Exhibit Deserves Worldwide Media Attention

We are the largest anti-war art exhibit in the United States today. We are very likely the largest and longest collective exhibition of this kind since before the fall of Saddam Hussein! We are artists doing our job: awakening the public to take notice.

We were quite surprised by how few exhibits have been held in the US (more have been held in London!). The largest one we could find since our entry into this war had less than half as many artists participating. We’re talking less than 25 events with more than 10 participating artists, and even less lasting more than a few days.

Our call for art went out about ten days before the event began. By the opening, over 80 artists from the island brought in their art. Today, we have over 100 artists and over 200 pieces of art on display. But that’s not all. Over 600 children across the state of Hawaii made prayer flags in honor of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama’s visit to Paia to dedicate a prayer shrine. They are on display also.

Through community support, the exhibit has been showing in a 4,000 sq. ft. gallery, with a three-week running time. It is our hope to secure more such spaces to extend the exhibit. And there’s a very good reason for that.

This exhibit space has become a center for activism, and it’s not limited to war and peace.

The three-week event has included a steady stream of video, educational, and public participation programs, along with music and stage plays. Included have been update meetings for the Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement, gathering local business people to discuss establishing “plastic-free” towns, a benefit for Autism awareness and even a spoken word “Slam!” which was the biggest in Maui’s history.

It’s gotta start somewhere, and Maui is the ideal place.

It’s only a little island about 1/2 the size of Long Island in the most remote part of the world. It has less than 140,000 people living on it, and many of those are not full-time residents. Some art guides identify Maui as the third largest art market in the world, but suffice it to say it is well-known as the “Art Capital of the Pacific.” That’s a double-entendre that sticks!

The opening night alone drew more than 500 people to it and this to a town with a population of only 6,500! Since opening night, the gallery has had a steady stream of visitors. This has not been a tourist-oriented event. Its largest advertising has been through word-of-mouth.

It’s not a selling event, though some of the art pieces have sold. For the most part, these are works of art created as deeply personal statements of individuals about their relationship with this war, that war, those wars and/or the longing for and realization of peace. Most media are represented and there are many clear examples of artistic mastery.

Many people of all stripes have become deeply affected by the art, and then, come back to participate in a program. Many dialogues have begun and actions initiated as a result of gatherings here. Barack Obama’s Sister, Maya, was the first representative of a major political campaign to visit us. Many veterans of war have been here, and regardless of their political positions have found sources of healing.

Maui is not really known as a center of political activism here in Hawaii. It does, however, host a great variety of what could be called “cultural creatives.” The job of the artist is to reflect the world you’re in, and who you are, back to you. That’s what’s happening here.

Actually, that's just what's starting here!

What once was a vague notion is now becoming a reality that has the potential to grow exponentially in its impact. Already we have been offered a venue to hold another such exhibit on the Mainland! A gallery in California has embraced the concept of taking a number of our pieces and inviting local artists there to contribute their anti-war works for a show that will then move on to another venue heading East, and to another and another until there’s a massive, collective anti-war exhibit in Washington, D.C.!

And here we are, now, the beginning of a movement!

What’s showing up at this exhibition, individually, may make you wince, give you pause, provoke tears or anger you. But there are also many, many messages and expressions of peace. The overall effect, strangely enough, is hope. Not because the art is coordinated to say that, but because the art provides a container where people can be stimulated to take action to make a better world – for all of us.

And we offer what we've learned to act as a model for other communities to follow.

If you have any influence at all, connect with us to hear the voices and see the visions of people working for the good. You will find something to relate to and to work with. If you know anyone of influence, help them get in touch with us so they can spread the word, for the good of all~!

Closing Night... The Roast of President George W. Bush

The art show ended in Maui with a roast of George W. Bush. Go-go dancers marched onto the stage waving an American Flag, while a catchy tune from Green Day blared out lyrics likely few would have guesses against the punchy pop rock backdrop:

Hear the drum pounding out of time
Another protester has crossed the line (Hey!)
To find, the money's on the other side
Can I get another Amen? (Amen!)
There's a flag wrapped around a score of men (Hey!)
A gag, a plastic bag on a monument

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On holiday

The roast was at times crass and vulgar, often hilarious, and mostly uncomfortable. But shouldn't it be uncomfortable? The task of taking the current President to task is inevitably a strange and surreal experience because of how unbelievable it is that as a democracy we have allowed Bush to lead us to this place.

As I was telling a friend to come to the show-- "Osama will be there, Saddam will be there, Hillary... it will be very funny..."-- my friend remarked, "It had better be funny, he's got so much material to work with."

Some people walked out after the first five minutes to find solace in the artwork in the gallery rooms. And that perhaps shows why the Maui War and Peace Show closed with something that was below the belt, that called our President stupid, that made every immature jab at George W. possible, that cussed and slurred... the contrast of the Roast of Bush with the artwork in the Gallery served to show us where we could have gone with the rest of the show but didn't.

The War and Peace show was a memorial to the fallen and a powerful prayer for peace. It was honorable, it brought people to tears, it inspired. I can't tell you how many visitors, after walking through the gallery, sat down to express deep gratitude.

I found myself laughing hard when no one else was laughing and noticing others laugh when something wasn't funny. As I'm logging the videotape to my computer, I can't even hear the audio, but watching Saddam, Osama and Hillary dancing behind the spokesperson for Bush has me cracking up.

The Largest Anti-War Art Show in the United States

Thanks to the research and will power of Russ Reina AKA Firetender, the count of actual art pieces is 205, the number of artists exceeds 100 and there is no other art show in the United States that has as large a collective nor collection of Art with this kind of a statement. We said from the beginning we would create the largest anti-war art protest in the nation. I thought it would come by way of Tom's idea to march with the faces of each fallen American Soldier as masks over our faces. Or as Pat's idea to have a die-in on the beaches of Maui.

The question for me, now that we have the largest Peace art show in the nation, how do we amplify the ripples of our message and stop America's war in Iraq. One way for now, is to spread the word. Write the editors of newspapers on the mainland. Send messages to all media, Television, Radio and the web. As far as the web is concerned, the largest viral marketing tool I know of is DIGG.com. At least 2 million people are exposed to the most "dugg" stories-- each digg is basically a point for the website. I've created a DIGG link that you can use to promote our message. All you have to do is click the DIGG link right below this text. You will have to register but it could make a real difference in getting exposure.

What else do we need to do to spread the word?

read more | digg story

The largest MauiSLAM! yet! @ the War & Peace Art Show June 24th, 2007

Bookend wins for Terms None!

Terms took the prize on Memorial Day and brought it home again last night at the largest MauiSLAM! yet held at the War & Peace Art Exhibit in Makawao, Maui.

200 or so made their way to the space in Makawao as the Maui Artists for Peace hosted MauiSLAM! Maui's only monthly performance poetry competition. 30 poets from 7 to 70 spit their verses as living canvases were adorned with a mural of serenity and peace.

Eddie Float and Rudy Esquire rocked the space as the crowd filed in through the countries largest war and peace art exhibit in the country; and more works continue to come in with only five days left before the official close of the exhibit.

DJ Tobin filled the air with beats between the first time slammers, serious contenders and previous winners like Pat Masumoto, Jahsun, Lawrence Hill, Michael P, Frank Rich and Terms None.

G503 aka Zack Williams, Firetender & Terms all scored 29 and with Firetenders earl departure, only G5 & Terms bring it back to the stage. Terms took the tie breaker and the $100 for the second month in a row as the theme of war & peace fueled the passion of this incredible performer.

Video highlights coming to the site soon.

Mahalo to all the poets, judges and supporters of MauiSLAM! and the Maui Artists for Peace!

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
Peace,
D

Internationally travelling Tipi From Australia Visits the War and Peace Show

If you've ever been to Maui you can deeply appreciate that not a single billboard dots the island. The gentleman across the street at the StopWatch Bar tells us we're breaking the Maui billboard laws. I wouldn't be so concerned except that he says he's a former county councilman.

Howie Cooke's Tipi has been to 9 countries, 4 International Whaling Conferences, and has had over 100,000 visitors inside the Tipi. He showed up at the War and Peace Show looking for Dolphin Dave who will be presenting the movie "The Gathering: Return of the Whaledreamers" on Tuesday night at the gallery. In tow was the Tipi.

Well, as I am writing this, I sit at the gallery and a police officer just pulled up after receiving ten complaints. Her lieutenant had instructed her to deal with the Tipi that was obsctructing visibility for drivers.

"I really hate to bother you," Officer Heather said. I asked if we could just move the Tipi over, she said that was fine. And then she proceeded to spend some time admiring the art in the show. She was particularly impressed with the kids room where we have over 600 pieces of art made by children.

Howie is off to Australia tomorrow with his Tipi where he continues his message that all whaling must stop. Japan has announced they will be killing 50 humpbacks this year as part of a scientific study. "They are using the auspices of a scientific study to justify what is a worldwide illegal act," says Cooke.

Barack Obama's campaign is the first to visit the War and Peace Art Show

The highlight of the morning's meeting was what followed when when someone mentioned that Barrack Obama's sister was on Maui. Someone said to (I think it was) Loraine-- do you know anyone you can call to invite her to the gallery?

She got on the phone and about 10 minutes later she announces to us all-- "she's on her way."

Five minutes earlier, photographer Lisa Yurkovic had walked in with her camera. We immediately recruited her.

Maya Soeoro-Ng walked into the gallery and quickly commented that she was impressed. "I am a schoolteacher you know," she said. "I'd love to use this as part of my curriculum."

She spent almost a half hour taking her time with the art. She was with her family and her young daughter spent some time playing in the kids room-- the kids room is draped with prayer flags hanging from the ceiling and the walls are adorned with peace art from 600 kids.

Pictured at left, Maya Soeoro-Ng and Tim Garcia in front of Tom Sewell's piece: "I Can No longer Remain Silent."

We're now waiting on the visits from campaigns of Clinton, Edwards, Kucinich... Guiliani, McCain... in fact, the Obama campaign was the first of any politician (including local) to visit the Maui War and Peace Art Show.

Slam Poets for Peace!

What a night! Still running into people who were part of the 300 or so that made their way through the largest War & Peace Art Exhibit in the country! And they are still buzzing!

Maui SLAM! poets Zach Williams, Terms None, Pat Masumoto, Lawrence Hill & JahSun contributed to the night's creative collaboration, spitting verses and curses and rhythms and rhymes for peace and to SLAM BUSH!





Terms None brought "Just Kidding", his winning poem from our PEACED OFF! Memorial Day Maui SLAM!

Maui Artists for Peace plan to keep the momentum going all next week, every night and through the weekend!


Maui SLAM! tops off this weeks events on Sunday at the War & Peace Exhibit with what could turn out to be the largest poetry slam on Maui yet!

Maui SLAM, Maui’s monthly spoken word competition, will be in Makawao this month to celebrate the Maui Artists for Peace WAR & PEACE Art Exhibition.

This art exhibit is a platform for radical expression including the largest protest in the state against America 's War in Iraq .

On Sunday, June 24th 2007, performance poets, emcees, spoken word artists and activists, are invited to perform original works of 3 min. or less in competition for $100 cash prize. War/Peace themes encouraged, but not required.

Doors 6p/SLAM 7p $5 cover, no costumes/music/props.

Complete rules at mauislam.com

War & Peace Art Exhibition 1134 Makawao Ave. across from the Public Parking Lot, and next to Minit Stop (Elan Vital space).


See you all week!

Peace,
Dave & Chela

Great Reviews

The Maui War and Peace Show that opened on June 8th 2007 was a huge success. Over 500 people attended an art show with over 80 artists bringing over 200 pieces of art (not counting the kids-- too hard to count) all inspired by the original intention to stop the war in Iraq.

Our intention was to create a bold and audacious ART SHOW titled "War and Peace" on Maui proclaiming that:

This illegal and immoral war must stop now.

I was in San Francisco the night of the opening. My first voicemail in the morning following was: "I hope you had a great time last night because you missed one of the best events of the year on Maui."

Thanks Rachel.

All the reviews I've heard inform me that the apparent political apathy we think we see in our country is simply a desire for more creative and artistic expressions against the war. The space was rented out just three weeks before the opening. The media call for art was put out just 5 days before the show.

The best review published so far is from the Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute:

The Maui War and Peace Art Exhibition 2007 opening night was a mind blowing huge success. I saw a miracle in Makawao. This art scene was all about war and peace. It wasn’t about art for tourists. And this is the type of art that one could only see in a big city art scene. This was art that moved you. This exhibition is an important event in art history.

I have the honor of writing the first blog post for Maui Artists for Peace. Look for posts from Michelle, Tim, Tom, Jerry, Dave, Chela, Suba... Summer... Russ... Sandra... who else am I missing? Let me know.

Peace,
G