Monday, November 03, 2008

Amnesty International, Circle Up Now, Tha Artivist & Others Keep The Dream Alive With Aerial Art Event...

R2C2H2 Tha Artivist Interviewed By Amnesty International


Tha Artivist Writes: Working As Memphis Community Outreach Organizer For Amnesty International, I can truly say that I was proud to have played a part in this historic weekend...This past weekend has taught me alot about who I am and where I am going...Doing community organizing of this magnitude is like sausage; you don't want to know how it's made, but you enjoy the finished product nonetheless...It was such an honor to meet truly diverse people from out of town as well as within the city limits...Although we are on the eve of something truly historic Nov. 4, we must not forget that MLK said prophetically 40 years ago in Memphis that we as a people will get to the promised land...Once again I am truly humbled and honored by my role in this truly beautiful and historic event!!!

Crowd Honors King With Aerial Art

Hundreds Gather In Tom Lee Park To Form Image Of Civil Rights Icon

Organizers were hoping at least 1,000 people would gather in Tom Lee Park Sunday to form a huge image of Martin Luther King Jr.

They got perhaps a third of that, and resigned to fill in the remainder with hundreds of opened umbrellas.

Participants lying in the grass at Tom Lee Park couldn't see  the image they created.

A. Withers - J. Pantukhoff/Special To The Commercial Appeal

Participants lying in the grass at Tom Lee Park couldn't see the image they created.

The man with the planJohn Quigley, artist and producer from Los Angeles for Circle Up Now, directs people to lie down in Tom Lee Park Sunday as part of  Amnesty International's tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and others in the struggle for human rights. Quigley estimated he spent about 10 hours setting up and marking the likeness of King to fill in with people, creating the image and message seen from above. story, B6
Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal

The man with the plan John Quigley, artist and producer from Los Angeles for Circle Up Now, directs people to lie down in Tom Lee Park Sunday as part of Amnesty International's tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and others in the struggle for human rights. Quigley estimated he spent about 10 hours setting up and marking the likeness of King to fill in with people, creating the image and message seen from above. story, B6

Still, they mostly managed to pull off a massive image of King, looking pensive with his chin resting on his hand, along with the words "Keep the Dream Alive." Helicopters flew overhead to record the "aerial art," as it's called.

The point of the display was to honor King and others in the struggle for human rights, said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, who was here for the Southern region of his group's three-day conference.

"We're trying to find new and innovative ways to make people aware, and aerial art is one of the ways," said Cox, whose group sponsored the event, along with local organizations. "It's a way to bring people together and let them use their bodies, in a sense, to take part."

Those who came to the park did so for various reasons.

"I love the idea and thought it was very creative, bringing Memphis together in a small way," said Susan Erdman, 61 and a Midtowner.

Madeline Brinkley, a 17-year-old art student from Germantown High, came with nine of her classmates to take part.

"We came in because we wanted to support this art. We're all in art class," she said, while sketching on a pad. "Being a part of this piece will make you identify more with your roots (being) from Memphis."

Then there were John Skaggs and his son, Kyle, who came from Midtown. They appreciated the project's cause, but they also found it hard to resist being outside on a perfect fall afternoon.

"We thought it'd be pretty cool to come down," John Skaggs said. "We came out here to throw the Frisbee around, meet some cool people."

-- Jody Callahan: 901-529-6531


Visit Amnesty International U.S.A. For More About The Keep The Dream Alive Event:http://www.amnestyusa.org/regional-conferences/south/keep-the-dream-alive/page.do?id=1351110


See Also...

*W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special*

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