Artists & Projects Directory

• Africa Consortium
• Boyzie Cekwana
• Dan Hurlin
• David Roussève/REALITY
• Dean Moss
• Gregory Maqoma
• Los Muñequitos
• Marc Bamuthi Joseph
• Ralph Lemon
• Stories Left to Tell
• The America Project
• Yasuko Yokoshi

Marc Bamuthi Joseph/The Living Word Project

LIFE IS LIVING is a series of day-long festivals in underutilized urban parks that focus on eco-equity, the radically democratic position that poor communities and communities of color are logistically and psychologically included in the new, clean and green economy.

The model for LIFE IS LIVING, organized by Marc Bamuthi Joseph/Living Word Project, took place at DeFremery Park in West Oakland, CA in October 2008.  Replications are taking place in 2009 and 2010 in Chicago, Houston, New York, and Oakland.

Introducing LIFE is LIVING from MVMT on Vimeo.

The events of each LIFE IS LIVING aim to build community through art and education, planting a seed for further local eco-equity action.  Activities include:

• A graffiti battle, with each artist given a 6x8 foot canvas on which to create environmentally themed tags based on the word "LIFE."
• Performances by local spoken word youth groups, dance and theater artists, co-curated by Bamuthi and the local host organizations.
• Invited speakers from community and environmental groups, and information stations manned by local green organizations and activists.
• Demonstrations of green activities, such as building structures with sustainable materials (e.g., bamboo housing pods and small greenhouses), gardening exhibits, tree planting, and recycling.  
• A follow-up convening, with local presenters, community organizations, artists and funders to share information and views on this new model for partnership between members of the arts community and civic activists and organizations, and for embedding artistic creation in this type of civic dialogue and exchange.

Documentation of each LIFE IS LIVING is feeding into the poetry, monologues, video and visual art that will come together on stage in Bamuthi's new performance project, red, black and GREEN: a blues.  While Bamuthi has been deeply involved in community as an educator and activist for many years, this marks his first direct integration of artistic inquiry with community engagement.  He feels there is the potential here for a new model of integrating arts and environmental activism, and for exploring the impact of the "green living" revolution on urban communities of color, and on the popular culture that these communities spawn.