Archive for December 20th, 2011
Preservation LINK Student Exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art
Preservation LINK Student Exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art
When: Tuesday May 10th, 2011
Where: Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 Harwood
WordSpace is proud to partner with Preservation LINK for
their annual student exhibition, “Through the Eyes of Our Children—Something Beautiful”. The exhibit will showcase the written and visual artworks of students from several elementary schools in the South Dallas/Fair Park area of the Dallas Independent School District. Inspired to embrace their imagination and vision, students use words, photography, and mixed media to create works that convey the HOPES & DREAMS they have for themselves, their community, and society.
WordSpace Board Members, Jean Lamberty, Dr. Venus Opal Reese and Program Director, Karen X Minzer have teamed with Preservation LINK’s Creative Director, Dave Herman, to deepen the enrichment of the written word into their project.
With its research and evaluation headed by Dr. Shaun Wilson, Preservation LINK’s dynamic combination of media arts education, academic enrichment, and interpersonal and professional development has attracted students, parents, educators, and other partners to their historic contribution to children’s educational, artistic, and personal development.
Ricardo Garza, Michael Guinn and Chris Hamilton
When: Wednesday May 11th, 2011
Originally from the Rio Grande Valley (Edinburg), Ricardo Garza has been writing and performing from South Texas to the Bay Area. A prolific writer and performer he has been featured in colleges and High school and middle schools where he has also conducted poetry workshops as part of The Writers Garret’s Writers in the Schools project. Also appearing in print, college radio and public television, Ricardo’s contemplative writings on the common and disenfranchised minority appear in his chapbook, Blood Brother’s y otros Poemas, and spoken word CD, Fiebre del sol.Michael Guinn is co-founder Fort Worth Slams, poet, youth empowerment specialist and motivational speaker.
He holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington and worked for six years in Fort Worth as an investigator for the state’s Child Protective Services agency. He has participated in the Zawadi Writers, an ad hoc African-American group that performed and held writing workshops in prisons, inner-city community centers and women’s shelters, and as part of after-school programs. For more on FW Slam and Michael, visit his website www.mikeguinn.com.
Chris Hamilton has been featured at Might Fine Arts Gallery for the Poets on X+ reading series. You can also find him at The Madswirl readings at South Side on Lamar’s Absinthe Lounge. “Listening to Chris is listening to the universal consciousness; it is filled with such energy and passion, much like the Big Bang, an explosion, a slowdown, a retraction, eventually returning to a singularity. He is without a doubt one of the more exciting poets to get to hear if you get a chance, a definite do not miss “-C
Paul Otremba and Young Eui Choi
The Roxy Gordon Members Salon Series
When: Thursday May 12th, 2011
Paul Otremba is the author of the poetry collection The Currency, published by Four Way Books in 2009.
His poems and collections have appeared in The Kenyan Review, New England Review, The Washington Post, Poetry Daily, and American Poets in the Twenty First Century: The New Poetics. He has been awarded a Robert Frost Fellowship from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, a Barthelme Memorial Fellowship, and a Krakow Poetry Seminar Fellowship. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Southern Methodist University.
Young Eui Choi is a professor of English at Richland College where she teaches Composition and various literature courses such as American, Asian American, and World Literature. She is also a member of the Richland Literary Festival Committee. She has studied with U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins, Naomi Shihab Nye, John Fox, and Robert McDowell. Some of her poems and articles have appeared in Write around the Corner, Korean Journal, and Dallas Korean American Literary Association. She is also the invited reviewer of the translation of Poetic Medicine by John Fox, into Korean. She finds great joy in spreading the power of poetry through facilitating poetry workshops for community members and includes taking her students to literary events in her curriculum. As a native Korean, she immigrated into the States about two decades ago. In her second home country, she is embracing and expanding her bi-cultural self, while working on leadership, justice, spirituality, and globalism, which are some of the themes her new poetry collection in progress.
Rage Almighty
Rage Almighty
When: Friday May 20th, 2011
Where: The Boiler Room, 2723 Elm St.
Rage Almighty (A YouTube sensation) offers a new approach to spoken word through clever rhyme, rant and rich lyrics saturated in satire, social commentary and hip wisdom. To captivate and engage the audience during a performance, he mixes powerful wordplay with his academically trained acting abilities coupled with a unique sense of humor. Not fitting into any category of poetry, versatile is a word commonly used to describe his creative style which has been noted to be as bold as his name.
Rage has shared his straightforward verbal skills in legendary venues such as Erykah Badu’s Black Forest Theater, the African American Museum in Dallas and the famous Nuyorican Poets Café. He has also performed at engagements featuring hip hop duo/activists Dead Prez; Atlanta’s rapper TI; R&B songstress Chrisette Michele; Philadelphia’s own Kindred Family Soul and world renowned rap group Brand Nubian including community activist and leader Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.
From live performances to his popular “mixtapes,” Rage Almighty is definitely one of poetry’s divine omnipotent forces.
Hosted by Rock Baby and Alexandra Marie
Dallas Slam Featured Reader Series
Da’rrell Cloudy and Jay Bean plus! 6×10 Showcase at Deep Ellum Market
Da’rrell Cloudy and Jay Bean plus! 6×10 Showcase at Deep Ellum Market
When: Saturday April 16th, 2011
Where: Stage, Indiana at Malcolm X
WordSpace and Deep Ellum Market present songwriter/poets Da’rrell Cloudy and Jay Bean in an inspiring interface of old Deep Ellum and what makes things new.
Da’rrell Cloudy began writing as a child prodigy of his father, poet Joey Cloudy. By 13, he had published a chapbook of poems, entitled “A Bullet To The Brain” and was presented as a Writer in the Schools in Dallas area schools. He has been a regular feature of open mic and poetry salon scenes since he was 11.
Jay Bean and Da’rrell began their music collaboration in Longview High School, later forming the electronia band Atrium and recorded a demo. Atrium was temporarily disbanded in circumstantial vagaries and Da’rrell and Jay have been performing as a duo all over the Dallas.
Gifted voices, contemplative perspectives, and beatific personas–Look for Da’rrell and Jay onstage behind Cafe Brazil at Deep Ellum Open Market, the historic neighborhood festival and brainchild of Brandon Castillo.
The 6×10 Showcase, 4pm
Deepening the onsite poetics experience of the Festival, Desmene Statum presents a showcase of 6 poets in 10 minute readings: Lilly Penhall, Opalina Salas, Johnny Olson, Michael Clay, Chris Zimmerly and Victory bring a taste of passionate poets who are among the finest of The Poetry Scene.
Christopher Soden, Jean Lamberty, Sanderia Smith
Christopher Soden, Jean Lamberty, Sanderia Smith
When: Wednesday June 8th, 2011
Where: Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista
WordSpace is made up of working writers and educators. We are please to present three Board Members in this reading sponsored by Ricardo Avila’s Mextopia
Christopher Soden received his MFA in Writing (Poetry) from Vermont College in January 2005. He is a writer, teacher, lecture, performer and critic. In August 2010 he received a full fellowship to Lambda Literary Foundation’s Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices. In 2007, his performance piece : Queer Anarchy received Dallas Voice’s People’s Voice Award for Best Stage Performance. He is a board member of WordSpace. Additional honors include: Dallas Public Library’s Distinguished Poets of Dallas, Poetry Society of America’s Poetry in Motion Series, Founding Member, President and President Emeritus of The Dallas Poets Community. He was a finalist for The Dobie Paisano Fellowship, LSU Outworks Drama Festival, Pudding House, Robin Becker and Refined Savage Chapbook Contests. His work has appeared in : Ganymede, Poetic Voices Without Borders 2, The Texas Observer, Sentence, Borderlands, Cafe Review, Off the Rocks, The James White Review, Gents, Bad Boys and Barbarians, Best Texas Writing 2.
Jean Lamberty has been an educator in a variety of roles for the past 17 years. Her publications include An Extreme Risk, Illya’s Honey, and the next issue of Sentence. She has also been a juried poet in the Houston Poetry Festival and received an honorable mention in the Poetic Friends of The Bridge poetry contest.
Sanderia Faye is the pseudonym for Sanderia Smith. She received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University and has taught classes at Florida Community College, Central Texas College, Mesa Community College, Arizona State University and Andre House Homeless Shelter in Phoenix, Arizona and at the Writers’ Garrett in Dallas, Texas. An excerpt from her upcoming novel “Freedom of Choice” appeared in Mythium Literary Journal and another will appear in Jennifer Wallach’s forthcoming book Arsnick: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Arkansas, 1962-1967. She was accepted to Diary Hollow and Vermont Studio Center, Writers Residency, and received numerous grants and Scholarships to writers conferences and workshops. Sanderia is currently a Ph.D candidate at the University of Texas Dallas, and expects to complete her novel this winter.
2011 Dallas Slam Team @ Deep Ellum Market
2011 Dallas Slam Team @ Deep Ellum Market
When: Saturday June 18th, 2011
Where: Main Stage, Indiana at Malcom X
WordSpace and Deep Ellum Market are proud to present the 2011 Dallas Poetry Slam Team as they warm up for their National competitions. Congratulations to Jersey, LGB, Rage Almighty, Rob D.
Jersey: In August of 1985, Atlantic City, New Jersey birthed a man who is becoming known as the incomparable, inimitable, matchless poet of his generation. Entering into the Spoken Word realm in late 2009, William “Jersey” Daughtry quickly swept away audiences locally with his authenticity and exceptional creativity. Though just a rookie, many can’t help but to see him as a distinguished artist. His passion for writing, and reactions from those patrons around him, influenced his commencement into the poetry world. Now that he is here, there is no turning back. His intricate history, passion, affection and complex personality give origin to poems his audience is sure to remember. His genuine spirit and charm provides his onlookers with a sense of inspiration, hope, and a desire to want to hear more. As an up and coming poet, William Jersey Daughtry has seen a numerous amount of victories in slams across the state, claiming victory for more the half of competitions he’s been in, it’s not hard to tell he is well on his way to become a world renowned victor. Although a winner in many areas, he shows through his humility and his faith in God that there is much more growth that is yet to come. Being talented in so many areas brings forth much hard work and expectation, but this chef, poet, father, son, brother, as well as friend to many is well on his way to showing the World how brightly a star can shine through his allocation of words.
LGB is a spoken word artist that was born and raised in New Orleans. He burst on the open mic scene in the year 2000 performing at one of New Orleans most historic open mic venues, Ebony Square. As other venues opened up in the New Orleans area such as True Brew Cafe, Rhythm City and The Hard Rock Cafe, LGB routinely performed at different locations around the city. His hardcore gritty street style with a mixture of comedy and clever metaphors quickly made LGB a household name. He went on to win several talent shows and open mic competitions with in the same year.
In 2001, 2002 and 2003, he was a member of the first ever New Orleans National Slam Team which competed in Seattle, Minnesota, Memphis and Chicago. In 2003, he was ranked 34Th in the Nation and helped the slam team rank in the top 10 at the National Poetry Slam. In 2010, he was the Dallas Poetry Grand Slam Champion and a member of the 2010 Dallas National Poetry Slam Team which ranked as one of the top 20 teams in the nation and advanced to the semifinals of the national poetry slam which was held in St.Paul Minnesota. LGB was also a member of the 2011 Dallas National Slam team. He was also crowned the Verbal Assault Poetry Champion after placing first in a competition held by Brooklyn’s Jazz Cafe. LGB a.k.a. Beezy also was given the nickname Ghetto Poet for his raw, hold no punches, street style poetry.
In 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, he relocated to Dallas TX. After getting situated in the Dallas area, he graced a few open mic spots before a two year lay off. Beezy then re-emerged on the open mic scene in the summer of 2008 performing at Sankofa’s Arts Cafe, Brooklyn’s Jazz Cafe and many other venues in the Dallas area. Since his return he has won several slams and talent competitions quietly making a name for his self in the DFW. LGB is currently working on his 4Th poetry/spoken word CD after recently releasing his 3rd album titled Poetic Thoughts of LGB. He has shared the stage with many of poetry’s powerhouses such as Sunni Patterson and Talaam Acey just to name a few. As one poet in Dallas stated, where would LGB rank if he competed and performed on a regular basis, we are about to find out!
Rage Almighty (A YouTube sensation) offers a new approach to spoken word through clever rhyme, rant and rich lyrics saturated in satire, social commentary and hip wisdom. To captivate and engage the audience during a performance, he mixes powerful wordplay with his academically trained acting abilities coupled with a unique sense of humor. Not fitting into any category of poetry, versatile is a word commonly used to describe his creative style which has been noted to be as bold as his name.
Rage has shared his straightforward verbal skills in legendary venues such as Erykah Badu’s Black Forest Theater, the African American Museum in Dallas and the famous Nuyorican Poets Café. He has also performed at engagements featuring hip hop duo/activists Dead Prez; Atlanta’s rapper TI; R&B songstress Chrisette Michele; Philadelphia’s own Kindred Family Soul and world renowned rap group Brand Nubian including community activist and leader Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.
From live performances to his popular “mixtapes,” Rage Almighty is definitely one of poetry’s divine omnipotent forces.
Rob D is a highly forgettable poet, who sometimes writes memorable poetry to inspire others to critically think and understand their surroundings. Although unremarkable in appearance, Rob D has been a member of three consecutive Dallas Slam teams, competing nationally amongst the top poets in the world. Nobody quite knows where Rob D comes from; some say he was raised by wolves, others believe he is a ninja. Suffice it to say, they are correct.
Hosted by Rock Baby and Alexandra Marie
WordSpace Community Yoga @ Tranquilo
WordSpace Community Yoga @ Tranquilo
When: Monday July 25th, 2011
Where: Tranquilo Yoga Studio, Bishop and Davis Sts.
WordSpace now offers a community yoga class at Tranquilo Yoga Studio on Davis and Bishop, in Dallas’s historic Oak Cliff neighborhood, Monday nights at 7:30. Special Thanks to Johnny Fantauzzi for his generous donation of the beautiful Tranquilo Yoga Studio. Intersections with narrative poetics are a special feature of this class, taught by WordSpace Program Director and ongoing Tranquilo yoga instructor, Karen X Minzer. Donations for this class benefit WordSpace programming.
Tranquilo Yoga Studio is a haven for people striving to connect with their Oak Cliff community through a spiritual, physical and cultural self-education.
Our Wordspace office is also in Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood. It is an open door for artists, poets, educators and community leaders to interact and interface their work with ours. Stay tuned to our website for any last minute planning over here in this very active and vital Dallas arts and culture scene.
For more information about WordSpace Community Yoga At Tranquilo or our other programs, contact us on our website or contact Karen X Minzer.
Esther Pearl Watson: Women Producers of Comics and Graphic Novels
Esther Pearl Watson: Women Producers of Comics and Graphic Novels
When: Friday July 29th, 2011
WordSpace is pleased to partner with Webb Gallery and host a special “taste” of their exhibit featuring women artists-writers of comics and graphic novels, curated by Esther Pearl Watson. Meet the artists, meet the gallery owners, meet WordSpace Board President Charles Dee Mitchell, meet each other! Join WordSpace to welcome Esther Pearl Watson & Co, with Bruce and Julie Webb, for an exclusive perspective and celebration of their exhibit.
Esther Pearl Watson grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Her family moved often, since her father’s hobby of building huge flying saucers out of scrap metal and car engines didn’t always sit well with the neighbors. Esther’s pieces are often overtly narrative, clear but mysterious scenes of houses or figures ornamented with snippets of prose telling just enough to get the viewer’s own imagination engaged, wanting to know more. Some are about family, some about places, all have a rich interior life. Her works without words are just as suggestive of story, also exerting a deep emotional pull.
Bruce and Julie Webb founded their gallery about 17 years ago out of their love for self-taught art, primitive arts and crafts and fraternal lodge pieces. And the stories behind the works are just as intriguing as the drawings, paintings and sculptures in the collection.
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Tyler-Davis Arts District Block Party!
Tyler-Davis Arts District Block Party
When: Saturday August 13th, 2011
Where: 415 N. Tyler St. and The Whole Block!
Come out and get sizzled at the Tyler Davis Block Party! Check out our new neighbors and friends in historic Oak Cliff- Tom Battles Custom Picture Framing has a grand opening at his new space, 413 N.Tyler, 4-8pm and Gallery Bomb opens, 407a N.Tyler, with a premiere opening “Sugar Coated Memories” featuring new work by Loretta Gonzalez, 6-9pm. MFA Gallery, 419 N.Tyler, hosts the “Superbad” show, infamous artists Brian Jones and Brian Scott will judge the best of the worst, 6-10pm. Be sure to drop by our WordSpace office, 415 N.Tyler, chillax and pick up the new Fall Schedule of Literary Events. Incense and Peppermints, 421 N.Tyler, will be further putting out the good vibes with live music and art. Across the street at Oil and Cotton, 838 W.Davis they’ll be celebrating their new Back Porch Studio with festivities throughout the day. Over on Davis, Kelly at The Rose Garden, 841 W.Davis, promises special event day bargains, always some great finds at the Garden. And don’t forget to visit Wendi at From the Ends of the Earth, 835 W.Davis for Fair-Trade exotica from around the planet. Stop in at CoCoAndre, 831 W.Davis, for, really, just the best chocolate treats in Dallas. And Daniel and Manuel Padilla Gallery, 829 W.Davis, are helping further the arts in the Cliff with their fine work. Expect Complimentary beverages, snacks, scenes and suprises! See yall out there!
Our office, staffed by Program Director, Karen X Minzer, is in Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood. It is an open door for artists, poets, educators and community leaders to interact and interface their work with ours. It also provides open-genre venue for salons, workshops, booksignings, iCHat and other experimental genres, not to mention the ongoing X+ Arts, Bishops Arts, and Tyler/Davis Arts block parties and festivals. Our office is located at 415 North Tyler St., Dallas, Texas 75208. Stay tuned to our website for any last minute planning over here in this very active and vital Dallas arts and culture scene.
Hosted by Karen X and WordSpace Gang
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