The Good Mule

Facebook Cover Photo for The Good Mule

The Good Mule Conference on Social Justice is this weekend. I will have my lily pad artwork up tonight at the Bobby Bailey (co-founder of Invisible Children) as well at the conference tomorrow.  I will also be helping with a panel discussion with adults with disabilities from the Cooper Center. 

To learn more about what the events this weekend, check out the Facebook Event Page.

You can see my lily pads art on Facebook or read about the social issues behind my lily pad art here on my blog.

I hope to see some of you there tonight or tomorrow!

Good Mule Poster

13 Anti-Trafficking Resources

With estimates as high as 27 million slaves world wide and hundreds of thousands in the US it is obvious to me that much of my time needs to be spend on the topic of human trafficking.  Through research that has gone into my Lily Pads series I have found a vast array of resources addressing human trafficking and would like to share some of my favorite with you.

IJM - Simply put IJM is a human rights organization that aids in the rescue of trafficking and other victims.  IJM can be found on Facebook.  There are advocacy pages for many states that can update you with specific information for your state.  Find the Wyoming IJM Advocacy Group page here.  To find your state search "___________ IJM Advocacy Group."  If your state doesn't have one contact JusticeCampaign@ijm.org.

Photo taken in Art Alley, SD to use for inspiration.

Arts Aftercare - Arts Aftercare helps create art therapy kits to send to aftercare facilities throughout the world. Art is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to working with children, people who have experienced trauma, and when there is a potential language barrier.  Currently 10% (or more) of all my sales will go to Arts After care.  You can see more on the Arts Aftercare Facebook page.

JUBILEE - Curtis Romjue founder of Arts Aftercare is also a part of a not-for-profit band raising money for Arts Aftercare and other aspects of fighting slavery. You can find JUBILEE on Facebook.

Polaris Project - The Polaris Project has an international hotline that you can contact about all things trafficking.  They have several databases and registries for all of the state and provide a plethora of other resources including a variety of trainings.  As you read this enter their toll free number into your phone. 1-888-3737-888 Polaris Project Facebook

Truckers Against Trafficking - Truck stop prostitution plays a major roll in underage sex slavery, human trafficking, and underage prostitution in the US.   TAT Facebook page
     
Not For Sale - This organization is working on behalf of vulnerable communities and offers apps that allow you to check how products have been made. 
     Free2Work - This app grades brands on a A-F scale based on how they relate to child and forced labor.
     Slavery Map - Maps stories of slaves world wide
     The Underground Church Network - An invitation to all who have a faith based community.  There is a specific branch for the Jewish community.

End Slavery Now and the New Underground Railroad - Your organization, church, or you can be added to this list.

HumanTrafficking.org - This site has many resources.

XXXChurch.com or X3Church.com - Triple X Church helps people with sexual addictions.  Anything from porn stars and producers to the every day consumer.  Find XXXChurch on Facebook.

Obama's Speech on Trafficking

Here is a list of 7 organizations to follow on Twitter.

Many women's shelters, safe homes, police departments and other organizations have some training or knowledge on the topic.  Though there is a good chance that they are not fully qualified to handle a trafficking situation.

What are some of the most helpful resources you have found on human trafficking and sex slavery.

My Bra Art

Felicia Follum, 24"x36" 1 in 8 Bras

This poster is for the "Support the Cure" art exhibition at the Artful Hand Studio and Gallery in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  All of the work in the exhibition feature or are inspired by the bra in some form or another.  I chose to create a graphic design poster, in a style inspired by Paula Scherr.

Through research I found that 1 in 8 women have or have had breast cancer.  This poster displays 8 different kinds of bras, one of which is specifically for women who have had a breast removed due to cancer.  The Mastectomy bra is the same color as the stat to show that it is the 1 out of the 8.

If you would like to purchase a print of this poster 20% will go toward cancer research.  Please let me know and I can set up an item on ETSY or we can trade in person.

Bra Art

Tomorrow is the opening reception for the Support the Cure exhibition.

The exhibition was set up by Georgia Roswell at the Artful Hand Studio and Gallery in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  All of the art in the exhibition will be inspired by the bra.  I will have at least one poster in the exhibition and would love to see you there.

If you purchase any work from this exhibition, 20% will go to support breast cancer research.

I did not create the poster design.  Check out my blog in a couple days or check out the show to see my poster.

6 Techniques We Learn about Going Viral from KONY 2012

I would love to create a successful campaign (click to read about the successes of the KONY 2012 campaign)on the topic of body image at some point…I will use the KONY 2012 viral campaign to get some inspiration, start brainstorming, and see what I can learn.

1. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. This campaign has so many components, from the variety of celebrities and politicians supporting the issue to the variety of apparel, action, information, and media options. Though not everyone will see everything, they will likely find something that they are interested in.

2. Have a street team who will help get your information out there.  This team should consist of influential people in their various niche.

3. Plan everything and have a sound concept (maybe a couple aspects).  if there is more than one concept, they should all tie together.

4. Have a website that is easy to find.  KONY2012.com

5. Ethos, pathos and logos.  Kony definitely possessed all three. 

From Mashable

6. Target Audiences -
     a. Freaks and maniacs - Those who are already interested will share your info
     b. The Mullet Strategy - Business up front is the issue.  The dance and Cover the Night would be the party in the back.

See more of my thoughts about KONY 2012 and purchase some of my KONY art.

Have Fun and Stay Out of Jail: KONY 2012 Stencil Art

Everybody loves graffiti style stencil art.  Which is why I figured I should create a stencil for the KONY 2012 campaign (see my other KONY art).  You can use the stencil to create posters, t-shirts or to decorate your parents garbage can.

To create your own graffiti style t-shirt using this stencil follow these simple instructions
1. Cut along the outside lines using an x-acto knife.  The negative space in the O's, 0 and P will not show up, but will still read perfectly well.
2. Place a piece of cardboard or old newspaper inside a t-shirt to prevent the paint from bleeding through.
3. Position stencil on fabric and tape the edges.
4. Follow spray paint instructions and paint.

BE CAREFUL not to get the paint on surfaces other than your t-shirt (or whatever object you are painting) and always ask permission before painting.

If you would like to purchase this stencil with my poster pack check out my ETSY shop.  If you would like to create your own go for it.  I used Impact and Adobe Illustrator.  Be sure to photocopy or make several prints if you want to go stencil crazy...As my high school AP English teacher wrote on the board every Friday, "Have Fun and Stay Out of Jail."

Education in Response to Haiti

Did you know that less than 1% of what the world spends on weapons in a year was needed to put every child in school for the same amount of time, but it did not happen?

The above poster uses this quote and a photo of school children in Haiti.  The community I was in seemed to have a decent number of kids in school; however, most of the kids were still just running around.  All of the children I gave art lessons to were not in school this was about 40 each day.

For each 11x17 poster sold ($25) I will donate enough to Thomazeau, Haiti to sponsor one child in school for a year.  Please do let me know if you are interested.  If you would like more information about sponsoring a child or teacher for a year, please let me know. 

See more artwork inspired by my trip to Haiti.

What is The Good Mule?

The Good Mule is a student-led organization that is designed to equip students with the tools they need to fight for their own causes.  This justice based conference was the perfect venue for my artwork and I was honored to be the Featured Visiting Artist for the event.

Why a Mule?

Wikipedia describes a mule as the following…

“The mule possesses the sobriety, patience, endurance and sure-footedness of the donkey, and the vigor, strength and courage of the horse. Operators of working animals generally find mules preferable to horses: mules show less impatience under the pressure of heacy weight.

Mules exhibit a higher cognitive intelligence than their parent species – horses and donkeys. Mules are highly intelligent. They tend to be curious by nature. A mule generally will not let the rider put it in harms way…”

Though I will not be a student next year I am hoping to stay involved with the Good Mule in the future.  I would certainly be interested in facilitating, speaking about art and activism or displaying my artwork again. 

Check out some of the other organizations that I support.

The Good Mule: Artist Statement

This past weekend I was fortunate to be able to attend The Good Mule 2012 Conference as the Featured Visual Artist. I participated last year so was pretty excited about being invited to be the artist. See more of my thoughts from The Good Mule.

I am currently finishing up my last semester at the University of Wyoming and will be graduating in May. I will be graduating with a in Fine Arts and a second major in Humanities and Fine Arts (HUFA) as well as a minor in Graphic Design. My areas of emphasis for the HUFA degree are Philosophy, Religious Studies, African American and Diaspora Studies, and Art History. My dream job is to have an art studio where I can continue to create art and work with people through teaching, art therapy, and graphic design lessons.

The pieces that are on display come from a couple different bodies of work and addresses a variety of topics. These topics include LGBTQ issues, Christianity and the LGBTQ community, African American religious culture and history, Native American reservations, and poverty.

Make it Plain is my most recent body of work and focuses on African American Religious history and culture with the goal of helping people understand religious figures such as Malcolm X and James Cone. Make it Plain will be up in the 234 Gallery during the Shepard Symposium. If you would like to see the entire show, this would be an excellent opportunity.

My next body of work will be dealing with sex trafficking and modern day slavery. Be sure to check out my blog and Facebook page to track the progress of my upcoming work and learn more about individual pieces and the research that went into their creation. The URLs are on my business card.

I am certainly up for discussion about concepts, inspirations, the bodies of work these individual pieces come from, collaborations, sales, or art and activism in general.

To learn more about the Good Mule check out their website.

Unangst Brink ASUW Campaign

Here is a campaign for Alex Brink and Jaryd Unangst.  Check out their Facebook page or website to learn more about these two candidates.  I know Alex from a variety of organizations including AmeriCorps and The Good Mule Project.  I designed all of the materials below.