BREAKING LOCAL SCHOOL GARDENING NEWS

OK Y'all. Egypt is on the brink of something major, The NEA is about to be sliced and diced and though we love to say the word "innovation," very few folks are willing to undo business as usual in order to foster it. Feeling helpless? DON"T. We still got our collective mojo and here is one of those moments where we can exercise it. My new BFF, Mud Baron, is seeking to revolutionize school gardens EVEN THOUGH HE GOT SACKED BY LAUSD. That's right, a little more cow bell please! Hate on Hater, but he's gonna do him, and what he does is plant for change. Please read below for instructions on how to get him 100,000 organic seed packs plus wheelbarrows, shovels and other farming tools the kids will need to grow their own food.

Mud Baron

Can you help our school gardens out:

We have less than just 24 hours to GET OUT THE VOTE. Do send directly to your lists (work, fam, personal) to get 100 nods out of all school garden fans. Yesterday SEEDS OF CHANGE committed 100,000 seed ...packs for you, us, EVERYONE. AND they are going to get more than just seeds for us this year. We're talking gardens. Their marketing team is partnering to source in the long-term - shovels, wheelbarrows to go along with the bag of seeds, dirt and kids we have. Stellar. But we gotta get to 1000 first. DO nudge. THANK YOU! Mud >>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Twitter Users and supporters WE have 1 day to get out the vote to support the garden at agriculture programs and school gardens across the US. Log in to twitter and tweet this in your own words: I nominate @cocoxochitl for a shorty in #green because (where you live) loves school gardens!

> or because LA loves kids and veggies

> or b/cuz we all need greener, healthier schools in all of our communities

> or because kids that grow broccoli eat broccoli
your voice is best!

> Or click HERE:
http://shortyawards.com/Cocoxochitl

It's part of an online contest called the shortys. Online contests are silly, resources for cash-strapped schools, not. A sample wishlist is up here

https://sites.google.com/site/greenshortypledge/home/micheltorena-elementary-school-and-community-garden

and here:

https://sites.google.com/site/greenshortypledge/home/-bk-farmyards-school-garden-list

tumblr here:

http://schoolgardencoop.tumblr.com/

Mud Baron aka @cocoxochitl, needs 370 votes to match over $300,000 in in-kind support for school gardens in LA, SF, Denver, New Orleans and Brooklyn. There are 100 of you that can help do this and it takes 10 seconds. We are looking to never have to buy organic, heirloom seeds again for our school gardens if we do this.

> Thank you.

 

Admission to MOCA: A discussion with The Phantom Street Artist

At the end of last year, Italian street artist Blu had a mural censored by the very person who had comissioned it; Jeffrey Deitch, director at MOCA. There was a significant amount of back and forth about whether or not it was censorship or a curatorial move in the global art scene press. Now we find ourselves requiring better understanding of just what it means when we say "street art," exhibition," "curatorial decision," "censorship."

This week on the Afrological Investigation News Feed we have few streams going: one on drum and dance sites; one on dance and competition; one on reality TV and LAUSD green space; and yet another on public art performance and exhibition. These all interconnect, usually somewhere downtown on Hope or Flower, but also through a number of the aforementioned terms. We shall see.

Take a listen to my unedited discussion with the Phantom. He and other street artists--all of whom, interestingly enough, were not slated to be in the Street Art MOCA show--launched protests of support for Blu's work that are ongoing. He contacted me just as I was reading the press release outlining Shepard Fairey's resolution with AP Newswire over the Obama HOPE photo appropriation. The Phantom has a lot to say about that, too. Stay tuned for more of these talks. We are just getting started.

   (19350 KB)
Listen on posterous

Wrap up with Mud Baron

Hear the final, chaotic part of my encounter with the man of mud. I like this guy. It is so rare to meet someone on a mission, clearly on that mission, and having a great time doing it. The Mud Baron gets the More Cowbell award this week!

  
Download now or listen on posterous

Butterflies with Baron.amr (508 KB)