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Join the LIberty Parade at the UnConvention

Posted by Steve Dietz on July 19, 2008 9:10 AM

Sunday, August 31, 2008

what doeS Liberty Look Like?

The Twin Cites has been chosen as the site of the 2008 Republican National Convention. To commemorate this historic event, the people of Minneapolis and St. Paul are building a parade to celebrate the idea of liberty. Everyone is invited to participate, whether that means marching in the band, decorating your car, volunteering to help, or just sitting back in your lawn chair and enjoying the show. After the last float rolls by, you are invited to follow the parade to its conclusion at Loring Park, where we will have several stages of music, speakers and surprises that will rock into the evening hours.

MiSSion of the Liberty Parade

The Liberty Parade is an event scheduled to coincide with the opening day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul on August 31st, 2008, as one of the many events under the umbrella of “The Unconvention“ (http://theunconvention.com/). The central purpose of the Liberty Parade is to create a large scale parade through the heart of Minneapolis that is a CELEBRATION of shared values (liberty, freedom, justice, equality, free speech) rather than a partisan protest. The parade will culminate in a large gathering featuring music, speakers, art displays and activities. Participants will be answering the question “what does liberty mean to you?” in the form of a float, group march, or another sort of mobile visual representation that suits their artistic needs. Organizers are working closely with the city of Minneapolis and various agencies in securing one of a few proposed high-visibility parade routes through some of Minneapolis’s most recognizable districts. Planning efforts have been enhanced through close contact with several arts and cultural organizations who have offered assistance and logistical support. The organizers are currently applying for and receiving grants, negotiating with city officers, designing a website and finalizing details for this large-scale, free, public program, all details of which will be made available via the website as they are confirmed.

As members of the Twin Cities community, we feel that holding an event like this at precisely the moment that questions around issues of liberty and freedom are front and center on the national stage, is imperative. We believe that free speech does not need to be confined to “zones” and that participatory democracy requires that every citizen, regardless of their party affiliation or political views, must have the opportunity to contribute and express themselves without fear or censorship.This is an event of,for and by the people, and a moment to focus on what brings us together rather than the all-too-familiar rhetoric of what keeps us politically separated.We are dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality that we see as the cornerstone of our nation’s future, values that have been distorted for political ends in recent years. We are excited to be a part of celebrating these most noble principles and we are proud to have this historic opportunity!

More about the Liberty Parade.
Download the participation form.
Liberty Parade concept sketch

The Liberty Parade is part of the UnConvention, a non-partisan collective of citizens and organizations who have come together to create a forum in which to promote the democratic and free exchange of ideas on important issues. It exists as a counterpoint to the highly scripted and predetermined nature of the contemporary presidential nomination process and convention.

The UnConvention is a series of programs in art, education and alternative journalism, which will take place at various locations in the Twin Cities, primarily from August 30 – September 4 in parallel to the Republican National Convention.

The UnConvention was initited by Northern Lights, a new Twin Cities-based arts agency with support from the McKnight Foundation (http://northern.lights.mn). Lead partners for the UnConvention are Intermedia Arts and the Walker Art Center. Local and national participating organizations include, to date, Creative Time, Dialog City, Forecast Public Arts, Form + Content, Independent Feature Projects/Minnesota, the Liberty Parade, Macalester College’s ExCo program, MCAD, Provisions Library, PCTV, Sandbox Studios, the Spark Festival, Spark24, St. Paul Neighborhood Network, Traffic Zone, Twin Cities Youth Media Network, the UpTake, the Weisman Art Museum.

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Community Meeting re Southern Theater

Posted by Steve Dietz on July 19, 2008 8:27 AM

July 17, 2008

To the Board of the Southern Theater:

We are a group of artists, audience members, and donors committed to the Southern Theater.

We are concerned with the "indefinite leave" issued to Artistic Director, Jeff Bartlett, and the void of artistic leadership this creates. We are also gravely concerned with the manner in which this decision was made and the attendant silence around this action from the Board of Directors.

We feel that these actions in and of themselves are troubling, and are concerned that they indicate a larger sensibility and style of leadership that is detrimental to the future of the Southern.

We support Jeff's vision of artistic leadership, and we believe that artistic and financial viabilities go hand in hand. We hope our collective voice will be considered as the Board tenders its ultimate decision regarding Jeff.

While we respect what may be confidential aspects of the Board's negotiations with Jeff, we as individuals and community leaders who directly support the financial and artistic life of the Southern demand a public meeting with the Board of Directors to discuss how this situation was handled, and how it reflects the Board's vision. The Southern Theater is a 501(c)3 organization and its board is beholden to public accountability.

The Southern's mission statement declares its commitment to artists, audiences and the local community. We expect the Board will honor that commitment by meeting with the community in a timely fashion.

The UMN Dance Department has offered space for this meeting on Monday, July 21st at 7:00 p.m. We look forward to your confirmation.

Sincerely,

Morgan Thorson, Artist
Judith Howard, Carleton College/Artist
Mary Easter, Founder and Director of the Dance Program, Carleton College/Dancer/Choreographer
Cassandra Shore, Artistic Director, Jawaahir Dance Company*
Sarah K. Sawyer, Arts Journalist/Performer
Katherine Strohmaier, Performer
Ranee Ramaswamy, Artistic Director, Ragamala Music and Dance Theater*
Aparna Ramaswamy, Artistic Director, Ragamala Music and Dance Theater*
Judith Brin Ingber, Artist
Wendy Knox, Frank Theater
Leslie Ball, BALLS Cabaret*
Kevin Lawler, Director/Actor
Karla Grotting, Founding Member/Artistic Associate, Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum*
Colette Illarde, FUEGO Flamenco*
Robert Haarman, Artist
Michele Blanchard, Perimeter Productions
Robert C. Hammel, Perimeter Productions, Former Southern Board Member
Tamara Nadel, Founding Member/Development and Outreach Director, Ragamala Music and Dance Theater*
Ashwini Ramaswamy, Founding Member, Ragamala Music and Dance Theater*
Ben Krywosz, Nautilus Music Theater
David Harris, Performer/Arts Producer
Linda Shapiro, Arts Writer
James Sewell, James Sewell Ballet*
Laurie Van Wieren, Choreographer; Producer/Host of 9x22 Dance/Lab
Jon Skaalen, VSA Arts Minnesota
Sally Rousse, Sewell Family Foundation
Megan McClellan, Artist
Brian Sostek, Artist
Penelope Freeh, James Sewell Ballet/METRO Magazine Dance Writer*
Nicolas Lincoln, James Sewell Ballet*
Genevieve Bennett, Artist
Molly Stoltz, Dance BFA Major, University of Minnesota
Jeremy Bensussan, Out on a Limb Dance Company
Susana di Palma, Artistic Director, Zorongo Flamenco*
Justin Jones, Artist*
Carl Flink, Chair, University of Minnesota Dance Department; Artistic Director, Black Label Movement*
Karen Sherman, Artist*
Joe Chvala, Artistic Director, Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum*
Steve Dietz, Director, Northern Lights

* denotes 2008-2009 season artist

cc:
Kathleen Fluegel, Program Director, HRK Foundation
Neal Cuthbert, Vice President of Program, The McKnight Foundation
Vickie Benson, Program Director, The McKnight Foundation
Nancy Fushan, Program Officer, Bush Foundation
Amy Frimpong, Senior Program Officer, State Arts Board
Sue Gens, Interim Executive Director, State Arts Board
Jeff Prauer, Executive Director, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
Kris Kewitsch, Target Foundation
Cynthia Gehrig, President, The Jerome Foundation
Eleanor Savage, Program Officer, The Jerome Foundation
Philip Bither, Performing Arts Curator, Walker Art Center
R.T. Rybak, Mayor of the City of Minneapolis
Cam Gordon, City Council, Ward 2, City of Minneapolis

Caroline Palmer, City Pages
Chris Roberts, Minnesota Public Radio
Rohan Preston, Star Tribune
Marianne Combs, Minnesota Public Radio
Camille Le Fevre, Star Tribune
Graydon Royce, Star Tribune
Dominic Papatola, Pioneer Press
Kathy Berdan, Pioneer Press
Heidi Raschke, Senior Editor, Pioneer Press
Casey Selix, Minnpost.com
Lightsey Darst, Minneapolis-St.Paul Magazine; mnartists.org
Marya Morstad, KFAI
Tim Gihring, Arts Editor, Minnesota Monthly