Colombia & the art of Jafeth Gómez Ledesma

EXHIBIT ENDS March 21, 2009

The paintings of artist, activist, dreamer and teacher – Jafeth Gómez Ledesma will no longer be on exhibition after Saturday, March 21st.

ArtRage will have possession of the artwork until July 2009. This is your last chance to view these powerful images of hope. If you are interested in purchasing a painting come in this week to put a 50% deposit down on your selection to hold it, with a balance due by July 8, 2009. “Girl with Tucan” pictured above & those below are a few of the paintings still for sale.

Colombia is synonymous with drug trafficking, with the country earning an enormous amount of money every year by shipping its illegal wares to the USA. But the American government has been engaged in a lengthy battle to stop the Colombian drug barons from trading with their country…or have they? A 20-year war on drugs in Colombia has been paid for by U.S. taxpayers. Still more and more drugs and narco-dollars are entering the U.S. every year. Is it a mere failure by Washington or is it a smokescreen to secure Colombia’s oil and natural resources?

Filmmakers Gerard Ungerman and Audrey Brohey take a look at the government’s efforts to quash trading with Colombia, and find some surprisingly lax activities taking place. Commentators such as Noam Chomsky and Senator Paul Wellstone are brought into the picture to explain why this might be occurring, with a particular focus on the lucrative oil resources that Colombia houses. A fascinating mixture of facts, figures, and speculation, PLAN COLOMBIA: CASHING IN ON THE DRUG WAR FAILURE offers plenty of shocking revelations as the film unfolds.

Narrated by  Ed Asner and Dolores Huertes

FREE TO THE PUBLIC

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.

Jafeth’s Good-bye Fundraising Party!

To bid a loving farewell to our visiting artist, Jafeth Gómez Ledesma, and to help support ArtRage, Colleen and “Some Guys”  and the Eudy Fernandez  Latin Jazz Band will play at a concert/dance party during our current exhibit of Jafeth’s paintings; Hope In a Time of Turmoil. Join us to eat, drink, dance and generally celebrate life with Jafeth and the gang!

“Joe Hill would be proud.  Singer and organizer at the same time”,  Pete Seeger says of Colleen, a bi-lingual singer songwriter of New Song and Nueva canción.  She performs original alternative acoustic music in a splendidly energetic mix of poetry and rhythm.  Her voice can be both strong and tender and has been likened to that of Joni Mitchell, Natalie Merchant, and Shawn Colvin.  Colleen has performed for diverse audiences at colleges and universities, women’s festivals, environmental festivals, and Latin American and labor solidarity events.

Nationally, she has toured  with the acclaimed multi-media project Sing it down!, a music/video/discussion program designed as part of the movement to educate about the infamous US army School of the Americas. Folk legend Pete Seeger has called this struggle to close the school “the singin’ist movement he knows”.  Aside from singing with Seeger, Colleen has shared the stage with folks such as Bruce Cochburn, Holly Near, and Tom Paxton.  Colleen combines music and activism, recognizing the guitarra armada or ‘armed guitar’ concept of Latin American troubadours like Mercedes Sosa and Silvio Rodriguez who know that the guitar and voice are mightier than the sword.

Colleen at ArtRage: $10-$25 sliding scale suggested donation.

For more on Colleen visit: www.colleenkattau.com and www.myspace.com/colleenkattau

The Syracuse International Film Festival will screen sneak peeks of their 2009 upcoming films and award winning 2008 shorts. Join us for a night of film madness to support independent filmmakers.

Sneak Peeks for Festival 2009:

Famous in 31 Days - by John Gerard – Local newscaster, John Gerard, decides to rise above obscurity and become a famous TV star in 31 days.  We share with him the laughter, the rejection, and the fun as he makes his way across the USA to Los Angeles to follow his dream.

Animated American – The future collides with the past as a house-hunting executive crosses swords with his realtor.

The Best of 2008 -

The Box - Korea – animation – A man sits on a stage with a box on his knees waiting for you to enter a magical phantasmagoria.

The Miracle - USA – A woman who dares to dream past her own physical limits takes us on her journey. Based on a true story.

Program length:  approximately 90 minutes.

For more information contact:Christine Fawcett-Shapiro – Festival Producer, Syracuse International Film Festival Hotel Syracuse, 500 S. Warren St. Syracuse, NY 13202
e christine@syrfilm.com t 315.443.8826 f 315.443.2493