I didn’t get around to calling mine on Christmas, adding insult to injury, as I also didn’t go visit her this Christmas like I have for the last seven years she has lived in that nursing home in North Carolina. I also visited her during summers and sundry holidays while I was in grad school so she was used to me visiting and calling often. Nothing particularly anything was different this year except I now work a day job with only a week of vacation so I can no longer visit as often as I did in previous years. The only thing I can think of is that I was depressed because I couldn’t go and visit her this year (for personal reasons I won’t go into here which basically means I had no money)-my sister also lives in North Carolina with her family-and that inspired general listlessness which lead to dramatically not caring about much of anything including calling the very people I was depressed over not getting to visit.

Sounds stupid? It is because I did call my my sister and nephews on Christmas day and spoke with them for an hour. Then they were to call me when they went to the home to give our mother her presents so it would at least feel like we were all together. Of course, I missed that call. When I called my sister back an hour or so after the fact she didn’t answer, but her cellphone is a piece of shit when it comes to dropping and receiving calls, so I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t call the home that evening because they rarely answer anyway, those fuckers. In fact I tried calling once when it wasn’t a holiday thin king I’d get through easier but the line rang twenty times with no answer at all or voice mail. I called back over and over to no avail. So history had left me bored with the idea of hearing the line ring. I had the next few days off after Christmas so I thought I’d call then. One uneventful thing after another prevented me from calling her. Then at 12:18am on December 29th my eldest nephew called me. I figured he was just calling to shoot the shit so I was inclined to not answer as I had to go to work the next day, but something told me to answer, you know, just in case.

It was the case. He mumbled what sounded like, “My mother died.” I was stunned because I thought he was telling me my sister was dead which would have been really shitty too as I love my sister something fierce, but he articulated himself more clearly the second time around. Though I could hear my sister shrieking in the background all I could ask was, “Are you guys sure?”
He adamantly declared yes. Still disbelieving, I asked if they were positive. Perhaps the nurse at the home was mistaken. It is a small country town in North Carolina after all, not the quickest of witted folk live there-excepting all the Northerners who have moved into the area-they don’t work in the home. But, no, they were quite certain, she was dead. My sister jumped on the line to yell at me so I would get it through my head, our mother was gone. I was skeptical. So I called the home. I hate that they call that place a “home” but that it was for seven years of my mother’s remaining life. A country-ass nurse unceremoniously told me that yes, in fact, Miss Catherine was dead as she was the one who found her. According to this nurse my mother died at 12:15 a.m. How she knew this little tidbit with such great certainty remains somewhat of a mystery, as is the cause of death, nonetheless, my mother is dead.
Her ashes sit on my dresser yet I still find it hard to believe. Maybe it’s because I kept meaning to call thinking I had time but never did.

photo: m. colon (yes, i did take photos.)

P.S. an ancestry search done out of grief and whatnot netted two things: my mother was not part cherokee as previously thought (thank god!). no she was part choctaw. she was also second cousin to hank williams sr. and sang backup for him on a live radio program along with her two youngest siblings. i guess that makes three things, but whatever.

Many of our art friends participated in the NARF sponsored Modern Day Warriors exhibition that took place in Boulder Colorado. Now you can have a piece from this historic exhibition and support a worthy organization. So give someone special something unique this year!

Check it out here:

CALL FOR ENTRIES / CONVOCATORIA / CONVOCAÇÃO

11th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

Festival dates: APRIL 16 TO 24, 2008

For more information contact:

Jacqueline C. Rush Rivera
Director of Programming | Directora de Programacíon
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival & The Cine Las Americas Media Arts Center
P.O. Box 1626, Austin Texas 78767
USA Tel: +1-512-535-0765, Fax: +1-512-535-6268
w w w . c i n e l a s a m e r i c a s . o r g
films@cinelasamericas.org

AUSTIN, TEXAS. Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - Cine Las Americas announces The 11th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival. The festival will take place April 16 - 24, 2008 in Austin, Texas, once again bringing the best of Latino and indigenous cinema.

The festival’s call for entries is currently open. The submission deadline is December 21, 2007. To obtain an entry form please visit www.cinelasamericas.org

Cine Las Americas invites filmmakers, producers and distributors to participate in The Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, now in its eleventh year. The festival showcases contemporary films from North, Central, South America the Caribbean and Spain. Works made by or about Latinos and native groups of the Americas are eligible to participate.

The festival grants Jury Awards in the categories of First or Second Dramatic Feature, Documentary Feature, Dramatic Short Film, Documentary Short Film and Youth Film. Audience Awards are also presented for Best Documentary Feature and Best Dramatic Feature.

To be eligible for these competitive sections, projects must have been completed after January 1, 2006. All film entries are also eligible to participate in the festival’s non-competitive sections. For all works where the spoken language is not English, English subtitles or narration are required.

As a celebration of young filmmakers, Cine Las Americas presents Emergencia, a special competitive section open to filmmakers ages 19 and under.

Submissions should be at the Cine Las Americas office by the following dates and times:

Deadline: December 21, 2007 at 5:00pm (Entry fee $20)

Late Deadline: January 18, 2008 at 5:00pm (Late entry fee $40) Youth Films Deadline: January 31, 2008 at 5:00pm (Youth films pay no entry fee)

The mission of Cine Las Americas is to promote cross-cultural understanding and growth by educating, entertaining and challenging the diverse Central Texas community through film and media arts. This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – NOVEMBER 15, 2007 Big Soul Productions Inc. and Q-Music Studios present The 24-hour Music JamFest – A Modern 49er. The “49er” is the party thrown after a pow-wow. 49er songs are round dance style music where the performers sing love songs with very tongue-in-cheek and sometimes raunchy lyrics. The 49er tradition was said to have been started somewhere in Oklahoma although there is no one person or place who has taken credit for starting these gatherings.

(Toronto – December 1 and December 2, 2007) - Musicians and performers of all nations, styles and disciplines are being invited to participate in the first-ever 24-hour Music JamFest, a Modern 49er, from 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 1 to 11:00 a.m. Sunday, December 2, 2007. Conceived and presented by Big Soul Productions and Q Music Studios, this groundbreaking event will provide an invaluable opportunity for cross-cultural and cross-genre musical experimentation, networking and great times, including the use of a state-of-the-art recording facility at no cost to the artists. Taking place at the Q Music Studios at 401 Richmond Street West, Suite B102 in Toronto, the jam will consist of 90-minute sessions. Confirmed artists include Juno-award winner, Leela Gilday, the Juno-nominated and Canadian Aboriginal Music Award recipient, Jason Burnstick, and rapper/actor Ostwelve (Moccasin Flats), and many more.

“There are so many artists in Toronto that weekend and I saw an opportunity to not only bring them together creatively but to also bring together the traditional with the contemporary by using the 49er format. I can’t wait to see what is created through this process.” Said Laura Milliken, creator and co-presenter of the 24-Hour JamFest and President, Big Soul Productions. Performances will be recorded live from the floor on the Q Music 5.1 HD Protools Suite and videotaped throughout the jamfest.

“All of the resources are being provided by Q Music Studios and Big Soul and it is free for all participants. That reinforces that the spirit and intent behind this project is entirely creative, collaborative and fun not just for the participants, but us too!” said Donald Quan, co-presenter, 24-Hour JamFest and President, Q Music Studios. All participants must pre-register with kim@bigsoul.net. Protocol for the jam and sign-up procedures are now available and being circulated. Information will be posted at http://www.myspace.com/bigsoulproductions. Volunteers are also being recruited for camera operators, sound engineers, engineer’s assistants, and hosts.

Laura J. Milliken is the President of Big Soul Productions Inc. She is the accomplished and award-winning producer of short films, television dramas, music videos, and animated series. For more information about her work, visit www.bigsoul.net.

Donald Quan is the Q behind Q-Music Studios. His film music company has provided music services to hundreds of television, film, radio and multi-media productions, including the popular television shows “Relic Hunter” (starring Tia Carrere for Fireworks) for which he was nominated for a 2002 Gemini Award, “Mutant X” (Tribune Entertainment) and “Tracker” (starring Adrian Paul for Lions Gate) as well as feature films “Expecting”, “Eve”, and the new CBC comedy “Getting Along Famously”. He is also responsible for the current themes for Movie Television (City-TV) and the cable network APTN.

For event information visit: http://www.myspace.com/bigsoulproductions

To register or volunteer for the event contact, Kim Ross: 416-598-7762 kim@bigsoul.net

Finally, The Canary Effect dir. Robin Davey and Yellow Thunder Woman, available for purchase on their official website site: http://thecanaryeffect.com
Looks like there is a some added footage as well as an interview with the directors. $20.00 includes postage!

Not a bad deal.

Get your copy today, or tomorrow, or whenever your check comes in.

American Indian Community House Presents its
25th ANNUAL INDIAN MARKET 2007 beginning
December 1 to 9, 2007
12 pm to 8pm daily
Free Admission

Where:
Judson Memorial Church
243 Thompson Street
(between West 3rd St. & Washington Square South)
New York City

The American Indian Community House (AICH) is pleased to announce our 25th annual Indian Market 2007. Please join us for nine exciting days when we host Native American artisans from across the country selling their handmade jewelry, beadwork, sculpture, moccasins, music, botanicals and other items. There will be daily raffles of art donated by the vendors. Admission is free and the venue is fully wheel chair accessible.

Since 1977 the mission of the American Indian Community House Gallery has been to support and promote contemporary Native American Art in both Traditional and Non Traditional forms, educate the general public about the diverse experiences of contemporary Native people, and act as a resource for the local and national Native American arts community. The AICH gallery has the distinction of being the only Native American operated contemporary art gallery in New York City. All proceeds will go to benefit the American Indian House Gallery so that we can continue to support our artistic community.

Christmas in Santa Fe 2007 Gallery Benefit and Art Auction to launch AICH’S 25th ANNUAL INDIAN MARKET
Special Host Irene Bedard
November 30, 2007
7:00 pm – 11:00pm

The auction will include art and jewelry by:
Hulleah J. Tsinahjinnie, Larry Mc Neil, Aaron Brokeshoulder, Jesse Cooday, Douglas Miles, Ben Turquoise, Annabel Wong, Sarah Sense, Beverly Singer, Terrol Dew Johnson, Jay Carrier, Laura Ortman, Gabriel Rodriguez, Shelly Niro, David Green, Paul Deo, Jacinthe Le Cornu, Anthony Two Moons, Venus Brightstar and more.

Golden Globe Nominated Actor Irene Bedard will host American Indian Community House’s 2nd annual gallery benefit with a silent and live auction featuring jewelry and fine art from various artists. Moreover there will be an opportunity to preview additional works that will be on sale during Indian Market. For 30 years the AICH gallery has the distinction of being the only Native American operated contemporary art gallery in New York City. All Proceeds from tickets and art sales will go to the American Indian Community House Gallery so that we can continue to support our artistic community.

in the mean time is an exhibition responding to the governmental refusal to sign the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which was recently considered by the United Nations General Assembly. The process was brought to a stalemate during the 61st session in September this year by Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand. The artists in the exhibition are representative of the four countries, commenting on the times that we live in.

Native American artist James Luna will show ‘Spinning Woman’ a video installation from ‘Emendatio’ his solo exhibition as part of the 2005 Venice Biennale. Showing alongside is Redfern-based painter Gordon Syron, an urban art pioneer with a penchant for the issues of (re)colonisation and Nadia McLaren offers her feature film documentary ‘Muffins for Granny’ a complex story of personal and cultural survival featuring interviews of six Native Canadian Elders who describe the physical, emotional and sexual abuse they suffered at Catholic Residential Schools.

Other artists in the exhibition examine a range of issues including cultural maintenance, media critique, pride, resistance and ecological sustainability through a range of contemporary artistic media.

The artists were brought together by Jenny Fraser, who says of the show ‘in the mean time’ highlights mean spirited actions that should never be suppressed, but brought out in the open and discussed in public forums and lounge rooms alike, communication is the first step towards problem-solving. This is not just a problem for Indigenous people, mean-spirited actions of governments affect most of us. The artists in this exhibition are strong people who offer food for thought”.

in the mean time’ will open at 6pm on Friday 7th December, 2007 at Raw Space Galleries, 99 Melbourne St, South Brisbane and close on Wednesday 2nd January, 2008, featuring James Luna, Gordon Syron, Christine Christophersen, Sharyn Egan, Nadia McLaren, Adam Martin, Andrew Hill, Bethany Edmunds, Kewana Duncan and artist/curator Jenny Fraser.

^{more info:}

^{Raw Space Galleries - http://www.rawspace.org}

^{‘Muffins for Granny’ by Nadia McLaren http://www.myspace.com/muffinsforgranny}

^{Artist/Curator Jenny Fraser - http://www.geocities.com/dot_ayu/index.htm}

^{contacts: gallery@rawspace.org dot_ayu@yahoo.com.au}

Join NAICA staff members, Sonny Grant and Maria Colon at the AICH for a pre-screening reception of short films presented by the AAIA in conjunction with the NMAI. Reception begins at 5:30 pm then we’ll all head across Broadway to the vaunted halls of the Smithsonian Institute to check out films by Cedar Sherbert, Annabel Wong and others.

Get the full details and directions here: http://thenaica.org/wordpress/2007/10/31/aaia-to-present-short-films-at-nmai-november-8th

Longviews will stream a video interview with the coordinator of this event Lisa Wyzlic from The AAIA and curator Raquel Chapa later this week…like tomorrow or Saturday. Also check out the hyperlinked websites to see what the heck AAIA, NMAI or AICH stand for.

We sure hope the AICH has their “Lower Manhattan” famous black bean dip out tonight!

We’ll keep you posted.

i’m a violinist, guitarist from new york….i’ve got 2 film soundtrack projects i need to crack open…definitely supported by a native american orchestra of sorts! i’m really interested in finding piano, electric guitars, string players, drums, electronicals, and bass wind instruments!!!!!!…or any instrument well played!

(PROJECT 1)i’m composing an original score to a silent film from 1918-19, hoping to find an ensemble of 3-5 musicians….looking for those with great chemistry, artistry, improvisational wonder and experimentality!

(PROJECT 2)and i have a score to a silent film that has already been written that requires LESS than 13 people…this one really requires a pianist and drums…..and musicians that can read classical music notation.

BOTH PROJECTS HAVE BUDGETS….but i need to figure out budgets for travel and rehearsals, performances etc. for all players.

……BOTH PROJECTS WILL HAVE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM!!!! and by great i mean HISTORICALLY AWESOME!!!!!! i mean this!

serious musical applicants needed in the vein of creating a strong native american ensemble for some serious collaborating!!! i wasnt sure where to start my search so that’s why i’m callin this out on myspace. THANK YOU FOR ANY LEADS OR CONTACTS ANY OF YOU MIGHT HAVE. i really need help in finding these people out there who can PLAAAAAAY!!!! THANK YOU!!!

with hope and appreciation,
laura ortman (violin, electric guitar, keyboard, samplers)

yu can contact the little lady on her myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/lauraortman