Gateways to Action » Art

Women of the World

Ty — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:18:10 +0000

A dazzling collection of art by women from across the globe was originally intended to be auctioned off in 2003. New Orleans collector Richard C. Colton, Jr. was so moved by the power of the assemblage, however, that he bought it whole in order to keep it that way, and to share it with the world. Conceived by Claudia DeMonte, each of the 176 female artists of this fabulous collection donated their pieces to the exhibition to raise money to help other women. What was designed as a single transitory show has become an enduring, gender-transcending metaphor for the common ground of struggle and beauty among cultures. Read Richard Colton’s project story here.

Follow this link to see the fabulous Women of the World galleries, and be sure to *click the arrow* at lower left at Gallery 1 and Gallery 2 to bring additional images into view:

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Women of the World GALLERIES

See the site for exhibition locations and info:

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What are your thoughts about individual pieces in this art collection? How are you impacted by the collection as a whole? Would love to see your comments below:

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Ambivalence Over Afghanistan

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:24:29 +0000

President Obama is edging closer to a decision on whether to reinforce the 68,000 U.S. troops who will be fighting in Afghanistan by year’s end. Since routing out Al Qaeda and their Taliban hosts in Afghanistan after 9-11, the Taliban has made a steady comeback, fueled by failures of the Bush administration, profits from the opium trade and corruption under the country’s president, Hamid Karzai. Amid accusations of fraud during the August 20th presidential election and a deteriorating internal security situation, the country seems poised on foundations so tenuous that our leaders are in conflict about what to do.

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General Stanley McChrystal is calling for 30,000 or more additional US troops. While Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham are in support of the proposal, President Obama seems unconvinced that sending more troops is warrented, and a credible future exit strategy appears elusive at best, given the circumstances.

Author Gordon Goldstein talks with the German news source, Spiegel Online, about the lessons of Viet Nam, in which he sees historical parallels to the current Afghanistan predicament. President Obama asked his security advisors to read Goldstein’s book, “Lessons in Disaster: McGeorge Bundy and the Path to War in Vietnam,” which traces the events that mired the U.S. in a tragic situation. See the INTERVIEW here.

The BBC is posting some remarkable images by artists who have documented the scene in Afghanistan (and elsewhere.) Check out Multimedia Content to see a few samples in this poignant Slideshow series.

Artists and others:
The BBC features some wonderful interactive programming online. Weigh in on Afghanistan or other cutting edge topics by submitting your work:

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Hole in the Wall Camps

admin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:48:00 +0000

photo by: D. Sharon Pruitt

Tribute to the Creative Life of Paul Newman

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Paul Newman Hole in the Wall Camps VIDEO

September brought a sad, sweet farewell to Paul Newman, who died of cancer at the age of 83. Amidst the media gloom and campaign rancor of the season, a glance at his life makes for refreshing fare.

What film lover could forget Newman’s understated blue-eyed “Cool Hand Luke,” his tortured soul as Brick in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” his romantic charm as Butch Cassidy. Over the years, his characters helped us to articulate the spirit of our times. He became like a friend, journeying alongside us through the decades. His colleagues have long commented on his lack of outsized ego, his generosity on stage, and his abiding Ohio-born, down-to-earth perspective.

But he left not only fine creative work as an actor, or warmth of personal character. He left us an example, by his later work in philanthropy.

It all started the Christmas of 1980, when he and his Westport neighbor, A.E. Hotchner, filled old wine bottles with Paul’s homemade salad dressing as gifts to friends. They wound up lining the shelves of a local gourmet shop, as a joke. But sobriety arrived when the dressing sold out, detailed in a book the two penned years later — “Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good.” In a nutshell, by 2008, Newman’s Own Foundation had donated more than 250 million dollars to charities around the world. His Hole in the Wall Camps bring, at no charge, joyful experiences to seriously ill children. He also helped found the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy.

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Strange how we can grow to love a public figure whom we’ve never met. His passing, for many Americans, feels akin to losing a family member. One whose roles are still very much alive:

loving family man and friend, gifted actor, progressive activist, and philanthropist with a sense of humor. To sum it up, a humanitarian we will never forget. Watch Mr. Newman speaking about Hole in the Wall Camps here, or watch through Multimedia Content above. Also, see some wonderful photos of Paul Newman at the end of this post:

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