Making Contact is broadcasting an abridged version of the event produced by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture.
King's 'Beyond Vietnam' Speech Turns 50 - WMRA
Tuesday marked 50 years since Martin Luther King Jr. gave what is considered his “most controversial speech” -- against the war in Vietnam. WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports how some in Harrisonburg yesterday honored that message.
Read more on WMRA
As Trump addresses Congress, poets pen a people’s view - PBS NewsHour
A week after President Donald Trump took office, hundreds of people gathered in their homes, schools and places across the country to share stories about how they saw the state of the nation.
“Very sad,” some said. “Becoming aware.” “We can get along.”
Read more here at PBS NewsHour
'People's State of the Union' celebrates diversity in Des Moines
"Carmen Lampe Zeitler believes the best way to connect people is through stories.
That philosophy inspired the Des Moines resident and activist to co-organize a “People’s State of the Union” story circle through the non-governmental nonprofit The United States Department of Arts and Culture."
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presents THE 2017 POETIC ADDRESS TO THE NATION - Broadway World San Francisco
"At YBCA we are pioneering a new model for art centers as citizen institutions - as activated and inclusive places for people to come together to directly address the pressing questions we face in our communities and in our country," says Deborah Cullinan, CEO of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. "With the Poetic Address to the Nation, we invite the American public to go on the record with their own truth, their own assessment of who we are and who we want to be as a nation."
USD’s first story circle held in CDC - The Volante
“The idea is that by collecting all these stories and collecting the things that people hold close to them, then policies can be created that more accurately reflect the people in this country,” Hansen said...
Merced Arts Center looking to collect stories of immigrants - Merced Sun-Star
The Merced Multicultural Arts Center will host a participatory art project focusing on immigration stories, according to organizers.
The event is called the People’s State of the Union and has become an annual effort to collect stories from around the country, according to its website. Merced’s version is 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the center, 645 W. Main St., Merced.Sublimity Ore., resident and Merced native, Joshua Hash, 25, right, views a watercolor painting with friend Mike Nicholson, 25, of Merced, left, during a reception for a new gallery at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center’s on, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. Andrew Kuhn akuhn@mercedsunstar.com
Merced residents are invited to take part in sharing their experiences in what organizers are calling “story circles,” according to Colton Dennis, the center’s executive director. The center will have volunteers on hand to take down the stories.
Participants Share Their Thoughts At 'State Of The Union Story Circle' At Parrish Art Museum - 27east.com
The Lichtenstein Theater at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill has a very specific environment: black curtains and concrete floors, with bright overhead lights.In that stark setting, members of the community on Friday discussed their thoughts about the state of America. Called the 2017 People’s State of the Union Story Circle, the public event was one of many held nationwide every year, where attendees ages 15 and older gather in groups and tell stories about their life and feelings about where they stand in today’s America...
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The State of Our Culture - CultureStrike Magazine
The arts world is still reeling from a series of chaotic blows in recent days. So we can’t blame you for wanting to just withdraw in despair as we see friends, loved ones and fellow creators and activists feeling more besieged than ever before. We are facing perhaps one of the greatest threats not only to our cultural sphere but our entire cultural democracy, in receent memory. And since culture tends to be driven by generational changes, it sometimes feels like this is both a moment that a new generation of artists and changemakers has never encountered and finds overwhelming--as well as a moment that this generation is called upon like never before to step up and pour our whole selves into exercising our rights and living our principles...
Here’s What You Can Do To Protect National Arts And Culture Funding - The Huffington Post
Arlene Goldbard, chief policy wonk of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC) (which is not a government agency, but a grassroots-oriented national arts advocacy organization), argued in a phone conversation with HuffPost that the practical angle might not be the strongest. “What we need to argue is for cultural values [...] for what we stand for and how we want to be remembered,” she said...
Read the full article on The Huffington Post
Support the Arts to Heal Our Nation - CityLimits.org
In 2017, we face new uncertainties. Our nation is roiling from the effects of the 2016 campaign, widespread foreboding, and uncertainty. The president has a responsibility to address the pervasive undercurrent of dis-belonging and hate. As Minister of Poetry and Language Protection on the National Cabinet of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC), I know there’s a way for the people to leverage the arts to strengthen our bonds and nurture cultural understanding...
Read the full article on CityLimits.org
‘State of the union’ gatherings planned in Jacksonville, nationwide to spur social action - The Florida Times-Union
“We help communities devise cultural policies and programs that help shift the culture in the service of social and environmental justice. It is truly to facilitate a process where the people drive the agenda — exercising personal and collective power to create strategies for equity and belonging,” she said...
The People’s State of the Union is giving a voice to unheard citizens - Generocity.org
Democracy is a conversation, not a monologue.
This last year has unearthed a volcano of advocacy and drive to connect with ways to fight racism, inequality, healthcare issues and sexism. Starting Jan. 27, the People’s State of the Union will offer an outlet to connect, empathize and build relationships in the face of a challenged nation...
8 Inspiring Human Beings On How To Make The Next 4 Years Matter - Refinery 29
Read here on Refinery 29
Circles share opinions on State of the Union - Albuquerque Journal
If the movers and shakers in Washington, D.C., seem far removed from daily life in New Mexico, there’s a way to share your thoughts on the state of the country.
“People’s State of the Union: Share Your Story” will give members of the community, young and old, of any political persuasion, an opportunity to voice their thoughts on the current state of the nation in a collaborative setting....
Read the full article on the Albuquerque Journal
US: Cultural advocacy group releases platform, demands basic income - Basic Income Earth Network
The fight against gentrification needs innovators
The Power of Imagination to Reshape Our Politics
Read the article here on Being with Krista Tippett
Talk With ME & Artist Betty Yu
Listen to the show on LawrenceHits.com
Talk With ME & Arlene Goldbard of USDAC
Listen to the show on LawrenceHits.com here