C Drew - Street Artist Adventures

The weather is getting warmer. Time for us to plan our “Art-Actions.”

C. Drew wears a Carlos Cortez patch he printed entitled "I Want You."

A workshop graduate of several years back, Valya, brought an artist friend, Julie, to our Screen Print Workshop for Artists. Jon arrived to help. Valya, Julie and I printed while Jon stretched and washed screens which we later coated with photographic emulsion.

Valya printed and wears a Jeneba Koroma design entitled "Trust It."

We do not have a problem with distributing our patches. This will be the easiest thing to do. Our challenges are to be able to print enough patch art and to prepare it for giving away. We need to package it. This is a call for PRINT AND PACKAGING VOLUNTEERS. Email your offer to help to umcac@art-teez.org with the word “volunteer” in the subject.

Julie printed and wears an Elena design with a Day of the Dead theme.

Our package is simple. It is an ironed patch pinned to a Patch Art Project flier with the art showing on the top and the flier pinned so the FREE SPEECH ARTISTS’ MOVEMENT shouts out at you from the other side. Turned one way you see the art, turned the other you see the flier front. To get more information you must flip the patch to read about the Patch Art Project on the flier back.

Patch Art Project flier front

Imagine being on an “Art-Action” and observing a person who you give a patch to as they attempt to make sense out of it. You give it to them art side up. They see the art. They flip it over and see the “Free Speech Artists’ Movement” in big type and our issue in small type. They separate the two and see the text describing the Patch Art Project and read enough about us in a few seconds to know if they are interested in our cause. Then they discover that the person next to them has different patch-art. We are fishing for support.

Patch Art Project flier back

We also need to be careful how we distribute the art-packages. Print volunteers should be able to distribute “raw patches,” patches that are not packaged but are fresh from printing. But the rest of the patches should be sorted, ironed and pinned to a Patch Art Project flier.

Patches need to be sorted into envelopes for each design as soon as they are printed. Those that are sorted out as unacceptable are an opportunity to discuss printing skills for the participant and the rejected patches can be printed again on their other side. We get two chances for the volunteer to get the print right and add flavor and quality to the final gift.

When we distribute these packaged patches we should be in a co-ordinated action. Actions should be documented with photos and text to be posted on blogs and social-networking sites by as many of the participants as possible. Every volunteer in these art-actions should have a donation can.

Finally, we have a mild test of our printed patches thanks to Valya who has volunteered to test the patches, not the package, just the patches. We will get a report from her and that will help us take another small step forward. Does any one want to help us prepare? Call 773-561-7676 and let us know you are coming.

spring flower - wake up to a new season

VOUNTEER DATES/TIMES

Friday 3/27 2-4 or 5-6 pm at the Critical Mass Bike Ride Gathering at the Daley Center.

Thursday 4/2 5-8pm

Friday 4/10 5-8pm

Tuesday 4/14 5-8pm

Enjoy.