:Vocalo.org

Performance artist, Factory reject, and all-around provocateur Penny Arcade has proudly been the fly in the ointment since emerging as a tour-de-force in the Lower East Side underground theater scene of the 1970s. Her one-woman show gives George Carlin a run for his foul-mouthed money and continues to provoke with its sharp analysis of sex and censorship.

:Vocalo.org was pleased as punch to have her stop by our studios on March 3rd, 2010, to chat about her life and her new book, Bad Reputation.

Yollocalli Arts Reach was one of 15 groups nationwide that won the prestigious 2009 Coming Up Taller Award. Yollocalli (house of the heart in Nahuatl) is a youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art and serves as an arts education and career-training program for teens and young adults.

 This is an interview with Debbie Garcia (pictured above), an intern at Yollocalli that was chosen to receive the award from First Lady Michelle Obama. We also talked with Vanessa Sanchez, Youth Programs Project Manager, and a past intern of Yollocalli. For information on Yollocalli and their art programs, visit www.yollocalli.org.

Another Chicago group that received the 2009 award, is "Young Chicago Authors", regular contributors to Vocalo.org. Congratulations!

This audio originally aired on "1401", heard Fridays at 6pm on Radio Arte 90.5FM-WRTE. 

Nobody gives more advice to more people than Oprah Winfrey.  On TV, in her magazine, on the web, she's got recipes, self-improvement ideas, books, travel ideas.  You name it, and Oprah is telling you to try it.

Chicago artist Robyn Okrant asked herself:  "What would happen if you took every single piece of advice Oprah gave? How would your life turn out?"

She decided to find out, and she blogged the results.

• A 21-day cleanse-- with no sugar, caffiene, animal products, alcohol or gluten?  She did it.  
• Make sure your wardrobe includes white jeans, a trenchcoat, and leopard-print shoes?  She bought them.  
• Go see Celine Dion in concert?  Well, she tried. 

She came to talk about it on Vocalo in the middle of the project... 

 Now, she's publishing a book, and she joined us again on Monday afternoon.

Which leads to today's Daily Thread question:  Tell us about a time when YOU took someone's advice-- for better or for worse.  

We'll also be talking about advice with someone who has given it for a living:  our own Doctrixx, Bibiana Adames!  

And we'll talk with someone who definitely let a celebrity influence him:  former Michael Jackson look-alike Arik Griggs. 

   Picture by khoalaMA

Organized by Chicago ARTilleryA 1-day-7-hour event showcasing over 30 artists' fine art, affordable art & artfully-made craftsSaturday, December 52–9pm | 2328 N Milwaukee & 2338 N MilwaukeeThe Logan Square Holiday Sale & Show offered a cornucopia of original items: paintings, prints, cards, buttons, iron-ons, photographs, collages, appliqué t-shirts, hand-made knitwear, jewelry and much more! Vocalo.org collaborator, Superfrye had the chance to join in the event by interviewing local artists in the show.Interviews coming soon.

Victor M. Montañez showcasing his artwork at the Logan Square Holiday Art Sale and Show.

   People viewing the various artist in both venues at the Logan Square Holiday Art Sale and Show.

   These two artist were thrilled to be interviewed for Vocalo.org on what the Chicago Artillery is all about.

Check out more events like this at the Vocalo.org Community page.

Hey Hi Vocalo,

Sorry for the long quiet. I think of you often and am thrilled to see everything you've been up to! wowow groundshakes

I'm in touch tonight because I had the pleasure of speaking with artist Dread Scott during a Creative Capital Weekend Intensive last Friday-Sunday. I've long admired Dread's work, the way he writes about it, and the way he presents himself as an artist. Y'all Chicago / Lake Michigan Region'ers no doubt know him from his 1989 exhibition at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A taste from his website:

Dread Scott makes revolutionary art to propel history forward. He first received national attention in 1989 when his art became the center of controversy over its use of the American flag. President Bush(I) declared his artwork What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag? “disgraceful” and the entire US Senate denounced this work when they passed legislation to “protect the flag.” As part of the popular effort to oppose moves to make patriotism compulsory, he, along with three other protesters, burned flags on the steps of the US Capitol. This resulted in a Supreme Court case and a landmark First Amendment decision.

I was energized hearing about some brand new work of Dread's, which he kindly described to me with the spark of someone who had been moved by the first-hand narrative. Folks sharing their own stories is what y'all Vocalaros are all about so I just had to send you this link:

http://dreadscott.net/explode.html

Vocalo, you and Dread have a lot to say to one another - did you see the audio on the link I sent? Yea. For those of you who tend not click through, check out the text and images below but be sure to bookmark the above to listen later!

Shouldn't we be working on taking this piece to Chicago? For somekind of, "it's been 20 years since What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag? / what does Chicago have to say right now" kind of thing?

Let's make it happen.

Heartshakes,

ahs