Baghdad's Contemporary Visual Arts Society
mIEKAL aND
From: "Erik Ehn (by way of nick<ni...@ratconference.com>)"
<shadow...@worldnet.att.net> To: <rat-...@ratconference.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 2:32 PM Subject: [RAT] iraq
Exerpts from a recent forward from Roberta Levitow -
Dear Members of the Arts Community,
As some of you know, my son, Adam Davidson is assigned to Baghdad as a
journalist for the Public Radio program, Marketplace. In that capacity,
he recently met Nizar A. Rawi, a graphic designer, art critic, and
president of Baghdad's Contemporary Visual Arts Society (CVAS)-a loose
association of over 250 visual and performing artists.
I was very moved by Nizar and Ali's sense of isolation from the global
art world (their knowledge of American theatre ends with Arthur Miller
and Tennessee Williams). Both men fervently believe in the power of art
to develop a "new vision of peace and unity for Iraq."
During our conversation, Nizar and Ali listed simple ways in which
individual artists and people connected to the arts can help CVAS as
well as more comprehensive ways in which arts organizations can join
together to help Iraqi artists on a larger scale.
WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR
Nizar's overriding request from the United States arts community is
communication, information, education, and opportunities for cultural
exchange. His wish list includes requests that can be filled both on an
individual and an organizational level:
Individuals
1. Books, periodicals, CDs, and tapes (PAL, DVD, or VCD format only) of
and about contemporary art of all genres. (See shipping address under
Contact Information below.)
2. Correspondence with individual artists and people connected to the
arts in all genres.
3. Money. Nizar didn't request money. My son did. He wrote me, "CVAS
could use it to set up internet access, develop their library, pay for
their ongoing in-school training, buy arts materials, help fund the
play they're producing next month, etc. Their need is so comprehensive
that one paintbrush would be great."
Organizations
If you or your organization is interested in initiating or
participating in any of the following initiatives, please contact me. I
will serve as point person so that I can coordinate the many responses.
1. An exhibition in the United States of CVAS artists' work after the
war.
2. A joint exhibition
3. Scholarships for CVAS members to study art in the United States.
4. Visiting delegation of Iraqi artists who would come to the United
States to immerse themselves in the contemporary art world by meeting
artists individually and as a group, attending exhibitions,
performances, and rehearsals, visiting studios, etc.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
To mail books, CDs and tapes - use domestic postage rates for package
to:
Sinclair Cornell
Media Advisor
CPA (USAID/IRAQ) OTI
APO AE 09335
To contact CVAS directly and to begin a correspondence with an Iraqi
artist:
Immediately: Ali Sada - <mailto:a...@iraqartists.org>a...@iraqartists.org
In a few weeks once his Internet connection is set up: Nizar Rawi -
<mailto:ni...@iraqartists.org>ni...@iraqartists.org
To contact Aviva Davidson at Dancing in the Streets regarding
organizational initiatives:
Aviva Davidson
Executive Director and Producer
Dancing in the Streets
55 Avenue of the Americas Suite 310
New York, NY 10013
Adav...@dancinginthestreets.org Subject: Iraq Artists
Tel: 212-625-3505
Fax: 212-625-3510
david divizio
What if you (or a universal 'we'... for I'm Canadian,
and well, that would just never do for us to make such
an invitation...but...) U invited an occupying army of
Iraqi artists to come right on over?
=====
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dAvid 2 diviZi0
______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
mIEKAL aND
codeworkers out of their foxholes & get them to join the list, tho I
kinda doubt english is a very popular language over there. & one has
to wonder what kind of reception work such as this would receive if
their knowledge of western lit stops at O'Neil.
mIEKAL
24/7 PROTOMEDIA BREEDING GROUND
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