Patti Smith x CAC print release
I made a mural of Patti Smith in the lobby of the CAC when my museum survey show went to Cincinnati in 2010. The mural is still up and it turns out that Patti Smith herself will be doing an art show at the CAC. This serendipity inspired a print release of the Patti Smith image to raise funds for the CAC. Only 100 are available on my site, but if you are in Cincinnati you can pick up the print at the CAC. If you don’t know Patti Smith’s music and writing… check that out too!-Shepard
100 prints will be released at a random time on 4/12/2012 here. $45. Limit 1 per person/household.
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Top 10 Koch Facts
1. Koch Industries, which the brothers own, is one of the top ten polluters in the United States — which perhaps explains why the Kochs have given $60 million to climate denial groups between 1997 and 2010.
2. The Kochs are the oil and gas industry’s biggest donors to the congressional committee with oversight of the hazardous Keystone XL oil pipeline. They and their employees gave more than $300,000 to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2010 alone.
3. From 1998-2008, Koch-controlled foundations gave more than $196 million to organizations that favor polices that would financially enrich the two brothers. In addition, Koch Industries spent $50 million on lobbying and some $8 million in PAC contributions.
4. The Koch fortune has its origins in engineering contracts with Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union.
5. The Kochs are suing to take over the Cato Institute, which has accused the Kochs of attempting to destroy the group’s identity as an independent, libertarian think and align it more closely with a partisan agenda.
6. A Huffington Post source who was at a three-day retreat of conservative billionaires said the Koch brothers pledged to donate $60 million to defeat President Obama in 2012 and produce pledges of $40 million more from others at the retreat.
7. Since 2000, the Kochs have collected almost $100 million in government contracts, mostly from the Department of Defense.
8. Koch Industries has an annual production capacity of 2.2 billion pounds of the carcinogen formaldehyde. The company has worked to keep it from being classified as a carcinogen even though David Koch is a prostate cancer survivor.
9. The Koch brothers’ combined fortune of roughly $50 billion is exceeded only by that of Bill Gates in the United States.
10. The Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs accused Koch Oil of scheming to steal $31 million of crude oil from Native Americans. Although the company claimed it was accidental, a former executive in this operation said Charles Koch had known about it and had responded to the overages by saying, “I want my fair share, and that’s all of it.”
That last quote — “I want my fair share, and that’s all of it” — encapsulates the unbridled greed driving the Kochs’ political activism and business dealings. Democracy cannot thrive with so much power being in the hands of men like this. If we care about democracy, we have to work to take it back.
Co-authored by Jesse Lava and Robert Greenwald
Printsonwood.com X Jeff Soto Release
-Shepard
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Aung San Suu Kyi Victory in Burma
There have been jubilant scenes outside the headquarters of Burma’s National League for Democracy after the party declared its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has won a parliamentary seat in byelections. It is a milestone for the Nobel laureate who has spent much of the past 20 years under house arrest, barred from involvement in the nation’s politics. ~The Guardian (UK)
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The long wait is over, Koch Brothers Exposed is here
Yesterday we had the World Premiere of our Koch Brothers Exposed documentary in New York City just a few miles from one of the Kochs many homes. Instead of keeping this film in theaters, we are making it available immediately on DVD with an Action Guide so that you can watch with family and friends then do something to make a difference.
Get the DVD now featuring expert interviews, investigative exposés, and extras about what these billionaire brothers are doing to our democracy. After you get the DVD please download the Action Guide which we have created with our partners Greenpeace, Campaign for America’s Future, NAACP, Democracy for America and Advancement Project.
We are up against a mega-rich foe with an elitist attitude. Charles Koch is credited as saying, “I just want my fair share, and that’s all of it”. We need your help to combat these billionaires actions. Sign up to hold a House Screening or go to the Screening page to attend one in your neighborhood. After watching, we encourage you to discuss the film with your family and friends then look through the Action Guide to decide on which actions you can agree to do. With your help we can start to reverse the damage that has been done.
Thank you for being a part of this movement. Together we can make sure that the 1% is not controlling our democracy.
Best,
Robert Greenwald
I invite you to join Koch Brothers Exposed on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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THE BLACK KEYS FAN CONTEST
I’ve liked The Black Keys since I first heard them several years ago. I’ve become an even bigger fan of the band since they released their latest 2 records…”Brothers” and “El Camino”, both of which are instant classics. I have always loved Classic Rock, Garage, Punk and Glam, genres that The Black Keys filter through their own sensibilities in an incredibly infectious way. It was a great honor for me to get to make these two posters for their Madison Square Garden shows. I look forward to seeing them at Coachella next month.
– Shepard
CONTEST DETAILS:
Are you the biggest Black Keys fan? Well here’s a chance for you to own a piece of The Black Keys history! We’re looking for The Black Keys fan with the OLDEST ticket stubs! Think you have the oldest stub? What are you waiting for? Tweet us a picture of yourself holding your stub and be entered to win a dually signed print by both Dan, Pat and Shepard!
MUST include hashtag #OBEYBlackkeys HURRY – contest ends April 3, 2012 – 5pm PST. Winner will be announced on April 6th via OBEY GIANT Facebook and Twitter.
GOOD LUCK!!!
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Tuesday’s Print release times
Tomorrow’s print release will occur at two separate times during the day. Once in the morning between 10am and 12noon and once in the late afternoon between 3 and 5. All times are Pacific Standard Time. Good Luck!
All in for the 99%
400 S. La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone
BYPASSING THE GATEKEEPERS
This new interview appears in PMc Magazine. To learn about upcoming shows, future art history and gatekeepers read on!
A Conversation with SHEPARD FAIREY
Virtually every person in America now knows who Shepard Fairey is, or at least one work of his in particular. Thanks to his Obama “Hope” poster (and subsequent AP lawsuit), the artist transcended the art world spotlight, and was thrust into the home of the average American.
Being in the pocket that is the New York art world, I sometimes forget that probably up until the “Hope’ poster, most of America couldn’t tell the difference between graffiti and street art, and most likely didn’t care enough to. Street art as a movement has been barreling toward its peak, now being the subject of world class museum exhibitions, high ranking Sotheby’s and Christie’s auctions, and mimicry by the advertising industry. Everyone and their brother now “does street art,” if I had a dollar for every street artist I met, I’d be a rich lady.
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