Invitation to Art & Democracy VI - Call for Artists 邀請藝術與民主提交您 的藝 術作品

To All Interested Artists

Visual Artists Guild is working on two group art exhibit projects for next year. We are applying for acceptance in two locations, Santa Monica and West Hollywood. Since both of the group applications are due at the end of December so we would need your bio and sample images and/or web site by Wednesday, December 26, 2018. Please see mission statement for the group exhibit project below. We will know if our projects are chosen by both cities by the end of January 2019.

The Santa Monica venue will host the exhibit for 3-4 months and our preferred date would be May-August 2019.
The West Hollywood venue will be for a month with November-December 2019 dates.
We are also looking to include additional art on easels during opening and closing events in both venues.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS NEEDED FROM ALL INTERESTED ARTISTS BY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018:
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY EMAIL TO

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1. Resumes, limited to 2-pages per person, outlining professional accomplishments or applicable life experience. Please include three professional references with contact information 

2. Submit no more than 4 images depicting the artwork that might fit in the exhibition's themes.

3. Title of each art piece with dimensions

4. Please see Mission Statement below for the exhibition themes.

SANTA MONICA VENUE:

* All artwork must be framed/ready to install and wall-mountable (except for display cabinet items), as there is no space for free-standing artwork in the space. Also, take into account that the gallery is a highly-traversed area and open to the public—without dedicated staff posted to continuously monitor the gallery. Delicate artworks are vulnerable in this setting, and their inclusion is not advised.

* The display space is a central hallway consisting of 9-foot high white walls, with approximately 100 linear feet total wall space and adjustable ceiling-mounted track lighting. In addition, there are two (2) lighted display cabinets (4ft.w x 6ft.h x 2ft.d) with adjustable glass shelves for small-scale, two and three-dimensional objects and fragile items.

* The City cannot display any prices or pricelists in the gallery area. However, City staff can work with artists to provide contact information for inquiries about artwork purchase, and the City does not require any profit participation. In addition, the City will ensure the artwork while on display and in the City’s possession. Artists will be required to fill out an artwork loan form stipulating the reasonable replacement value for the artwork on display.

WEST HOLLYWOOD VENUE:

* All artwork must be framed/ready to install and wall-mountable.  There is some space for free-standing artwork but not much.

第六屆 藝術與民主 展覽主題 MISSION STATEMENT/EXHIBITION NARRATIVE FOR "Art and Democracy VI"

The Visual Artists Guild has many important goals. Through this art exhibit we want to educate, provoke, stimulate and provide an opportunity for discussion between all those attending. Currently, the world community is experiencing positive and negative shifts in the political, social and environmental realms. Given the extensive connectivity available via the internet and social media, we can all respond personally to what is happening on our planet.

Around the world, many human rights are under attack or threatened. The essence of democracy includes freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of association. The non-profit organization Visual Artists Guild has for the past 33 years championed these important rights with protests, campaigns, conferences, street performance art and other peaceful methods that help shine a light when an individual's or community's rights are silenced or ignored. Our actions aim to highlight such oppression in various societies around the world.

The city of Santa Monica is one of the most diverse, progressive and artistic minded in the United States with international economic and cultural ties all around the world. By providing context and education on these important themes, the Cultural Affairs Department along with the historic venue of The Annenberg Community Beach house, which was owned by the late actress Marion Davies and the late newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst can provide a perfectly suited space with historical meaning for our 6^th version of the project “Art and Democracy”.

This group is proposing a unique project that goes beyond the art exhibit which includes a series of immersive, cultural and artistic supportive experiences to take place during the opening and closing events. These will include live music, dance in the main space with video art that could be shown in a loop in the club room space, if available.


The Visual Artists Guild aims to create an art exhibit that provides an international perspective on the previously mentioned topics through the lens of local artists, many of whom are immigrants, having experienced a life much different than most people born in the United States. By bringing these distinctive artistic voices to the Santa Monica community, its visitors, tourists and neighbors, will enable dialogue and promote a greater understanding of diverse societies in their struggles to establish and support our democratic principles.

視覺藝術家協會邀請您提 交您 的藝 術作品參展第 六屆"藝術與民主"藝術展覽.
有興趣的藝術家請在2018年12月26日之前
通過電子郵件將您適合展覽主題的藝術作品, 以四個藝 術品為限提交
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請提供個人簡歷, 每個藝術品的標題和尺寸
了解展覽主題詳 情見上文。

URGENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS CONFERENCE

WHAT:  Press Conference to call for the immediate release of Poet Zhu Yufu who was taken away

               by China's Public Security Bureau police Beijing time September 17, 2018 at 10:30a..m.

             新聞發布會呼籲中國立 即釋放朱虞夫

WHEN:  Press Conference Monday, September 17, 2018  4:00 p.m.

WHERE:   Consulate of the Peoples Republic of China

                  434 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, Ca. 90020

CONTACT and Information: Ann Lau, Chair, Visual Artists Guild 310-433-0697

Zhu Yufu is the recipient of Visual Artists Guild's 2013 Champion of Freedom of Speech Award.

Statement by Julie Zhu, the daughter of Zhu Yufu, 朱虞夫女兒聲明在下

    "September 17, 2018, 10:30 a.m. Beijing Time, my father, Zhu Yufu, the Chinese Democracy activist, poet and artist Zhu Yufu, was taken home by Hangzhou's Public Security Bureau.

    My father, recently participated in the WeChat group "Conscience Art Auction". His painting and calligraphy work received 7,000 yuan.  My father donated all his proceeds to the families of those prisoners of conscience in China.  My father was warned in advance not to attend the auction.  The Security Bureau said,"You yourself do not even have enough to eat, how can you donate to others?" My father said, "It is true that I have no food, but the families of other victims are worse than mine."  The Security Bureau said, "If you persist, the consequences will be at your own hands."

    However, my father insisted on participating in the auction. The next day, he was taken away five Public Security Bureau police.  His house was ransacked and he is suspected of the crime of "subversion of state power."

    My father is a veteran pro-democracy activist and joined the democratic movement in 1979. In June 1998, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power." In 2007, he was sentenced to two years in prison for "obstructing public service." In 2012, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power" and deprived of political rights for three years.

    In March this year, 2018, he was released from prison. During his imprisonment, my father suffered many illnesses. His life is very difficult and have been constantly harassed by the Public Security Bureau police who visited his house many times. 

    My father though he himself suffers many difficulties, he still pays attention to the families of those prisoners of conscience.

    My father's generosity of spirit and his charitable donations resulted in his current repression from the Hangzhou's Public Security Bureau should cause great indignation and concern from all people around the world.

    Within China and within the international community, I am sure people will condemn this inhuman act and call on China to immediately release my father, Zhu Yufu.

朱虞夫女兒朱利 陳 述

北京時間九月十七日上午十點半，我的父親中國民主黨人、藝術家朱虞夫先生被抄家同時被杭州國保帶走。

我父親朱虞夫日前參加微信群“良心藝術品拍賣會”，他的一幅字畫作品“諸葛亮前後出師表長卷”拍得七千元人民幣，並將拍賣所得全部捐獻給良心 犯家屬，因此遭到打壓。事前朱虞夫曾經接獲有關部門警告，禁止他參加拍賣會。國保說：你已經連飯都吃不上了，怎麼還有錢捐給別人。我爸爸說： 我確實是沒飯吃，但是其他民主人士的家族比我更困難。國保說：如果你要堅持的話，後果自負。然而父親繼續堅持拍賣。第二天就被5個國保抄家並 帶走。這次被抄家和羈押的罪名是“涉嫌顛覆國家政權”。

朱虞夫先生是資深異議人士，1979年投身民主運動。 1998年6月因組建中國民主黨被以“煽動顛覆國家政權罪”判刑七年，2007年被以“妨礙公務罪”判刑兩年，2012年再次被以“煽動顛覆國家政權罪” 判刑七年，剝奪政治權利三年，今年三月剛剛刑滿出獄。長期監獄生涯，朱虞夫多種疾病纏身，出獄以後，沒有醫療保險，生活困頓。但是他仍然以極 大的熱情和愛心關注良心犯家屬。國保曾多次上門，進行無理騷擾。

朱虞夫先生因慈善捐款再次遭受有關當局打壓，已引起全國和世界各地異議人士的極大憤慨和關注，也一定會遭到國際社會的強烈譴責。

PRESS ADVISORY:支持中國宗教自由
WHAT:  The Great Firewall of China Marching Brigade of Visual Artists Guild will join the Pasadena Doo-Dah parade
              To bring attention to the persecution in China of Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Underground Catholic Church and House Church Christians
              新 彊維吾爾族 , 西臧佛教徒,中國地下 天主教徒 ,中 國家庭基督教徒
WHEN: Sunday, November 18, 2018, 11 a.m.
               Available for interview starting at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Pasadena Doo Dah parade, see Map below                                                                                  
MEET:   On Nina St, between Altadena Dr. and Vindeo Ave. at Pasadena, see Map below

CONTACT INFORMATION:  Visual Artists Guild, Ann Lau 310-433-0697, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

* Since 2016, there are an estimated a million Uighurs Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, China's westernmost province, who have been put in re-education camps which China's Communist Party claim as "vocational centers".
* Chinese Muslims are forced to undergo indoctrination and rejection of their belief.
* China has pressured Egypt and Turkey to forcibly repatriate Chinese Muslims; upon their arrival in China, they immediately disappear.
* One of the world’s largest Tibetan Buddhist academies was demolished last year.
* Tibetan monks and nuns have been imprisoned.  Many Tibetan monks and nuns have committed self-immolation as a desperate act.
* Catholic bishops and priests and Christian pastors who refuse to follow the state mandate, are often put in jail.
* Churches are stripped of outside crosses and statues.  Many churches have also been ordered destroyed by the authorities.
* Jesus and saints' pictures are replaced with Mao and Xi Jinping's pictures at the Church altar
* No one under 18 is allowed to enter a church.
* No discussions of the Bible or meetings on Christian doctrine are allowed outside the church.
* Since the Vatican signed an agreement with China in September, 2018, it effectively gives the government of China defacto authority over the underground Catholics and the underground Catholic clergies.
*Catholic clergies have been disappeared to force them to undergo indoctrination to follow China's religious policies
* Destruction of Catholic shrines and other houses of worship go unabated.
* See poem written below by a Catholic priest

一位被迫仍在「学习」的神父写了几句感慨诗句，但从中却能看到神父们面对如此困境时的决心 与无奈：

良知底线的壁垒已被拆毁，

过去，即使是乱世，仍可造就忠贞，

而今，孕育英雄的土壤已不存在，

给勇士们荣誉的颁奖台也毁坏了，

啊！苦苦持守多年的信仰！

为你，今天我可祭献什么？

无语，上天可否垂怜！