At The Crossroads - Community Arts and Development Convening

The Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute of the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (RAC) and the Community Partnership for Arts & Culture (CPAC), present Rustbelt to Artist Belt : At the Crossroads.

This conference unites a cross-section of artists, community activists, educators, academics, policy-makers, and creatives in a platform for critical dialogue about arts and community development. This convening places a special emphasis on the role of artists and their community partners in creating positive social change.

Presentations of new scholarship, workshops, and discussions will allow people in diverse social practices to connect and engage in a forum that inspires new ideas and community collaboration.

Mark your calendars today for April 12 through 14 in St. Louis. This event will take place in the Chase Hotel and Conference Center. Click Here to go to the hotel’s web site. Convening web site and registration information to follow.

For more information, contact Roseann Weiss at roseann@stlrac.org or 314/863-5811.

Rustbelt to Artist Belt : At the Crossroads is sponsored by RAC and CPAC with support by the Ford Foundation and Leveraging Investments in Creativity and is funded, in part, by the Kresge Foundation and the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission.

:::::::::::: One of the most powerful aspects of Crossroads is appreciating all the wonderful work we do in St. Louis on a daily basis.

Here’s my personal favorites:

David A.N. Jackson- a multitalented musician, poet and performer. soundscapist. E-mail David A.N. Jackson

Cowry Collective- I look forward to being involved in the group’s mission to create a stronger community of people of African descent in the greater St. Louis area. E-mail Cowry Collective

Playback Theater & The Joint Task Force- what a beautiful strong image etched in my mind at the Thursday opening reception. Go Jackie Go! You can catch them next at Washington University.  playbacktheaterworkshop.com

Diversity Awareness Partnership is preparing for their Summer Arts Retreat. I am so excited to be involved in such a thoughtful initiative! (I was definitely inspired by our NOLA guests at the crossroads. )www.dapstl.org

PPRC Photography Exhibition will be happening just around the corner at both Urban Eats and UMSL. http://pprc.umsl.edu for more info!

& many, many, more contributions, movements and happenings throughout the area. I’m excited to see what the convening will birth… and will patiently await the *hopeful* next….

Just a note of what I do:

I am a mother, artist, curator, organizer. I am on the National and local board of the Women’s Caucus of Art. I lead crazy art sessions out of my studio on Sundays to youth, adults and special interest groups. It’s at the corner of 19th and Madison on the northside of town. I part time it at the Scholarshop & always willing to lend a helping hand.

I am a founding member of Yeyo Arts Collective & GYA arts shop, a small group of black women who believe in empowerment through arts and craft… in a self-sustainable cooperative kinda way. We will be having the grand opening to our space May 1st at our new location  2700 Locust! (Our beginnings here will be forever linked in my mind to the Crossroads as its birthplace=)

Please check me out:

• dailchambers1.blogspot.com – Me
• yeyoarts.blogspot.com – Our Women’s Group and Shop
• www.blackartistnetwork.blogspot.com- networking blog
• www.dailchambers.com

I am a very proud member of the following groups:

• Literacy for Social Justice Teacher’s Research Group (LSJ)
• Organization for Black Struggle www.obs-onthemove.org
• Women’s Caucus of Art www.wca-stl.org
• E-mail Dail Chambers

… It has been a pleasure growing with all of you over this past great weekend.

It was good to see Milton amongst us this weekend. He is a wonderful artist that is definitely worth meeting if you don’t already know him. catch him on facebook or read his bio.

I look forward to his work bringing a great energy to my home. He is a phenomenal drawer and his use ofcontrast is butter to my eyes.

More about Milton Holmes written by him:

My name is Milton Holmes, Jr. (Hussein). I am 62 years of age.  I am the father of four (three sons, one daughter), and the grandfather of nine (six girls, three boys).  I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO., where I attended public school through high school (Soldan alumnus).  I studied fine art at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, OH., graphic art at Forest Park Community College, St. Louis, MO., and fine art at the Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Mo., where I had a split major (painting/printmaking).

To their dismay (they wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer), I professed a love of drawing and my intention of becoming an artist to my parents at age five.  I have worked at achieving that goal since that time.  It has been difficult.  Through bad judgement, bad timing and bad luck, I’ve had only three jobs as a full-time artist, none of which lasted more than a couple of months.

Yet, the desire to create quality art has burned within me throughout my life and continues to burn, as brightly and fiercely as ever.

I am proficient with oils, acrylics, water colors, pastels, charcoal and graphite.  But my favorite medium is pen and ink, and for the last fifteen years or so, I’ve concentrated almost exclusively on that work.

As an artist, I see myself as a storyteller, relating the stories of people, places, and moments in time that are the subjects of my work.  Although I don’t relegate my work to any one subject, culture or ethnic group, the great bulk of my work has told the stories of African-Americans.  I am African-

American and I believe strongly that for centuries, we have made positive contributions to the world in the fields of math, science, “the arts” (painting,sculpture, literature, music, dance, drama, photography et al), and sports, much of which has been overlooked or ignored.  It is important to me that we tell as many of our stories as is possible.

visit him at: husseinshouse.blogspot.com

Pen & Ink Drawing

*The featured drawing is titled We Are Not Saved.