Deadline: March 15, 2009
Because community is so central to an Arts Covenant, the Arts Covenant working group invites everyone’s involvement. To begin with, we’re asking you or your students to help design an Arts Covenant logo and tag line. Besides a design task, this is a chance to discover what covenant, community, culture and the arts mean.

Logo designs can be submitted in two categories: 18-and-under &
Adult. All Central New Yorkers are eligible. We’ll have prizes for the winner in each category:
! 18-and-under – $100 iPod card
! Adult category – two tickets to Syracuse Stage and two tickets to Syracuse Opera and two tickets to Syracuse Symphony
! Top three entries in each category will be posted on syracuse.com/ CNYSpeaks and www.artscovenant.com.
! The public will select the best in each category.
! One of the two winners will be chosen as the official Arts Covenant Logo.

The CNY Arts Covenant invites EVERYONE in our region to support the arts and culture of our community by making and keeping four simple art-based agreements a year.

Within the broad categories of the Arts Covenant, each person can choose to participate in his or her own way. Since the NYSCA Cultural Blueprints conference last fall, a working group of artists and arts allies, with the assistance of the Post-Standard’s Civic Engagement Editor, have been working to create this ARTS COVENANT in Central
New York.

An Arts Covenant acknowledges that arts and culture is essential to quality of life and a lively, creative community – in good times and bad. In its deepest sense a covenant is what creates community.

For more on the Arts Covenant check out our website, www.artscovenant.com

Take this opportunity to meet Jafeth, our visiting artist from Popayán, Colombia in this informal setting. Jafeth will make a short presentation and open up a discussion with participants.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Jafeth is an artist from the Cauca region of Colombia. He has lived in Popayán since 1985 and produces much of his work from there. In his early days he was involved in community activities; teaching literacy, as a school teacher, as a leader of a Christian community and as a youth leader at a regional and national level. This experience gave him a wider understanding of the social realities of his country and resulted in him publishing a range of material in the 1980s.

In 1978, he published his first drawings. Ever since, his commitment to art as a profession has become more intensive and full-time, as he quickly developed a distinct and recognizable style, heavily tempered by ethnic, social, religious and cultural influences. He recently celebrated 30 years of producing art that boasts a firm and deeply rooted social commitment.

He regularly collaborates with local and national institutions in the development of graphic materials such as posters, drawings and illustrations, mostly aimed at supporting processes of social and community empowerment. He continues to bring his artistic experience to the wider community through workshops with grassroots groups and indigenous communities in the region.

Jafeth has exhibited his work in Popayán and other Colombian cities. He has completed murals both in Colombia and Europe. He is regularly invited abroad and has traveled with his work to Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Austria where it is widely recognized and well received.

Sisters Singing: Blessings, Prayers, Art, Songs, Poetry and Sacred Stories by Women
edited by Carolyn Brigit Flynn, foreword by Deena Metzger, Wild Girl Publishing, Santa Cruz, 2009.

The book will be the focal point of an evening celebration of the voices of contemporary women to be held on the Third Thursday in March at ArtRage.  We plan to combine live music with readings and chanting, this last led by local artist Marie Summerwood, whose original chants are included in the book.  We hope you will join us, and read a selection of your choosing from the book!

Sisters Singing is an inspiring, vibrant, and intimate exploration of contemporary women’s spiritual lives. It contains poetry, prayers and stories from more than 100 writers, along with black-and-white artwork and original music notated for voice and instruments.

These luminous works unveil spirituality as it is lived and experienced by women today, in daily life, human relationships, mothering, meditation and prayer, as well as connections with the earth and the ancestors, culminating with prayers for peace and for the world.  More information at http://www.sisterssinging.com/index.html

FREE to the public

FridayFLICS@ ArtRage!
All films begin at 8pm. $5 suggested donation.

FridayFLICS @ArtRage Celebrates Women’s History Month!

“THE DIVORCEE” (1930)

Directed by Clarence Brown

Norma Shearer is a role model for sophisticated [1930's] woman-hood… Challenging her husband’s double standard on adultery, she explores  sexual independence -and love– with an honesty that would be frank even today.  Shearer is is widely considered one of cinema’s feminist pioneers.

Oscar: Best Actress

“Surprisingly strong, effective early talkie” -Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) “Shockingly honest about marital infidelity… Quite modern in look, acting style, and structure” -Goatdog’s movies
“Significant …A wonderful film, (Still a) Modern story about modern problems dealt with in a graceful manner”-geocities.com/Hollywood