining our Master in Fine Arts from their Arts and Consciousness Program. After several beers and several crazy conversations about ART. We soon found out that we shared the same belief that Art has an intrinsic ability to empower individuals and at its essence it can transform the larger world we live in. From our energetic discourse, we both agreed that a collaboration was in order. And so,Art is Moving was born in January 2008. Over the past three years we have created some amazing things together.

We have had a gallery with twelve other artists in Oakland, we curated exhibitions, worked with an artist on Death Row, facilitated free art making with thousands of individuals at the ARTcart on the streets of San Francisco, we have facilitated global virtual interviews with hundreds of artists from around the world, we have been written about in the media and have been interviewed on the radio. Our latest ARTreach campaign is Take 5: ARTbreak Day 2011, which is Bay Area art intervention.

On Art Break Day, folks will literally be taking an art break; taking a breather from the ordinary course of their day to MAKE ART FOR FREE! The first official Take 5: ARTbreak Day will be on September 2nd, 2011. This community ARTreach event will take course during the work day, in the cities of San Francisco, San Rafael, Richmond, Berkeley, and Oakland. In the “heart” of each city a canopy with the words “Take an Art Break” will house tables, filled to the brim with an array of art supplies! Passersby will be greeted and invited to have a seat and to take an art break. Are larger vision is to eventually make ARTbreak
Day a global holiday.


Please support Take Five: ARTbreak: Donate, time. money, art @ www.artbreakday.com


Back to the nitty gritty of AIM's collaboration. Every Monday Lauren and I meet for Art is Moving.(since my relocation to SoCAL, we now meet on Scipe) During these meetings we talk about projects, we rant about the zeitgeist, and of course we talk about ART. In one of our meetings, we came up with the slogan, "Practice Random Acts of ART." At that moment. I declared that would be my t-shirt or my bumper sticker. Hence the Lisa was born.

In Lauren's personal ART form, she ventures in many directions. One is the cool concept that everything can be reused. The name of this project is Up Cycled Unlimited, were you acquire your own, "Practice Random Acts of ART!" for only 25 bucks. Lauren also has created several other t-shirt mantras for many of her friends and family.
The manifesto of Up Cycled Unlimited, is"I believe all materials have more than one life and I am determined to prove it with my products. At upcycledunlimited.com you will find playing cards that have been turned into earrings, old thrift store t-shirts with new original screenprints, old silk ties reused as a handle for a purse, and much more." Also, you can check out Lauren's whole repertoire as an Artist @ Lauren Usher.com.

I will end with Practice Random Acts of ART! you all!!! Everyone is an Artist, what is your form? I really believe that the world will become a better place, if we all start creating, expressing, and not destroying.
-Namaste, lisa

What would your t-shirt logo be?

1 comment:

Lauren Odell Usher Sharpton said...

Hi Lisa,

The shirt suits you! Love this post and all of your positive energy.

-Lauren