#MeToo- Art and Feminism Now (Full Video)

Krista Suh and Yareli Arizmendi get to the heart of the matter at #MeToo- Art and Feminism Now
photo by MarySue Heilemann

On Saturday, January 27th 2018 a vibrant panel discussion on #MeToo - Art and Feminism Now was held from 1-3pm at the Santa Monica Art Studios. 

We gathered as artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers and more to help discuss ideas on how to build a path forward. 

Kathleen McHugh, Chair Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media at UCLA, Moderated the panel discussion.

The panelists included:

Actress/Writer Yareli Arizmendi (Like Water for Chocolate, A Day Without a Mexican) More at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0034976/.Artist/Activist 

Michele Pred (Represented by Nancy Hoffman Gallery) More on Michele Pred at: http://michelepred.com/home.html.“Ms Pred's work is an important offering for its relevance to the times."- Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor 

Krista Suh - Krista is a feminist, artist, Hollywood screenwriter, and co-creator of The Pussyhat Project. She's based in Los Angeles. Her new book, DIY Rules for a WTF World: How to Speak Up, Get Creative, and Change the World will be released in January. Krista will be selling and signing copies of her new book after the panel discussion. More on Krista Suh at http://kristasuh.com/.

Kim Schoenstadt Contemporary Artist "This event was an opportunity to take a snapshot of all the female and female identifying working artists in the LA contemporary art community. It was an opportunity for us to capture a moment where we stood with each other in all of our diversity." More on Kim Schoenstadt at http://www.kimschoenstadt.com/about/ and https://www.nowbeherela.com/.

Organized by contemporary artist Gregg Chadwick http://www.greggchadwick.com/.

Kathleen McHugh, Krista Suh, Yareli Arizmendi, Michelle Pred, Kim Schoenstadt with her daughter at #MeToo - Art and Feminism
photo by MarySue Heilemann

You Are Invited to a Vibrant Panel Discussion - #MeToo - Art and Feminism Now on Jan 27, 2018

Michele Pred 
#MeToo 
November 2017
Neon on Vintage Case
16" x 16" x 8"
Courtesy the Nancy Hoffman Gallery

"We stand on the precipice of a very dynamic time, and it’s up to us to decide whether this is a moment or whether it’s something that really instigates systemic change." -Ava DuVernay, speaking about the #MeToo and Time's Up movements. (InStyle, Jan 3, 2018)

Artists often use their creations as a sort of reflecting device that mirrors and focuses attention on social and political change.  Beyoncé 's powerful song  ***Flawless  features writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's fierce appreciation of feminism in the 21st century. Actresses and their allies wore black to the Golden Globes to protest sexual harassment in Hollywood. At Art Basel in Miami, Michelle Pred and Pussyhat Project founder Krista Suh led a parade against patriarchy. The Time's Up website challenges us with a call to action: "No more silence. No more waiting. No more tolerance for discrimination, harassment or abuse."

Carrying these thoughts forward, on Saturday, January 27th 2018 a vibrant panel discussion on #MeToo - Art and Feminism Now will be held from 1-3pm at the Santa Monica Art Studios. 

We will gather as artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers and more to help discuss ideas on how to build a path forward. 

Krista Suh and Michele Pred at the Parade Against Patriarchy. Photo courtesy of Ventiko

Kathleen McHugh, Chair Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media at UCLA, will be moderating the panel discussion.

The panelists include:

 Actress/Writer Yareli Arizmendi (Like Water for Chocolate, A Day Without a Mexican)  More at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0034976/.Artist/Activist 

Michele Pred (Represented by Nancy Hoffman Gallery)  More on Michele Pred at: http://michelepred.com/home.html.“Ms Pred's work is an important offering for its relevance to the times."- Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor

Krista Suh Krista is a feminist, artist, Hollywood screenwriter, and co-creator of The Pussyhat Project. She's based in Los Angeles. Her new book, DIY Rules for a WTF World: How to Speak Up, Get Creative, and Change the World will be released in January. Krista will be selling and signing copies of her new book after the panel discussion. More on Krista Suh at  http://kristasuh.com/.

Kim Schoenstadt Contemporary Artist "This event was an opportunity to take a snapshot of all the female and female identifying working artists in the LA contemporary art community.  It was an opportunity for us to capture a moment where we stood with each other in all of our diversity."  More on Kim Schoenstadt at http://www.kimschoenstadt.com/about/ and https://www.nowbeherela.com/.

Organized by contemporary artist Gregg Chadwick http://www.greggchadwick.com/.

Our panel discussion #MeToo - Art and Feminism Now will be held on Saturday, January 27th from 1-3pm in the Arena 1 Gallery at the Santa Monica Art Studios, 3026 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica CA 90405.

#Me Too - Art and Feminism Now is FREE. We ask that you please RSVP at metooartandfeminismnow@gmail.com.

#Me Too - Art and Feminism Now will be part of our satellite art event MORE ART HERE running concurrently with the Art Los Angeles Contemporary art fair across the street from the Santa Monica Art Studios at Barker Hangar. A few artists planted seeds for this event last year by asking all studio mates of Santa Monica Art Studios to open their studios during Art Los Angeles Contemporary’s 2017 Art Fair. With the success of 2017, we’re back and invite visitors to this year’s weekend of MORE ART HERE.

Where: 3026 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA      

When : January 25-28, 201812 pm-6 pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 

Panel discussion #MeToo - Art and Feminism Now will be held on Saturday, January 27th from 1-3pm in the Arena 1 Gallery at the Santa Monica Art Studios, 3026 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica CA 90405.

Cost: This event is free 

MORE ART HERE is located across the street from and concurrent with Art Los Angeles Contemporary and just a short shuttle ride away from the stART Up Fair LA in Venice.

Complimentary Shuttle between MORE ART HERE and stART Up Fair at The Kinney Hotel and will be available hourly. The shuttle stops will be located on the west side of 3026 Airport Avenue and The Kinney Hotel, Venice.

Beyoncé - ***Flawless ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Yep!

The story behind Beyoncé's Flawless here:  'Flawless': The Full Story

Your challengers are a young group from Houston
Welcome Beyonce, Lativia, Nina, Nicky, Kelly, and Ashley
The Hip-Hop Rappin' 'Girls Tyme'

I'm out that H-town, coming, coming down
I'm coming down dripping candy on the ground
H, H-town, town, I'm coming down
Coming down, dripping candy on the ground

I know when you were little girls
You dreamt of being in my world
Don't forget it, don't forget it
Respect that, bow down bitches

I took some time to live my life
But don't think I'm just his little wife
Don't get it twisted, get it twisted
This my shit, bow down bitches

Bow down bitches, bow bow down bitches (Crown)
Bow down bitches, bow bow down bitches (Crown)
H Town bitches
H, H Town bitches
I'm so crown crown, bow down bitches

I'm out that H, town, coming coming down
I'm coming down, drippin' candy on the ground
On the ground

H, H town town
I'm coming down
Coming down
Drippin' candy on the ground

(Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
We teach girls to shrink themselves
To make themselves smaller
We say to girls
"You can have ambition
But not too much
You should aim to be successful
But not too successful
Otherwise you will threaten the man"
Because I am female
I am expected to aspire to marriage
I am expected to make my life choices
Always keeping in mind that
Marriage is the most important
Now marriage can be a source of
Joy and love and mutual support
But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage
And we don't teach boys the same?
We raise girls to each other as competitors
Not for jobs or for accomplishments
Which I think can be a good thing
But for the attention of men
We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings
In the way that boys are
Feminist - the person who believes in the social
Political, and economic equality of the sexes

You wake up, flawless
Post up, flawless
Ride round in it, flawless
Flossin on that, flawless
This diamond, flawless
My diamond, flawless
This rock, flawless
My Roc, flawless
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell 'em
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell 'em
Say I, look so good tonight
God damn, God damn
Say I, look so good tonight
God damn, God damn

Momma taught me good home training
My Daddy taught me how to love my hater s
My sister taught me I should speak my mind
My man made me feel so God damn fine

You wake up, flawless
Post up, flawless
Ride round in it, flawless
Flossin on that, flawless
This diamond, flawless
My diamond, flawless
This rock, flawless
My Roc, flawless
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell 'em
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell 'em
Say I, look so good tonight
God damn, God damn
Say I, look so good tonight
God damn, God damn

The Judges give champion Skeleton Groove 4 Stars
A perfect score
And the challenger Girls Tyme receives, 3 stars
Skeleton Groove, champions once again
Congratulations, we'll see you next week



Chimamanda Ngozi , We Should All Be Feminists