27 January 2009

New Orleans Citizens Against Crime - Sat, Jan 31st

To all NoLA Risers...we have a scourge across our city that evidently is not being handled by those charged with protecting us. It is time to form an association that allows the people to take back their streets. If you are tired of going to funerals of friends gunned down in the streets, if you are tired of malfeasance in office of those charged to protect us and if you are willing to do something about it...this meeting is for you! - ReX

See below::

NOCAC - New Orleans Citizens Against Crime, will hold a meeting Saturday, January 31st, at the Skull Club Alternative Gallery, in the Marigny, corner of Spain & Rampart Streets. Meeting to start at 3pm.


The purpose of this meeting is three fold:

1) To bring local citizens together with the intention of creating better contact, higher awarness of community action, and a forum in which those things can and will occur.


2) To collect and share information necessary to take action against crime, to contact and be heard by City Hall, the New Orleans City Council, the NOPD, and the use of citizen support programs, such as the Text Alert Service, recently implemented. For more information on the text service created by Andrea Garland, see HERE


3) To create a functioning model of a New Orleans Citizens Against Crime neighborhood group, with the hopes of members starting their own
independently run groups, throughout the City of New Orleans.


While initially designed to deal with crime in the 5th District, this meeting is open to all citizens of New Orleans, in the hope that attendees will take the information, and suggested model offered here, to their own immediate neighborhoods, and form independent NOCAC groups of their own.


This meeting is NOT open to City Officials, NOPD or the Organized Press. These institutions can & will be informed of any activities of interest once the platform for action is established. As citizens, we wish to exercise our right of assembly in a private setting, to discuss our situation.


For more information, contact us at: skull-club@cox.net

Lord David
Skull Club
New Orleans

26 January 2009

22 January 2009

Blue Skies on the River

Someone asked me what the Blue Skies Project is all about. It's simple, really. It's a concept to accept the ordinary for something beautiful. There aren't too many folks who enjoy a beautiful blue sky, but sometimes we get really clouded and don't take a moment to look up and breathe in the greatness of the day. So, the Blue Skies Project is a simple reminder that no matter what's on your mind, there's still something beautiful surrounding you...and it's the sky.

Ps, clicking on the photos takes you on a journey...

Enjoy more Blue Skies here:

He asks as he Passes

Blue Skies and Machines by Man

Blue Skies and Alley-Gators!

Blue Skies and the Mississippi River

17 January 2009

Blue Skies Project

I'm beginning a new project that I suspect will be a fleeting fascination. I call it the Blue Skies Project. I will take photos of blue skies, as the name obviously indicates, with my cell phone and post them online. They'll have a hint of earth in them, some will have commentary, and all will be on Flickr...


http://www.flickr.com/nolarisingproject/


Enjoy!

Blues skies and NoLA RisingLower 9th Ward

Blue Skies and Preservationist NightmaresPreservationist Nightmanre - St. Roch Hood

Blue Skies Project and P1P1 Installation - Lower 9th Ward

More blue skies...In Metry

Where the Battleground and Blue Skies meetAt the Battleground - Lower 9th Ward

13 January 2009

Artist Cris Silva Opens at Vega in Metairie in Group Show


Young Artists Show at Vegas

Vega turns the spotlight on four exciting young artists with our first-ever group show for NEW talent.

The Grand Opening Reception is Wednesday, January 14 from 5:30-7:30pm.

2051 Metairie Road, Metairie LA 70005 | 504.836.2007


Please join us for complimentary wine, sangria, and tapas. Meet these four talented new artists...

* Brittany Kirby - photos
* Melinda Boudreaux - mixed media
* Cris Silva - painting
* Sarah Boudreaux - photos

See Cris Silva's work here:





12 January 2009

INSPIRED!

"Individual Freedom comes from self-determined activity" - Inspire


When time feels like it's dragging and I get the idea that I'm not doing enough, I begin to slow down and let my projects drag. It seems like a natural occurrence, especially when I can get disappointed by all the windmills I chase. You see, being a New Orleanian is a full time job and loving the city as I do, I want so much for things to be better. So when I'm feeling down, like most people, I need a little INSPIRATION.

One person I turn to is my friend INSPIRE who lives in Israel. He has done some amazing work turning abandoned buildings in Tel Aviv into art shows for artists all around the world. Mostly, he helps me see things with positive clarity and that inspires me to do more, to reach further, and to work on greater goals.

Recently, he's entered a new realm of life...Fatherhood.

Welcome to the World NOA AYA!

Inspire has put out two prints for sale to help pay for some of those baby bills and I can't help but share these prints with my friends. Take a look at the prints below and if you like, click on the links below to find out how to purchase them.




From Inspire:
First ever prints available from me are now being made! Buying everything babies need can get expensive...you should help a baby out.. Black and white organics blend to make these collaborations with Deadly Daisy.

High quality black and white 11.7 x 16.5in. prints of these two designs are available for $40...email me for inquiries: idiotthewise @ gmail.com

10 January 2009

FlowerGuy in New Orleans

Flowerguy in New Orleans

New Orleans has been a very lucky city over the past year with a lot of famous artists coming to visit and leave their mark on New Orleans. We've had artists shipped in for Prospect1 and we've had some decide to come on their own. Some have come to hang out with friends and others have come make a statement. In August, we were honored to have Banksy; in November, we were graced with Swoon; and in December, we were privileged to have FlowerGuy (MDeFeo).

Flowerguy in New Orleans

FlowerGuy's artwork can be found in Amsterdam, New York, Barcelona, Chicago and Paris just to name a few places. To have him come to New Orleans and share his art with us is indeed an honor, thus Rex raises his glass and salutes FlowerGuy. Our city is always open to you!

Flowerguy in New Orleans

For more information, see MDefeo

07 January 2009

1/7/09

It's not much, but it's blue skies to me!

Oscar Wilde wrote: "I may be in the gutter, but I'm looking up at the stars."

02 January 2009

David's House - NoLA Rising and United for Peace Paint Party - January 10th - Silence is Violence, Let Your Voice be Heard

"Heart of my heart, Love will never die." - "Willow"

Our friends at Silence is Violence have asked for a call to action to make the point that New Orleanians are tired of the inaction when it comes to making our city streets a safer place to enjoy. Here is NoLA Rising's response to Silence is Violence in their call to action: We are surrounded by violence and little seems to be happening to ensure public safety. There are many culprits in why this systemic failure continues to occur and while we'd like to point fingers at all of the particular leaders who day after day do nothing, it would get us no further. In the spirit of NoLA Rising, we plan to take action through art!

NoLA Rising is honored to announce a Paint Party at the house of Susan "Willow" Schroeder, who tragically lost her son to murder in 2001. To lift her out of her grief, she painted a work of love in dedication to her son David, making her home a beautiful expression of the love she felt for him. Sadly, Willow's tale is like so many other New Orleans crime tales, where no one has even been arrested in the shooting death of her son.

The tragedy doesn't end there, however. Willow and her partner Feather, have had to endure discrimination for all of the emotions that have been painted out. One neighbor has tried consistently to have the house cited and actively researches ways to fine them. Quoted in the Times-Picayune, the neighbor questioned: "Does a grieving mother have the right to deface public property because her son died?" because she painted the sidewalk immediately in front of her house. New Orleans is a city that welcomes unique forms of expression and NoLA Rising believes that this is a house worthy of such expression.

Long keeping in the philosophy that "Art can heal the wounded soul!", NoLA Rising sees the individual struggle of a loving mother a perfect place to host a paint party against the senseless acts of violence in New Orleans. It's a way to create something beautiful out of tragedy and I can think of no other way to voice opposition to the lackluster response of those responsible for maintaining public safety. We will also be joined by our friends at United For Peace who will also be creating artwork for a fundraiser to build a center for mothers and families of those lost to tragic violence.

United for Peace will have on hand 15 doors for people to paint their own vision of peace in New Orleans. One door will be given to Willow's family and the rest will be auctioned off at a benefit in March to help Mothers Hurting Because of Violence. Clothing will also be provided by United for Peace for painting and decoration.

Please, honor a fallen son and a fallen brother by joining NoLA Rising and United for Peace at David's House in the 3000 block of St. Peter around noon, Saturday, January 10th (2009) for a paint party. Bring your paints and prepare to make artwork that can proudly be displayed outside of homes across this city. Make artwork that inspires change! Let your voice be heard through artistic expression. Let the leaders of the city know that you will no longer tolerate the scourge of violence that plagues New Orleans. Paint the change you wish to see!

Following the paint party at David's House will be the after-event for the Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund. At Howling Wolf, there'll be a 9 p.m. concert featuring the Hot 8 Brass Band, Soul Rebels, Free Agent Brass Band, The Stooges and a number of other brass bands. Admission is only 10 dollars.

NoLA Rising Paint Party at David's House

http://davidshouse.wordpress.com/

Times-Picayune Article on David's House


WDSU coverage of David's House


Hope to see you there!

ReX
NoLA Rising