“Girls Making Media”

LATEST ARTICLES:
Letter to Senator Aboud
Reversal Healing by Linn Lane
Helping Hands
Yard Sale
Girls Making Media Update
Announcements

Past Newsletter Articles:
Drawing Down the Muse Update
Legends for the Land with Quynn
Growing Earth Project
Wind, Wind, Wind Poem w/ Linn
Girls Making Media
Opportunities
Love and Gratitude
Ingrid’s Workshops
WomanKraft Quick Study
Dr. James Suba *Sponsor*
Optimism and Enthusiasm Poem
Cookbook Fundraiser
Newsletter Cover
WomanKraft Mixed Media Players
Portable Shrines Article by Stephanie

Upcoming Gallery Schedule

DRAWING DOWN THE MUSE CREATIVE WEEKEND

After 14 fabulous years we have collectively agreed that the creative weekend for women saw it's last year in 2009. It has always been an artistic and spiritual success, incredibly valuable to all who attended and a high point of the year. However, increasing circumstances just make it impossible to continue. Due to the struggling economy, our corporate support has dwindled, whether we're talking about ad sales or in kind contributions. Many women are trying to weather economic difficulties and cannot continue to volunteer all the enormous hours and energy it takes to organize the event. The Muse is not totally disappearing. Our annual Drawing Down The Muse exhibit will continue to anchor our April and May slot, providing a non-thematic venue for women artists. Deadline for submissions is March 22nd, 2010. Check our website or the Castle Voice under Upcoming Gallery Events for details. Thanks everyone for all those good times. Fourteen successful years is not a bad run.

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“Girls Making Media” is a media production training program offered through the WomanKraft Digital Arts Studio for teen girls and young women.

Our free workshops produce Public Service Announcements about subjects that affect women and girls and Short Promotional Videos and Audio segments for organizations, causes and businesses that assist women and girls, and that couldn’t otherwise afford them.

“Girls Making Media” teaches teenage women digital media skills as they produce media segments about issues affecting women and girls in their community. The skills learned are used by program participants to educate, inform and influence public opinion about issues they have identified as affecting women and that call for action for social change.

This season, and next, of “Girls Making Media”  is funded by WomanKraft Art Center and the American Association of University Women (www.aauw.org) to assist the continuation of “Girls Making Media” in the Tucson area. The series of seven beginning and studio sessions of twelve hours each (three four-hour segments) began in October.   Sessions happen once a month through April, and will repeat next year.  Graduates of beginning “Girls Making Media” sessions can apply to continue their skills in  “studio” sessions. “Studio” sessions enhance students’ skills as they create audio and video PSAs for community organizations and issues of importance, working individually, or in teams of two.

Girls Making Media grows expansively with every session.   In the last three sessions 15 young women produced 14

Public Service Announcements and Promos.    This a an incredible increase from the amount of content created last season.  Topics the PSAs cover address the economy and Child Protective Services, social networking site safety, sex trafficking, National Sex Ed Awareness Month, abortion, girls in sports, honoring the Sonoran desert, Relational Aggression (bullying by girls), sustainable desert foods and wildlife preservation.  Girls chose their subjects, wrote, edited and recorded the verbal message, and then decided how to tell the story visually.

 The Girls Making Media web presence is active with the website up and running. www.GirlsMakingMedia.com .  

ALL PSA LINKS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE WEBSITE.  The Girls Making Media blog (see it at the website) serves as public interface for each graduate to share their thoughts on this experiential learning program.   There is also a GMM page in Facebook, with 334 fans to date. 

Quynn Elizabeth designed the program, and is the Project Director.   Stephanie Smith began the year as Publicity and Recruitment Director, and has been promoted to Digital Instructor as well.    Quynn is teaching Stephanie how to work with each girl from the point of application, through the creation and distribution of the final product.  Next year, Stephanie will be organizing the Girls Making Media Coalition, which will offer an opportunity for participants in studio sessions to advance their skills even further while creating meaningful content.  

Contact Stephanie at girlsmakingmedia@gmail.com for registration, publicity or fundraising questions.

You can help Girls Making Media by attending the Final Showcase, which will be at the WomanKraft Castle on Saturday, April 24 at 3pm.  All are welcome to watch created PSAs, meet the girls and witness the end of a very successful season!  You can also contribute by commissioning Girls Making Media graduates to create your personal or business promo video.  Email Quynn at girlsmakingmedia@gmail.com for more info.  




OPPORTUNITIES

WomanKraft members get your original and family recipes published. Read the  related article.

Attend one of Ingrid Aspromatis always unique, fun, exploratory , well- researched planned, and multi –dimensional writing workshops. Read the related article.

Get your copy of Lila Luoma’ s original songs and music in the WomanKraft Gallery.

Get your copy of “Guru Genoa” , the radio play by Linn Lane, that was broadcast on KXCI and produced by “The Woman Kraft Mixed Media Players for only $12  in the WomanKraft Gallery.

Audition for “The Lost Illegal” The Woman Kraft Mixed Media Players next production, written by Linn Lane  Read the related article.

Rent inexpensive space for your workshop or event at Quynn’s Healing Cave or occasionally other Castle facilities. Call Quynn at 954-2004 or Linn at 629-9976 ext . 1       Visit our website at womankraft.org.

Girls and young women wanted for an upcoming session of Girls Making Media!  If you know a girl/woman aged 12-21 who wants to learn video/audio production skills, we are offering free classes.  www.girlsmakingmedia.com

WomanKraft QUICK STUDY

Founded Aug.1974

Budget: $65,000 expenses $73 income currently

Mission:   to claim, validate and empower artists, especially women.

Downtown 1986   Bought Castle 1992

330 members, 100 regular volunteers

$30 year open to all who feel they can receive benefit

501 c3 arts and cultural non profit organization (not a cooperative)

Provides community services in the areas of:  exhibits, events, performance venue, education, theater, personal development, arts and artist promotion, media training for girls, free programs for low income seniors, studio classes, art sales, many low cost and free activities, special services for people with special needs, and more.

COOKBOOK FUND-RAISER    by Linn Lane

Nourishment or Punishment,   
What ever we eat and hear said ,
In our head, In our head,
At the same time,
That’s the recipe
For reality.                                                                                                                                           Food is the first magic of every culture and we would know it if the knowledge hadn’t become so mundane.  From breast milk at birth to ice chips at death it’s an endless parade of spices, each one packing it’s own unique punch and part of the big human appetite.

Food determines our structure and vitality. It limits and increases our abilities and geography. It makes men weak and increases the atavistic perception of women’s power. In the human experience there seems to be very little not attributable to some juicy, tasty, awful or aweful food or drink offering some special promise.

TV’s Dr. Oz advises us to just eat like monkeys but what monkey goes around saying things like “It was so delicious I thought I was going to faint?”  Creative Dance Innovator and Guru once told me in an interview about how when she was in pre Nazi Germany studying and starving with censored Mary Wigman’s 6 person dance troupe, she got one egg a week from a friend’s chicken. She’d look with longing all week at the egg until dance studio when she’d share it with the company. Best egg she ever had.

For celebration, for healing, for comfort, even for the thrill of committing a legal but verboten sin, food fills our emotional imagination. Sometimes that 3 p.m. Mars bar is the only cure for the afternoon slump.  According to the East Indians that’s when the emotional body gets up. In the physical body the same pleasure hormone is produced when people give away money as when they eat chocolate. 

With this intimate connection in mind between women and food I am editing a Cook Book to sell as a fund-raiser for WomanKraft.  The book will feature information about WomanKraft members and their favorite family traditional and personally invented recipes. All money from the sales will be divided between 3 or our programs, School of the Arts, Girls Making Media, and the WomanKraft Mixed Media Players.

The book will be divided into 4 categories

SO EASY MY CAT CLAIMS SHE COULD MAKE IT ON HER OWN

COMFORT FOOD

SO HEALTHY IM AMAZED THE RECIPE IS EVEN IN THIS  HOUSE

SO DELICIOUS IT MUST BE A SIN.

 To have your recipes considered, you must be a WomanKraft member. You can send your membership with the recipes.

Write something about the origin of the recipe, something about why its so special about why it comforts, is so delicious, why it hydrates  through the dry spells, and or  why nothing else says celebration in the same great way and something about your creativity .  No more than 1 page sans recipe (a 2 pg. total).

DEADLINE SUBMISSIONS FEB 15, 2010



WOMANKRAFT MIXED MEDIA PLAYERS

We are now auditioning for THE LOST ILLEGAL.  All auditions are from cold readings and readers need to actually have the time and interest in playing the part in a public production.  All parts require significant amounts of memorization and rehearsal in an ensemble atmosphere working with a writer and director.

If you schedule an audition , don’t show up and don’t call you will not be considered for this or future productions . As an actor you will receive a percent of the production’s net-  income.

The parts are: 

ALLIE AND JULIA:  An older lesbian couple.  Allie,  a political activist, gets a little too involved in a local situation , according to artist, Julia. Allie’s choices put both of them and the grand daughter at risk.

TANYA:  Allie’s even more activist college age, granddaughter.

JOE;  He is  our working class hero who finds his family with these 3.

INEZ:  It’s hard to maintain one’s faith in God , let alone humans in a country where one doesn’t understand the language, ways,  or the intentions of the people.  This actor must be fluent (or become fluent) in Spanish.

THE BORDER GUARD:  There’s a human heart driving those legal responsibilities. 

There’s also a younger male walk-on part.  In addition, we are seeking all who want to be involved with the company at any level.   We need designers, public relations and go fors of all sorts.

Leave messages for Linn at ext.1 629-9976



THE WOMANKRAFT MIXED MEDIA PLAYERS   

Beginning Monday, January 25th 6:30-8:30 P.M. an organizational meeting will be happening to schedule a series of staged play readings and performances. Only people seriously committed to the concept of work shopping, rehearsing, and performing original local works should come.  

I strongly feel a need to solidify the Mixed Media Players into a season of producing plays as staged performances and full productions, as well as providing a venue for our WomanKraft musicians, singers, poets, etc. This is exciting stuff! So, I'll be seeing and hearing from you Monday, January 25th.   

 In Love and Gratitude, Gayle Swanbeck




Portable Shrines:  A Sacred Arts Showcase    by Stephanie Smith

Shrines honor, help focus prayer, and display the art of ritual.  The spiritual artist moves about time and space generating culture through ritual.  These concepts lay the energetic foundation of Portable Shrines; the first show of 2010 at WomanKraft.  

I hear that other WomanKraft show ideas have been birthed as this one was.  Kindred spirits talking about wonderful things, and suddenly the phrase “Portable Shrines” tumbled out of me in the conversation. 

The moment was acknowledged with “Write that down, there is a show!“  It is my honor and delight to have delivered the muse’s message.

I am also happy to introduce up and coming sacred arts metal smith, and self published author Kimberly Davis to the WomanKraft community.  Her Portable Shrine creation is on the cover of the Castle Voice. 

I commissioned Davis to create the shrine featured on the cover to hold space for protection and clarity before recent travel to Spain.  This prolific artist’s statement about the show speaks to methodic ritualistic excellence: 

“I intend my personal, portable shrines to provide deep respect for the carrier as well as divine source, the natural world or whatever form of divinity one may choose. Likewise, with respect and admiration for those seeking their path, I hope to provide support for their journey by providing a detailed construction to inspire deep meditation, intuition and guidance from the spiritual world and to discover hidden meaning and fortune in our lives.  

I consider it an honor to create these formations on behalf of the traveler, and I hope to continue on this path of creation as it helps to shed light on my own path of healing. Thank You.     In Light, kimberly davis “

Portable Shrines has grown from an idea to an entire collection of Portable Shrines from mixed media artists, including a series of shrines from Kimberly Davis.  The Portable Shrines show will run February – March at the WomanKraft gallery. If you want to submit art to this show, find out how on page 3 under “Portable Shrine” listing.

 All are welcome to come and enjoy this display of sacred art.                Peace, Love, Joy and Growth


MAY-AUGUST NEWSLETTER INFO!



Linn Lane

388 S. Stone Ave.

Tucson AZ 85701

Senator Paula Aboud, Arizona State Senate

Senate Building Suite 314

1700 W. Washington Ave

Phoenix AZ 85007

Dear Senator Aboud;

I am writing to ask for your support in funding for the arts in general and the Arizona Commission on the Arts in particular. I know you are aware that the arts make a valuable contribution to the quality of people’s lives in this and every state. The arts build and unify communities.

Strong, compassionate and prosperous communities build strong towns, states and governments. This establishes our National Identity. History (and also Herstory) judges nations by the value of their cultural contributions. It is a crime against humanity that our cultural workers typically receive so little acknowledgement or financial reward for their hard work and dedication in exploring the meaning of life. Indeed, art workers of this great nation are often considered frivolous social entertainers.

In this society, what is considered “real work” is industrial, scientific or medical. The arts are given low priority in government because people do not understand the importance and value of the contribution that artists make to building better citizens and communities. In the past, National Endowment for the Arts funding has focused almost entirely on spotlighting successful artists and performers.

The fact is, community art workers such as those in my organization make a huge impact on the lives of people with very limited resources.  The workers of WomanKraft Gallery foster a strong sense of community, belonging, self worth and empowerment in these individuals.

WomanKraft was founded as a non-profit 501-C-3 organization in 1974 to claim, validate and empower women and other under represented groups of artists. At our center we provide exhibits, classes, workshops, performances and educational opportunities to the general public. Our School for the Arts offers free classes to those of low income over 50. Our WomanKraft Mixed Media Players develops and showcases new theater and performance works by local talent. Our Girls Making Media program gives teen girls new skills that will stay with them and be useful in many ways in their futures.  Our art exhibits showcase local artists and occasionally artists from other lands as well.

Any one of these examples of our community building programs could make an even larger impact with as little as $1,000.00 more in funding. Informally, we are the place where the mentally ill and the homeless come when the social structures are not working for them. Why? Because we are open to these people both physically and philosophically. 

What we now call “The Castle Art Center” was a falling-apart disaster of a Queen Ann house. The city was about to tear it down in spite of its historic and aesthetic value. We bought and restored it in 1992 with artist resourcefulness, private funding and volunteers. Governmental support has always been little, and late in coming, when there has been any at all.

According to you we are the oldest women’s art organization in the state. We got our start in the mid 1970s,

(pre-Ronald Regan), with CETA funding, which we had for 2 years. (CETA being the Comprehensive Education and Training Act.)  Perhaps this kind of government program could be enacted again.

In this wonderful nation, can we not at least pay our cultural workers enough to eat, own a home, pay bus fare, have a phone and obtain reasonable quality healthcare?

Sincerely,

Linn Lane

Executive Director, WomanKraft



Reversal Healing  By Linn Lane

First bone I’ve ever broken, though of course, not my first trip.

Immobilized and caged from Disaster Day February 25^th until Release Day March 10^th.

One mouthful away from an excellent Starbucks latte and pastry, new plan. Now This.

“Hospital!!”   “…No way…..pain….pain….pain…..ok”

Night before release I see my home with its leopard spotted coverlet, in a dream. It looks different.

The bed has been turned. I have been turned. The nurses turn me constantly.

Joyous Release: Nan & Gudrun take me home.

I see flowers, snow, my house. My house is pretty and clean. The bed has been turned. I have returned.

Thanks everyone, for your support my dear ones, from the smallest to the largest. In addition to the cards and presents I have been prayed for, blessed, protected and healed in several religions.

The BEST INSURANCE is the ASSURANCE of FRIENDS and FAMILY.



Announcing:

The WomanKraft

Helping Hands

A group of skilled women available to assist you with whatever work you need to have done.

The work that we offer includes, but is not limited to:

Yard work, Computer help, Tile work, Art project assistance, Pet-sitting, including medication administration, Dog walking, Dog training and animal behavior modification advice, Website , development, Writing, laundry service

Editing and proofreading, House Cleaning, Organization of  anything  (this includes the garage, shed, office, room, or filing system where you cannot find anything you need) 

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

We can do it!

A portion of all proceeds benefits the WomanKraft Castle Art Center

Call 954-4444 to learn more



 

• WomanKraft Yard Sale
• It’s everything from A to Z.  All in good to great condition, at prices even artists can afford.
• Don’t miss it!
  Friday, June 11th       8:00A.M.-4P.M.
• Saturday, June 12th  8:00A.M.-4P.M.
  Sunday, June 13th    Noon-4P.M.
• ABSOLUTELY NO EARLY BIRDS
• To Donate Items:
  We’ll begin pick ups and accept deliveries of all clean, working and serviceable items beginning May 1st.
  Call Gudrun at 743-0835 to schedule.  Itemize your own donations, turn it in with your goods for a tax deduction in accordance with non-profit 501(c)3 tax laws.
  
  
  
  Girls Making Media” is a media production training program offered through the WomanKraft Digital Arts Studio for teen girls and young women. “Girls Making Media” teaches digital media skills while inspiring youth to produce media segments about issues affecting women and girls in their community. Visit www.girlsmakingmedia.com  for info.
  Quynn Elizabeth was the 2009-2010 Project Director, and Digital Instructor for the Studio Sessions.  Stephanie Smith was the 2009-2010 Publicity/Recruitment Director and Digital Instructor for the Beginning Sessions. Gayle Swanbeck is our Bookkeeper.

Girls Making Media is funded by The American Association of University Women  (which pays for our Beginning Sessions, and rent for Beginning and Studio Sessions), and made possible by WomanKraft Art Center and Earth Web Media.  The 2009-2010 season of Girls Making Media has ended, with many successes!  Here are a few to share with you-

We received a $500 grant from the Every Voice in Action Foundation (R) to help us put on our “Voices Blooming” Video Showcase, which happened on April 24.  We showed all the video segments created this season.  DVDs are available in the WomanKraft Gallery for $10.  Proceeds go to support next year’s program. 

Thanks to those of you who donated your valuable cash to Girls Making Media!  Your donations have offered Quynn monetary compensation for her efforts this season.

We want to congratulate the 27 young women (aged 9- 23) who participated in this year’s program: Flora, Nautica, Desiree, Aubrie, Madeline, Amelia, Haile, Lizz, Julie, Alantis, Brittany, Eliza, Maya, Hallye, Cassie, Grace, Mattie, Katelyn, Hannah, Candy, Margaret, Lani, Maggie, Angel, Emma, Paloma and Amy.  They created short videos about the following subjects- Women in Aviation, Women in Science and Engineering, The Importance of Reading, Reasons to Bike, Let Constance Take her Girlfriend to the Prom, The War in Uganda, National Women’s History Month, Wangari Mathai, International Women’s Day, The Digital Nature Archive Project, Girls Making Media in Ghana, WomanKraft, Friends, Sustainable Foods, Online Safety, Relational Aggression (girl bullying), Arizona/Tohono O’ Odham Nation, Wildlife Rehabilitation, Women’s Health, Women in Sports, the Abortion Ban in Arizona, Teen Sex, Teens in Child Protective Services, and Sex Trafficing.  All segments were thoughtful and excellent examples of youth intelligence.
 

Margaret McKay (aged 14) won Best Picture for Creativity (and $150) for her video “Sustainable Desert Foods” in the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum’s “Teen Green Video Contest”. Yeah!

Emma Juan (aged 16) wants to be a pilot, and through her participation in GMM, she now has connections to receive scholarships for flying lessons at Ryan Airfield.  She also became connected with the Tucson Chapter of the NINETY-NINES, an international organization of licensed women pilots from 35 countries - Yeah!

Margaret’s video (above) and Hannah Hernandez’ (aged 17) video about Sex Trafficing were selected for the 2010 Arizona International Film Festival (IndieYouth Division). Yeah!

Lani’s (aged 14) video for International Women’s Day received 5,000 YouTube views , in the week of IWD (3/8). Yeah!



ANNOUNCEMENTS

-Cook Book fundraising project deadline is June 1^st, Linn’s birthday, for recipes to be received.

-Ron, the friend who Daniel Reichel and Paul Brunelle cared for passed away on February 17^th.

Dan played Todd in “The Water’s Edge”. We offer our condolences.

-Rummage sale raised $1,300.00 to make the back door prettier and provide better handicap access. The improvements were made in January. Thanks to everyone.

-Check out Linn’s letter to Senator Paula Aboud in this issue. Write one yourself. Thanks, Paula.

-TO FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE HEALING CAVE THIS SUMMER, GO TO SHAMANWORLD.COM

-Plan Ahead:  Finally the WomanKraft MIXED MEDIA PLAYERS have a VENUE for THE LOST ILLEGAL by LINN LANE, at BARBEA WILLIAMS PERFORMANCE CENTER IN THE HISTORIC DUNBAR SCHOOL.  The dates are: OPENING NIGHT NOVEMBER 19^th at 7 p.m.  NOV. 20^TH at 7 p.,m. and SUN. NOV. 21 at 2 p.m.

Then next week- end after Thanksgiving, Sat. the 27^th at 7 p.m. and Sunday, the 28^th at 2 p.m.

-Home Health nurses will visit you free after you have had a stay in the hospital to help you with anything related to nursing. Contact information below.

Home Health Center

Patty Arp, Manager
6484 N. Oracle Rd. 85704                 Monday-Sat 9AM to 6P                 531-8754

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