and.. more…decades of social justice: photojournalism and art hybrid.
selections:
The Art of Cannabis @ Lost Artists Colony 5/14/16 #artofcannabis @tselone
MadpalX & TSE LONE @tselone showing art of cannabis theme! first time in Chicago!
First time Art Show in Chicago with this Theme! (I do believe) Come Saturday! hey
http://www.artslant.com/chi/events/show/416824–the-pursuit-of-happinesses
and a bit of poetry..
Special Alternative Posting “magical mystery tour” (sigh) of New Pot Dispensary: Modern Cannabis |MOCA opens in Logan Square, Chicago. via ©2016 by MadPalX
….And now for the “Magical Mystery tour”(sigh) of Modern Cannabis- pass it on :):
A long LONG time ago. Ah..Now, A.D/C.E. 2016..scored daytrip to brand new Pot digs, in ‘da hood’ open house at MOCA… all rainbow light, shock & awe.. followed the cool white rabbit frantically checking his ancient watch..i followed.. breathe..hmm..running late for party…in da hood.. hoppin’ out of dreary street.. brain seering brightly arty colored graffiti boarded up front hole .eyes everywhere…I tumbled in..down, down, down the rabbit hole. spinning..timeless…what a long strange trip..messy enough to harken all heads to the party, welcoming.. Art everywhere, of entrancing psychedelic colours vibrating..tye dye art, black lite glowing (wear white), on beings past and present …mandalas grabbed the cave walls… Upon entry there was the undeniable true sweet smells of..wait!.. grass brownies, yum, and weed munchies galore, and other hippie treats, and of course, the Hooka Caterpiller was gently..on the move and offering SAGE advice. Of how to get FROM HERE… to there… spiritual guides// high reputation..intricate Indian Rugs grounding me to floor released and calmed space ..forest of many good plants grew tall and strong..for those too bummed to hunt and gather themselves a haven..more greeting, healing, and all warmly…the sound of sitars…all music..lights.. beckoned weary soul, mind, body, as I entered the magical space embraced by friendly people of all kinds, and all things righteous appeared to make it really good and comfy.. and most of all they are there to help to ease the pain and suffering of the weary tribes…gathering for safe haven..(ingest) (insert) (wave) peace sign and a group hug..in all ways…one LOVE.
CAN TV’s (Chicago Access Network TV) finally has a new home and it is impressive! It has been a long struggle to get its own building and it has been worth the wait. Be part of the equalization of TV, come for the access, and share/add your voice to the grand diversity that makes Chicago! Shout out welcoming, to individuals, community groups and nonprofits all over Chicago.
“CAN TV is an award-winning, highly successful, independent nonprofit, recognized as one of the finest public access centers in the country. We the people of Chicago have access to this opportunity to share our visions.” – (CANTV website)
I recently visited the brand new location now located in the Illinois Medical District Area at 1309 S. Wood St. between Damen and Ashland. It is easy to park in the free CAN TV lot, which is accessible off 13th Street, and there is also plenty of metered street parking. Public transportation via CTA bus and train lines with stops that are a short distance away. It is oddly quiet and almost with a rural feeling. Then you see the elevated and skyline in the distance…Admittedly, it has been a while since I connected with CANTV and it was like a reunion. I was one of the first certified indie producers back in 1986. I have continued over the years to show my artistic and social films in this incredible venue. I started shortly after my MFA from the School of the Art Institute, back when video was difficult, expensive and heavy! I have stayed with CANTV over the years and watched the changes. Ah, history!
At my arrival, Hugs all around with Barbara, ( New City Film names CAN TV Executive Director Barbara Popovic one of Film 50 2015: Chicago’s Screen Gems, “the creative thinkers, and more importantly, doers” representing “action and movement in every form of Chicago media.”) and Lesley Johnson, Program Director, Mary M. Stack, Assoc. Executive Director. and thanks to Joe Szentivanyi, Cable/Traffic Coordinator and Joe Garcia, Network Administrator.with a shout out to all the other good people there for many years, like Greg Boozell, Technology Director, (who I missed seeing in person-very busy guy) and fellow SAIC Alum. They all seem exhausted, leaner and even more determined – if that is possible – with the move this last yr from the Green St./Halsted area.
The facilities are state of the art. Chicago has a new tool for equalization in the system. When I saw the giant room filled with the Green Screen Wall, I was overwhelmed with a myriad of possibilities – the WOW factor of grand special effects opportunities! (no more drippy crumbled difficult green screen curtains!)
The full switch from using videotape to all digital will be a leap for some to make. But as you know, digital media affords current technology and many benefits. The staff who works here are passionate and educated and highly dedicated about what they do and always most helpful.
I got a quick tour of the facility, which is in the final stages of “getting ready” With boxes still unopened, and everthing with the “ fresh smell of media” you can see what lies ahead is nothing short of game-changing for the people who will use it.
Cablecasting accepting contact for programs now.. but always Call ahead, (no doorbell yet, so bring your cell to call for entry 🙂 (smile) and check out the website for more information.
Nonprofit CAN TV’s main number: 312-738-1400 email: info@cantv.org
(yes, I have a “special” in March…stay tuned!= yes…maybe you can guess what it will be…) (And..Chris Drew, Street Artist and Deborah Drew BOTH spent many years with community interactions on CANTV on the “Hotline” for social justice and free speech issues) ok, a hint..coming soon to CAN TV!
photo and indie film features true story: “Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist” (99 min) by Nancy Bechtol–Released/premiered 2014 at Logan Theatre, Chicago
this is excerpted from the Wikipedia Article:
Alvarez had prosecuted individuals under the Eavesdropping Act for recording police in public. Chris Drew recorded his non-violent arrest for street peddling of art. The peddling charge was dropped and Alvarez pursued the much harsher charge of recording police officers voice’s without their permission.[9] This charge could have a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.[10] Criminal Courts Judge Stanley Sacks dismissed the case on 2 March 2012, stating that the eavesdropping law was unconstitutional and that it was too broad and criminalized innocent behavior. Alvarez announced that she would appeal the ruling.[11] The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois successfully sued Anita Alvarez and she was ordered to stop prosecuting the ACLU employees and their agents under the Illinois Eavesdropping Act.[12] Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled that the Illinois Eavesdropping Act, 720 ILCS 5/14, violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution when used as a method to prevent the open recording of law enforcement’s audible communications in public places while performing official duties, or the communications of others that are incidentally captured.[13] It was ruled that Cook County would have to pay the legal fees of the ACLU which amounted to $645,549.[14]
only issue– he passed on 2 years ago.
Do you believe in the power of the spirit beyond physical death?
and I shout back to Chris, “your story will be told and have a longtime impact on many!”
Chris, artist and defender of the First Amendment, gave his life and dedicated his energies to overturn the Peddler’s Licence. But this challenge unbelievably ended up facing a Class One Felony Eavesdropping charges with 4-15 years in prison.-(in 2008 for audio recording his own arrest!) if convicted but he won with 2 probono attorneys Weinberg and Kutnick! THIS is a true story. Rooted in Chicago – my indie film, “Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist” (99 min) with the soundtrack of “Paper Airplane” by Alton & Mansfield courtesy of Hey Now Records. has very deep/grassroots connections which transcends boundaries!
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Here is his LinkedIN profile:
Executive Director at Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center
Greater Chicago Area Arts and Crafts
| Previous | |
|---|---|
| Education |
68connectionsConnectSend Christopher InMailMore optionsRelationshipContact Info
My goal is to establish Uptown Multi-Cultural Art Center as an institution with a paid staff and then go on to establish my own career and web site online. Along side of this I wish to work at long term part-time jobs in the creative and/or non-profit industries to further these aims. My creative, office and management skills make me a valuable and cost effective employee to any small or large business.
Specialties:proposal writing, office management, HTML coding, computer troubleshooting, repair and management, Photoshop, GIMP, Web site development, web site management, photography, screen-printing, layout, design, public relations, press release writing, radio spot writing, office software, letter writing.
– Present (28 years 7 months)
Founder and continuous manager of this community arts organization accomplishing over 20 years of steady arts programming with an all volunteer force. Imagine what we could do with a paid staff!
– (4 years 8 months)
Taught computer literacy and basic office applications to beginning and intermediate students.
Computer Lab maintenance.
This NEW resurrected “Zombie” Illinois Eavesdropping Law (which came back to unholy life Dec 2014) claims at least one victim–for now, more to follow… Remember we thought we won this forever, when the Illinois Supreme Court declared the Law Unconstitutional in March 2014? as shown first hand in (“Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist” feature documentary by Nancy Bechtol premiered 2014)https://youtu.be/2ncu2AjO5ok Remember Chris and all the freedom fighters for the First Amendment —now……watch out.. it is not over.. now the “interpretation” of the law and repercussions begin..in Illinois which has been plagued with injustice – count the ways..Robert Lederman has been very vocal about the rights of art vendors selling goods in SoHo. He founded A.R.T.I.S.T. (Artists’ Response To Illegal State Tactics) in 1993 in order to fight the “legal and political struggle for full First Amendment rights involving the creation, display and sale of art on NYC streets –This is not about politeness or respect for police officers, but rather about surviving the experience, he offers his sage advice as artists’ rights activist who has won numerous lawsuits about being falsely arrested.
http://gothamist.com/2008/11/24/robert_lederman_artist_activist.php
The recent deaths of African American males at the hands of police officers in Ferguson Missouri and Staten Island NY have resulted in widespread protests, riots and a great deal of controversy over police methods. Civil Rights leaders, politicians, activists and reporters
have given these incidents tremendous attention.Unfortunately, completely missing from the national debate is some very simple but crucial information about how members of the public, regardless of age or race and regardless of guilt or innocence should behave when stopped by the police, or when being arrested. This is not about politeness or respect for police officers, but rather about surviving the experience.
Leaving aside our subjective opinions on whether or not American police are brutal, racist, poorly trained or overly militarized, the unquestionable fact is that most people react inappropriately to being stopped, questioned or arrested. Having been arrested myself more than 50 times (though never convicted) I’d like to share my experience in the hope that even one such tragic incident as the deaths in Ferguson and Staten Island can be avoided. The advice I’m giving here is what I’ve learned to do so as to protect myself from being injured or killed by the police.
The key point is to neither do or say anything that could cause the police officer confronting you to think you are going to get violent,
use a weapon or attempt to escape arrest. Police officials, schools and parents should instruct children from an early age how to safely respond to a police confrontation.
1.Car Stops
When a police officer orders a driver to pull over and then approaches
the car, that officer is in a heightened state of alertness. His or her adrenaline is pumped up and they are armed with a gun. They have no idea whether the driver of the car is peaceful or if they have a weapon, are high, drunk, violent or crazy. The very first thing you need to do so as to protect yourself is to put both of your hands where the officer can see them. The two best places are out the drivers side window or to have them on the steering wheel.
The very worst thing you can do as the officer approaches your car is to reach under the seat, in the glove compartment or in your backpack, fanny pack or handbag. You might innocently think that reaching for your ID at this time is a good idea, since asking for your ID is likely to be the first thing the officer will do. No matter how well-trained a police officer is, and no matter how innocent you maybe, reaching for something at this time is guaranteed to make that officer suspect you are reaching for a weapon and to react accordingly.What I do before reaching for my ID, whether on the street or in my car, is to say to the officer, “I am reaching for my ID. I do not have a weapon. Is that OK?” Make sure that your hands remain in view at all times. Move slowly and deliberately and do what the officer is telling you, especially if they say to remain still.
2. Street Stops
On many occasions I have witnessed police in the process of arresting someone other than myself. The defendants often make the following, sometimes fatal, mistakes.
3. Wildly gesturing as they claim to be innocent.Aggressively walking towards the officer.Shouting, either cursing at the officer or shouting to their
friends to come and help them. Attempting to pull their hands away when the officer attempts to
subdue or handcuff them. Reaching into their pockets, pants, jackets, backpacks etc.
the police are trained to never back down once they begin to make an arrest.They will always meet resistance or force with much greater force. You cannot win by physically fighting with the police. The time to protest
and fight against police is in a court, where you have a better than
even chance of winning.Trying to pull your hand away when an officer attempts to handcuff you or twisting your body, will almost surely lead to a violent response. If there is more than one officer present, you can expect a pile on of all the officers, exactly as is seen in the video of the Staten Island
choke hold incident that led to the needless death of Eric Gardner.Regardless of what one thinks about police tactics or about racism in America is there any question that if Mr. Gardner had simply allowed
the police officer to place handcuffs on him that he’d be alive todayand facing a very minor charge for selling loose cigarettes?
The facts in the Ferguson Missouri shooting of Michael Brown are farless clear cut but the witness reports generally agree that as asuspect in a petty robbery Brown was stopped by the police who then attempted to arrest him. At some point he got away from them, and was shot. The police claim there was a struggle for the officers gun, which may or may not be true, but it seems fairly certain that Brown was in custody however briefly, possibly inside the police car, and then got away. If he had simply remained in the patrol car he’d be alive today and facing a very minor charge of theft.
None of what I’m suggesting is meant as a defense of the police nor as an accusation against the victims of these police shootings. These incidents are tragic because they were totally avoidable.
Everyone in this country, especially those who live in high crime areas where being stopped by the police, justifiably or without
justification, is a routine occurrence, should have a plan in place 
for surviving these incidents. Chose your battles wisely.
“It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will
not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies
but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not
know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single
battle.” – Sun Tzu
The writer is an artists’ rights activist who has won numerous
lawsuits about being falsely arrested.
> Robert Lederman
President A.R.T.I.S.T
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pass it on..
Outside the Loop Radio Interview #433: Listening?:WGN 720 AM
Mike Stephen meets up with Chic-a-Go-Go host Miss Mia Park in honor of the taping the 1000th episode of her wildly successful CAN-TV dance show, talks with local filmmaker Nancy Bechtol about the new Illinois eavesdropping law and her documentary Free Speech &the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist, and checks in with Aldertrack co-creator Mike Fourcher about how the Chicago aldermanic races are shaping up. This week’s local music is provided by Minor Characters.
OTL #433: Chic-a-Go-Go’s 1,000th episode, Illinois’ new eavesdropping law, Aldertrack’s latest local election preview
by Outside the Loop
Mike Stephen meets up with Chic-a-Go-Go host Miss Mia Park in honor of the taping the 1000th episode of her wildly successful CAN-TV dance show, talks with local filmmaker Nancy Bechtol about the new Illinois eavesdropping law and her documentary Free Speech &the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist, and checks in with Aldertrack co-creator Mike Fourcher about how the Chicago aldermanic races are shaping […]
Outside the Loop | February 1, 2015 at 7:22 AM | Tags: Aldertrack, CAN TV, Chic-a-Go-Go, Chris Drew, eavesdropping law, La Pasadita, Mia Park, Mike Fourcher, Minor Characters, Miss Mia, Nancy Bechtol, OTL, Ratso, WGN Radio | Categories: Mike Stephen, Outside the Loop Radio | URL: http://wp.me/p2OIZP-shJ
Chris Drew on location Silkscreening at May Day Rally ©nancy bechtol
FREE SPEECH & Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness 