tongue to tongue

My film, pray ting ai fly, is part of an art show next month in LA:

Know Thyself (unsheathed) by Naya’Hri Suhalia

The Advocate and Gochis Galleries

9.7.07-9.29.07

Opening Reception: Friday September 7, 7-9 pm FREE

TONGUE TO TONGUE
Queer Woman & Gender Variant People of Color: A Group Exhibition

Featuring artwork by:

Nuria Bolaños, Jaguar Busuego,
Butchlalis de Panochtitlan, Yuki Eto, Ana
Fernandez, Lydia Elizabeth Godoy, Vanessa
Huang, Verlena Johnson, Alma Lopez, Sara
Margarita, Dalila Paola Mendez, Mahyar Nili,
Genevieve Erin O’Brien, Noni Olabisi, Christine
Pan, Jeannel Phillips, Laura Placencia, Suyapa
G. Portillo, Glynnis Reed, Gen Roldan,
and Naya’Hri Suhalia

Fore more information, call 323/860-7337 or email artprograms@lagaycenter.org.

Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 6-10 pm

Saturdays 9 am-5 pm

Admission: FREE

***

TONGUE TO TONGUE
Provoking Critical Dialogues Among Queer
Women of Color
www.tonguetotongue.org
September 7,8,9, 2007

Tongue to Tongue is produced by and for queer-,
lesbian-, bisexual women, genderqueer,
transgender & gender non-conforming people of
color, with key sponsorships from our allies in
the community.

Together with independent educators, artists,
academics & community activists we will address
questions of race, poverty, sexuality, gender,
violence & health as well as legal, civil & human
rights. Through these dialogues we will develop a
platform for action to organize a movement to
change the landscape for LGBTQI people in
Los Angeles and beyond.

Tongue to Tongue explicitly acknowledges and
honors transgender, genderqueer, and gender
non-conforming experiences of womanhood
that have historically been silenced in women-
oriented spaces.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
6-9:30pm: Art Exhibit: Opening & Reception

With artwork by: Nuria Bolaños, Jaguar Busuego,
Butchlalis de Panochtitlan, Yuki Eto, Ana
Fernandez, Lydia Elizabeth Godoy, Vanessa
Huang, Verlena Johnson, Alma Lopez, Sara
Margarita, Dalila Paola Mendez, Mahyar Nili,
Genevieve Erin O’Brien, Noni Olabisi, Christine
Pan, Jeannel Phillips, Laura Placencia, Suyapa
G. Portillo, Glynnis Reed, Gen Roldan,
and Naya’Hri Suhalia

Featuring DJ Nova Jade and performances by
Wildflower and tatiana de la tierra

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

9am-6pm: Workshops, Films,
Keynote Speaker: Laura Harris
(details will be posted on our website)

7-9:30pm Performances by: Ryka Aoki de la Cruz,
D’Lo, Traeh, Ami Mattison, Jennifer Jiries,
chueh jun-fung, and Monica Palacios

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

10am-4pm: Keynote Speaker: Alice Y. Hom,
Breakout Groups
Closing

*Program still subject to change*
Visit www.tonguetotongue.org for registration &
program information.

Registration $30
Saturday only: $20 (includes evening performances)
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

LOCATION:
Gay & Lesbian Center’s Village @ Ed Gould Plaza
1125 North McCadden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038

mural at 24th and capp streets

Public Art Program, SF Arts Commission
25 Van Ness Ave, Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94103
via facsimile: 415/252-2595

August 22, 2007

Dear SF Arts Commission,

I’m a 23-year-old multigenre artist and the daughter of a public space designer born and raised here in the Bay Area. I’m writing to share what a joy it was to stumble upon fellow artists working on a new mural at 24th and Capp Streets a few weekends ago. Like the others, the new 24th and Capp Street mural is beautiful: it’s vibrant; it speaks to our experiences; it brings people together. As someone who strongly shares your belief in the vital role of art and culture in community life, I’m happy to see the Commission is encouraging young artists like myself to share our talents with and for the Mission District community, where so many of my formative experiences as an artist and community worker have taken place.

As such, I was deeply saddened to hear about recent efforts by the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council to censor and otherwise influence relevant and important portions of the mural reflecting the lived and family experiences of many Palestinian and Arab Americans who now reside in San Francisco and the Bay Area. This mural does what I think public art does best: reflect and inspire the lives of the people who share, hold, and nurture the space to come together to live and grow collectively. As a Chinese-American daughter of immigrants from Taipei, I understand my experience and my family’s experiences along a spectrum of migration, and this work beautifully represents this range of experiences while unifying our communities’ need to be healthy and whole rather than being torn apart across borders and walls.

While I appreciated hearing of the Commission’s efforts to convene a series of meetings to facilitate dialogue amongst community members, I was very concerned to learn that Palestinian and Arab community members had not been invited to participate in these meetings. I hope this is not the case, and urge the Commission to include all members of the Mission and broader San Francisco community who wish to participate in future meetings, and to continue to support my peers’ inspiring and necessary work and vision.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Huang

CC: Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth