A Suggested Template for a Collective, Traveling, Anti-War Art Exhibit

The “War and Peace” Art Exhibition held on Maui, Hawaii from June 8, through 29, 2007 was a success far beyond the expectations of its originators. Begun with the intent to provide a venue for local artists to exhibit their more controversial works in regards to the war in Iraq (and “War and Peace” in general) it quickly became the largest collective anti-war art exhibition in the United States. In fact, an internet search indicates that it is the largest such show at least since the occupation of Iraq!

To our pleasure, the gallery began acting as a catalyst for community connection. This was an unexpected benefit. At first, a few presentations and gatherings were scheduled on-site. Within days, however, community groups from all over the island were asking to schedule their events at the gallery. This art exhibition quickly became a center of activity for a diverse array of community groups that included fund-raisers, benefits, educational programs, and multi-media presentations, along with music, a spoken word “Slam!” (The largest in Maui’s history!) and theatre pieces.

This creation has the potential to be a model for artists everywhere to join together to create environments that galvanize communities. We offer our experience to all! We’ll continue to report on what we’re learning through this website, so the model can be strengthened.

What has happened here in Maui, however, is more than a model, it is the beginning of a movement.

A gallery in California is requesting representative pieces of our art exhibit to include with an anti-war art exhibit of their local artists. This brings us to a vision of what could be from what has started here in Maui.

The plan is simple. We send representative works and DVDs and information packages to the next venue, which, in turn, sends our submissions along with their own contributions to the next venue. As the venues move across the country, we will build an inventory of art, along with video-resource library whose content could be ordered selectively by communities wishing to join the project.

We anticipate many communities will want to participate in this project, but few will have the resources necessary to produce a show large enough to hold the full exhibit. They can be included as well. Interested groups can put on a mini-art show of their own and feature video-documentation of other of the shows and/or projects at it. Smaller groups can have a theme within a theme, using us as a resource. A growing collective of small venues could have huge impact, as well.

As each community participates, it will document its artists and their art and activities and projects and make it available to upcoming venues. As the show moves across the country, it gets larger, and more communities are represented. Can you picture a stop in Manhattan to gather HUGE numbers of works and artists? The “hook” of “Maui to Manhattan: From Our Island to Yours” is irresistible! But it doesn't stop there: the project culminates at a huge venue in Washington, D.C.

This allows more focused projects to take life as a result of the larger project. At the same time, “footage” of all the shows will be made available for editing into one collective film that traces the complete life of the project, including voices of artists nationwide against the war.

Since this is meant to be no more than an outline of basic components to begin the dialogue and process, let’s mention a number of (suggested) key ingredients that will pass from show to show:

* Our “War and Peace” exhibit began because a number of prominent local artists could not find venues for controversial and highly personal pieces they created. Our “centerpiece”, if you will, was a work by Tom Sewell. It is an American flag whose stripes are made up of images of the faces of each US soldier who was killed in the Iraq conflict (the “count” was about 3,200 at the time of completion of the project). The “stars” area shows the face of one soldier at a time. This will travel from exhibition to exhibition (and is ideal as a video display, also).
* An undetermined number of anti-war/pro-peace art pieces from each venue
* A video-tour of each venue
* A video of representative artists showing and speaking about their contributions to the exhibit.
*Videos of individual projects, pertinent to the theme, that were showcased at individual art exhibitions
*A filmed musical piece. Each venue offers a song on the theme of peace. Original or otherwise at the discretion of the venue.
* A filmed spoken word “Slam!”
* Each venue can initiate projects that can include past and/or future outlines of grassroots projects or literature developed during the course of the show that newer venues can use as templates

Where is all this leading? Picture a collective show of hundreds of artists from communities across the United States expressing themselves against war within walking distance of the White House! It also contains representatives of community organizations related to the overall project sharing resources and connections. A “video wall” showcases the various projects that have come from the show, while a stage hosts live acts from across the nation, performing what they’ve created for their shows.

We have already shown how, in one community, artistic expression can be a galvanizing force in efforts to counter our country’s involvement in illegal and immoral war. The artists of Maui now offer a template to the rest of the world to help us unify our voices for the good of all.

Art Gallery begins...

We hope to include more art soon as well as descriptions of the work. The full size gallery from the War and Peace Art Exhibition 2007 is on the website. Feel free to comment on the work.

Iraq contractors outnumber troops - baltimoresun.com

Iraq contractors outnumber troops - baltimoresun.com:

By T. Christian Miller
Originally published July 4, 2007

The number of U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now exceeds that of American combat troops, new figures show, raising fresh questions about the privatization of the war and the government's capacity to carry out military and rebuilding campaigns.

More than 180,000 civilians - Americans, Iraqis and others - are working in Iraq under U.S. contracts, according to State and Defense department figures obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Including the recent troop buildup, 160,000 soldiers and a few thousand civilian government employees are stationed in Iraq.

The total number of private contractors, far higher than previously reported, shows how heavily the Bush administration has relied on private corporations to carry out the occupation of Iraq - a mission criticized as being undermanned"