CROSS/CURRENTS: Living the Art of Dissent

September 20, 7:00 pm & September 21, 2003, 4:00 pm
General admission $10 for both shows/ $7 for one
DiverseWorks

This two-part season opener contains activism elements from last year’s Words for Peace. The first part takes places on Saturday and will feature documentary film DAM/AGE about Arundhati Roy along with a panel discussion with the film producer Aradhana Seth and writer Anthony Arnove. On Sunday poets and musicians who express dissent at a time when patriotism is the accepted form of dialogue will perform. Also on view will be video clips, shot by Laura Harrison, featuring local artists engaged in dissent, and break dancing by Youth Advocates. This event is cosponsored by DiverseWorks, Helios Art Space, KPFT Pacifica 90.1FM and Houston Independent Media Center. Curated by Laura Harrison Chuck Jackson, Michael McGuire, Kasim Panjwani, Layla Panjwani, Sehba Sarwar and Michael Woodson.

Translating Intimacy

Saturday. October 18 and Sunday, October 19, 2003, Noon – 7:00 pm
General admission: Free
Project Row Houses

Five artists from four countries (Argentina, Norway, Pakistan and US) who speak four languages (Norwegian, Spanish, English, and Urdu) collaborate with Project Row Houses’ in its Round 19 Arts and Music festival. The Translating Intimacy installation will include spoken word, visual art, video, and music in different languages. After the opening on October 18, VBB will change out the visual exhibit on a monthly basis until March 2004. Cosponsored by Project Row Houses. Curated by Lise Bjorne, Fernando Brave, Shaista Parveen, Sehba Sarwar and Diana Wolfe.

World AIDS Day

Tuesday, December 2, 2003, 8:00 pm
General admission $7
DiverseWorks

This multi-media performance will honor AIDS victims and address the international scope of the AIDS pandemic, which is increasing at a frightening rate despite complacency in the US. Featured artists include Shahidul Alam, Kim Cotton, Chuck Jackson, Fady Joudah, Kris Peterson, Raj Pickens,Michael Peranteau, Kaz Phillips, and Sixto Wagan. Included in the evening’s event will be a screening of the video documentary HIV/AIDS: The Ghanalogue that documents Ghanaians in an honest and open discussion of HIV, sex and sexuality as well as photographs from AIDS victims in Bangladesh. Cosponsored by DiverseWorks. Curated by Nusrat Malik, Oskar Sonnen, Sehba Sarwar and Sixto Wagan.

Valiente: Honoring Rubén Martinez

Monday, December 8, 2003
6:00 – 9:00 pm
Dinner with cocktails
Eldorado Ballroom, 2310 Elgin at Dowling, Houston, TX 77004

Starting December 2003, Voices Breaking Boundaries (VBB) will begin a new tradition of honoring artists whose work reflects their passion to incite social change. This award, entitled the Courage Award will be awarded to local, national and international artists and will be renamed in different languages. VBB’s first Courage Award, called the Valiente Award will be given on Monday, December 8, 2003 to writer Rubén Martínez, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, poet and performer. The evening’s program includes performances by Youth Advocates, Kayummangi, Rubén Martínez, Raj Mankad and Raj Pickens. Catering service will be offered by VBB’s very own culinary artist, Nusrat Malik.  Curated by Keith Gulla, Nusrat Malik, Oskar Sonnen, Layla Panjwani, Michael Peranteau and Sehba Sarwar.

Translating Intimacy: Condestruction by Oskar Sonnen

Saturday. January 18 through Saturday, February 29, 2004
Closing party 7:00 – 9:00 pm pm, Saturday, February, 28, 2004
General admission: Free
Project Row Houses

Oskar Sonnen’s Condestruction smashes together images stolen from the internet with abstraction and text to evoke, provoke, and make you laugh. Sonnen has worked with local and nationals arts organizations including Dance Theater Workshop, DiverseWorks, and the National Performance Network. Sonnen, who snagged a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Alfred University, can be found mostly at night (try Dot Coffee Shop and Punk Rock Karaoke). Condestruction is part of VBB?s Translating Intimacy series at Project Row Houses’ 2521 space.

A World Without Water -  A VBB-Fotofest Film Festival

Drowned Out - We Can’t Wish Them Away, Sunday, February 29, 6:30 PM @ Artery

 AREA K: A Political Fishing Documentary, Friday, April 16, 8:30 PM @ The Axiom (2524 McKinney)

General admission: $5 each screening
Curated by Nusrat Malik, Eileen Maxson and Mohit Mehta.

A World Without Water is an international film festival in collaboration with Fotofest, based on Fotofest’s bi-annual photography exhibit. The opening film Drowned Out - We Can’t Wish Them Away (India, 2002, 75 min. subtitled), directed by Franny Armstrong is a powerful documentary on India’s Narmada Dam project that threatens the lives of 8,000 people. In the film, writer Arundhati Roy raises questions about the 16 million people who have been displaced as a result of 50 years of dam building. AREA K: A Political Fishing Documentary (USA, 52 min.), directed by Nadav Harel and Ramon Bloomberg, tells the story of a Palestinian fishing clan that strikes a deal with their Israeli counterparts. What follows is a moving story of co-existence through mutual need, and the universal language of the sea. The screenings of Drowned Out and Area K include refreshments, drinks and panel discussions.

Translating Intimacy: Work By Eric & Paul Hester

Wednesday. March 10 through Saturday, April 19, 2004
General admission: Free
Project Row Houses

Photographers Paul and Eric Hester (father and son), will exhibit their work together for the first time at Project Row Houses’ 2521 space. The photographs will showcase their travels together to New York (2001) and Enchanted Rock (1993 and 2003). Paul Hester is currently a visiting artist at Rice University and his photographs have been shown nationally. For the last twenty years, he has worked as a contributing photographer to Cite, the publication of the Rice Design Alliance and some of that work recently appeared in The Ephemeral City, an anthology of Cite published by the University of Texas Press. Eric Hester, an undergraduate at Rice University, has served on the VBB Board, has co-facilitated several VBB workshops at local high schools and has exhibited his photographs and videos at DiverseWorks through VBB.

La Voz Femenina: Artists Celebrate International Women’s Day

Thursday, March 11, 2:30 pm
Admission: Free
University of Houston-Downtown, One Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

Joining VBB’s celebration of International Women’s Month, Arte Público Press will fly in internationally renowned poet, novelist and children’s book author Lucha Corpi whose work includes a trilogy of mystery novels, Eulogy for a Brown Angel  (2002), Cactus Blood  (1995), and Black Widow’s Wardrobe  (1999).  This musical and literary performance will celebrate women’s voices through performances by UH-D students including Connie Falcon and Anthony Francis, the Blackout Artists Collective with Hahleemah Wright and young artists from Milby and Lee high schools.  Cosponsored by Arte Público Press. Curated by Jane Creighton, Shannon Garth-Rhodes, Chuck Jackson, Sehba Sarwar and Marina Tristán.

Mondays At Deans

An Injury to One, Mondays, March 1,8,15, 22, 29, 9:00 p
Dean’s Credit Clothing, 316 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002
General admission $5
Curated by Eileen Maxson.

In March VBB will partner with Aurora Picture Show and will cosponsor the film, An injury to One, part of Aurora’s Monday’s at Deans series. An Injury to One (USA, 2002, 53 min.), directed by Travis Wilkerson, focuses on the 1917 murder of labor agitator Frank Little, and the film tells of the larger calamity known as Butte, Montana and its place in American culture, economy and environment.

Houston Artists And Dissent

Sunday, May 24 at 7:00 pm
General admission $5
Artery

In August 2003, as a kickoff to VBB’s 03-04 season, Houston filmmaker Laura Harrison interviewed more than fifty local artists—including Gabriel Delgado, Rick Lowe, Bapsi Sidhwa—regarding their views on art, activism and dissent. Harrison’s documentary from these interviews was first aired at VBB’s season opener, CROSS/CURRENTS, a dynamic event that brought more than 400 people into the DiverseWorks artspace. The May event will celebrate VBB’s 03-04 season and there will be a screening of Houston Artists and Dissent, conversations with Harrison and some artists featured in the film. Houston Artists and Dissent will be on sale. Curated by Laura Harrison, Chuck Jackson, Layla Panjwani, Sehba Sarwar and Michael Woodson.