THE CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD PRESENTS
VISUAL ARTISTS GUILD
ART & DEMOCRACY VI
The sixth in a series of art exhibitions by Visual Artists Guild with the theme of Art & Democracy.  Our participating artists from all over the world responded with their art works that address the issues of human rights, immigrants rights, democratic aspirations, social justice and freedom of speech and expression.  This event attempts to keep alive the dialogue of Freedom and Democracy and to highlight the 30th Anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre and the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of Eastern Europe.  With this exhibit, Visual Artists Guild hopes to create a space for the world to celebrate human rights, freedom of speech and democracy.  Specials events include artists meet-and-greets, a Democracy Forum and Artists forum.
Of note is two of the three art works by US based Chinese artist Bing Weng that were censored by the City of Cary in North Carolina are going to be exhibited here.

CURATOR: Selene V. Tellez
WHEN:   Opening September 7, 2019
                1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
WHERE: Long Hall ( inside Plummer Park).
                 1200 N. Vista Street, West Hollywood, Ca 90048
CONTACT: Ann Lau, Chair, Visual Artists Guild 310-433-0697
DATES & HOURS OPEN:
Wednesday to Sunday, September 1 - September 25, 2019
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Opening Reception                        : Saturday, September 7, 2019,
                                                           1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Democracy Forum - Hong Kong  : Saturday, September 14, 2019,
                                                           2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Door opens 1 p.m.
  Specials guests from Hong Kong will discuss the current situation on the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong.  The what, why and how.
  The Lennon Wall of Prague and Hong Kong will be replicated
Artists Forum                                 :  Saturday, September 21, 2019, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Door opens 1 p.m.

It Itwas Saturday morning. As usual, I was driving my children to Chinatown for them to attend Chinese language school. The ABC radio station cut through programming to report live from Beijing. The reporter was in Tiananmen Square and the loudspeaker was on. Suddenly he said the lights in the Square were turned off and tracer bullets shot across the Square. People were running and there were the sounds of gunfire; he had to get out but then the radio station didn't hear his voice any more but just sounds of people coming through.

Tears streamed down my face. Surely I should have expected that the pro-democracy movement would end with repression but with weeks of my following the news from China, I willed myself to believe that finally China would change.

My ten year old elder daughter asked, "Mama, what is happening?" I answered weakly, "They are getting rid of the students." I feared the worst. After Chinese school, we went to the Chinese Consulate. There were some Chinese students from Hong Kong with their microphone and many others from the community. Older Chinese-Americans brought water and paper cups. We exchanged phone numbers. A reporter was talking to my elder daughter. That evening, the local news showed the reporter asking my daughter if she knew what was going on. Her answer, "The people in China want freedom".

A week later, on a Monday morning, the radio station reported about a replica of the goddess of democracy statue that was crushed in Tiananmen Square appeared in front of Los Angeles City Hall on a pedestrian bridge. Tom VanSant and members of Visual Artists Guild had built the 23 ft replica of the statue. As Tom VanSant attended the City Hall meeting that morning to gain approval for the statue, a 4.5 earthquake happened. The statue did not tumble down and the City subsequently allowed the statue to stay for a month.

30 years have now passed.

My daughters have now grown and have families of their own.

Still we remember.

We remember those who perished; we remember those who disappeared; we remember those still imprisoned; we remember those who are forced to exile.

For a short shining moment in the spring of 1989, the people in China, inspired by the students, suddenly found themselves speaking the truth, expressing their own China dream. It was then that they gave each other a precious gift, a gift of freedom, the freedom from fear.

May we continue to share that gift.

Ann Lau
Chair, Visual Artists Guild