And The women Gather TV Show

Behind the scenes, the set...

Teleamerica Broadcasting Network -Channel 88

Interview with InSight on my art and jewelry

 Behind the scenes of the InSight set

Colonial Girls School by Olive Senior

Jamaica's Olive Senior remembers the ironies of her Caribbean schooldays

Colonial Girls School

Borrowed images
willed our skins pale
muffled our laughter
lowered our voices
let out our hems
dekinked our hair
denied our sex in gym tunics and bloomers
harnessed our voices to madrigals
and genteel airs
yoked our minds to declensions in Latin
and the language of Shakespeare

Told us nothing about ourselves
There was nothing about us at all

How those pale northern eyes and
aristocratic whispers once erased us
how our loudness, our laughter
debased us

There was nothing left of ourselves
Nothing about us at all

Studying: History Ancient and Modern
Kings and Queens of England
Steppes of Russia
Wheatfields of Canada

There was nothing of our landscape there
Nothing about us at all

Marcus Garvey turned twice in his grave.
‘Thirty-eight was a beacon. A flame.
They were talking of desegregation
in Little Rock, Arkansas. Lumumba
and the Congo. To us: mumbo-jumbo.
We had read Vachel Lindsay's
vision of the jungle

Feeling nothing about ourselves
There was nothing about us at all

Months, years, a childhood memorising
Latin declensions
(For our language
-‘bad talking' -
detentions)

Finding nothing about us there
Nothing about us at all

So, friend of my childhood years
One day we'll talk about
How the mirror broke
Who kissed us awake
Who let Anansi from his bag

For isn't it strange how
northern eyes
in the brighter world before us now

Pale?


From Talking of Trees, Published by Calabash, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica (1985)

Love Thy Liberty: An Art Exhibition celebrating the power of love & Independence by Local Artists

In a month that is often darkened by the memorable tragedy of 9/11, 1310 Gallery presents a positive interpretation of love & liberty. Artists interpret the power of love and the freedoms of personal independence. Love thy liberty features the creations of South Florida artists, performers and filmmakers. ADMISSION IS FREE. Light Refreshments and Beverages. Opening Reception Sept. 24, 7-11 pm, On view by appointment until October 7th. 1310 Gallery now has even easier accessibility with a public restroom and an additional parking lot. LOVE THY LIBERTY ARTISTS Sean J. Glenn (BlacInc) Shari Dickson Anne-Marie Dionne Melanie Feliciano The Femmebots Multimedia Productions Janus Bridge Art Collective IRENA GAPKOVSKA Lu Gold Herbert Hofer Kianga Jinaki Mary Joseph Claire Kern Nellie Levental LINX Niki Lopez Cynthia Nichols Maxine Norden Nzingah Juan Pablo Patiño Vena Paylo Laura Peterson Claudia Polzer Kristin Reilly Lisa Rockford Chelsea Rousso Karen Starosta-Gilinski Kristie Stephenson Nerissa Street Renica Sweet Vionette Torres Michael Williams Emily Wolverton David Zalben

Miami Art Salon

Miami Art Salon is a project bringing artists together to inspire, provoke, and produce by hosting biweekly gatherings that are an experiment in active, participatory, organic, spontaneous, collaborative art.
This project is brought to you by Blackbird Arts and Research, 801 Projects, and the Arts of Citizenship at the University of Michigan.
Participating artists include: Angela Valella, Dinorah de Jesus Rodriguez, Juan Antonio "Erman" Gonzalez, Juan Carlos Zaldivar,  Kristie Stephenson, Lara Stein Pardo, Nereida Garcia Ferraz, Noelle Theard, Rene Rodriguez, Tatiana Silvia Sainz.

Miami Art Salon Open to the Public
November 2, 6PM – 8PM

 Myself and Erica Stringer cohost of INsight on the Teleamerica network who took time from her busy schedule to model my jewelry collection at the Miami Art Salon Opening.

Miami Beach Botanical Garden

Opening  June 15
at Miami Beach Botanical Garden
2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139-1806
EXHIBITION SCHEDULE:
June 14 - 17
Monday - Thursday 9 am to 5 pm
Tuesday, June 15 - Opening Reception at 7 pm

And the Women Gather my interview with Lorna Owens

Listen to internet radio with Lorna Owens on Blog Talk Radio

Art as Healing Therapy

Inside Out: Art as Healing Therapy at Artserve May 25th to June 25th In partnership with: The Children’s Diagnostic Treatment Center, Schott Communities, Easter Seals South Florida, Broward Children’s Center, Ann Storck Center, and ARC Broward. 
Opening Reception: Thursday June 10 from 6-8pm

The Right Moment

Wake up sleeping beauties to your braveheart woman soul, experience empowering female archetypes of war.  Histories hidden heroines, warrior women and queens.  "Women Warriors" series at  "The Right Moment" Saturday May 15th, 7pm to 10pm.  At The Sailboat Bend Gallery  1310 SW 2nd Court, Downtown Fort Lauderdale.

This event is free.  Proceeds benefit Women in Distress (WID).

Trash 2 Art: "Woman with Secrets" Painting

Trash 2 Art opening exhibition at ARTSERVE in Fort Lauderdale.  Me standing beside my painting made from 75% recycable materials.  The painting is titled "Woman with Secrets" the secret is the plywood is from Miami that experieced hurricanes Wilma and Katrina, her dress is from the organization Trash to Treasure - a recycled bath mat that would have perhaps ended up in a landfill.  Thanks to BJ Smith for taking this picture with her iphone.

"Kristie in Paris"

Muse of the moment for photographer Lew Lautin.  Below are photographs of "Kristie in Paris". 

I appreciate and admire what Lew Lautin (photomanlew on youtube) has done with my image, it reminds me of Fridah Kahlo done by Andy Warhol. 

Except it is me as seen thru Lew Lautin.  These photographs are interactive placing my image as icon thru the streets of Paris.

In Myth & Legend the Muse in Greek myth is any of the nine sister goddesses, each of whom was regarded as the protectress of a different art or science. Daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the nine are Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania.

 

Kristie Stephenson -Video by Lew Lautin

The Warrior in Me

Warrior Women Photo Series

I've been reading "Women Who Run With the Wolves" according to the book aggression is bred out of girls by the age of 5.  Females are taught to be polite and nice in the face of the grotesque.  Without going into any details here I can relate.  When I look back  I feel empowered now to speak my mind, to roar like a wild woman and not care what anyone thinks.   Thought I'd share the poem below written by Michelle Riu Romero.

It highlights warrior queens, histories hidden heroines and modern day warrior women for you to become aware of so you can start to do your own research and discover more.

A New Mythology

I have the stoic spirit of Rosa Parks
I have the warrior heart of Joan of Arc.
I am as brilliant as I am dark
And you ain't even seen me start

I come from a long line of African Queens
My truth is the truth of Ma’at.
I come to claim my Kemet Kingdom
Now give me back what you got.

You see I traced my history,
I finally understood
Now give me back my priestess power
take your virgin-motherhood.

I am as beautiful as the Queen of Sheba
as raging as Kali
As sensual as the poet Sappho
as silent as the Furies…

I am as fiery as Brigit,
I’m the one who said no
I’m Lillith, I’m Nefertiti
and so many more you don’t know.

I am Judith, I am Esther, I am Deborah, I am Ruth
I am Nepthys, I am Hathor, I am Isis, I am Nut

I am the primordial Goddess, the first and the last
Some call me Gaia, some call me Tiamat

I am as independent as Artemis,
as whole and as fierce
And though you break through my hymen
my ‘virginity’ You can NEVER pierce.

I have the stamina of Eleanor, the guts of the Virgin Queen
I have the boldness of Hathsheput, and the strategy of Athene

I have the vision of Cady Stanton, the resoluteness of Susan B
I have the integrity of Dido, the depth of Proserpine

I am as wise as Sophia, as fruitful as Demetre,
I am as well-learned as hypatia, and man, would I have liked to meet her!

I am Inanna, I am Ishtar, I am Theodora, and Cybele,
Though I stand before you calling myself Michelle

i am evreywoman no matter how my name is spelled...

i am evreywoman no matter how my name is spelled.


in honor of women's history month, by m. riu

TRASH-2-ART!!!! AN ART EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE CREATIVITY OF REPURPOSED MATERIALS!

Creative reuse center Trash to Treasure opening reception at Artserve in Ft. Lauderdale May 6th, 6pm to 8pm.  Exhibit runs from May 2nd to May 21st.  Trash-2-Art will celebrate artistic creations that have given new life to trash-bound materials. The hope is that this exhibition will help all of us see the treasures in our own trash. This organizations has caused me to think about materials in a new way.  See video below by Lew Lautin.

T2T Opening May 7th, 2010: Creative Reuse & Recycling Centre

Trash to Treasure is a creative reuse and recycling center in Broward County.  I did a painting inside their zen of scrap boutique area created with recycled house paints.  She is the "Green Warrior".  The Zen of Scrap  will be opening on May 7th and there will be a grand opening on May 15th, 2010.  The video below is by videographer Lew Lautin.  The organization is a non profit and is a wonderful resource for art teachers and artists to find unique materials that would probably otherwise end up in a landfil.

Blue Beard Folktales: The Collective Unconscious Shady Urban Hall of Failed Magicians

1. Bluebeard (France, Charles Perrault).
2. King Bluebeard (Germany).
3. Don Firriulieddu (Italy).
4. The Little Boy and His Dogs (African-American, Joel Chandler Harris).
5. Blue-Beard (North Carolina, USA).
6. The Brahman Girl That Married a Tiger (India)

These stories about Blue Beard are from several countries; France, Germany, Italy, the US and India.  Basically the story starts with a failed magician who tries to woo some sisters. The older sisters based on intuition and gut don't trust him but the youngest who is the naive and innocent starts to say his beard isn't that blue.  After a lavish outing the youngest agrees to marry him and goes off to live in a huge palace.  Blue Beard leaves for a few days and tells his young bride to invite her sisters over to keep her company while he is away.  He instructs her to take the keys to the hundreds of rooms in the palace all except one she is forbidden to go into.  She tells her sisters that they can explore all the grand rooms of the palace except one, immediately her sisters seek to find the forbidden room.  Upon finding it the youngest sister opens it with the key and is horrified to see the bloodied, butchered bodies of Blue Beards other wives.  In shock she drops the key on the bloodied floor and discovers the key starts to bleed and won't stop, she then hides the key and pretends to have lost it.  When Blue Beard returns he asks for his keys back and notices the key to the forbidden room is missing.  In a rage he figures out that his young bride has discovered his secret so he tells her she is next.  In an effort to buy some time she asks that she go to her room to say her prayers before he takes her life-no longer naieve she becomes cunning.  He agrees and gives her thirty minutes.  While in her room she calls out to her sisters if they see her brothers coming, they reply back that they see nothing, she asks again and they report that they now see a devils wind blowing in the dust, finally her brothers are in the courtyard and then they rush up the stairs just in time to plunge their swords into Blue Beard killing him.

These stories hundreds of years old are still applicable today.  In society it is often young girls and boys who are prey.  Intuition and curiosity was present in the older sisters they were her eyes, had they not been curious their youngest sister would have had a similar fate.  Historically when men are curious the descriptive words used are much more positive like  "insightful" when a woman is curious the words used to describe her tend to be demeaning such as "nosey".  The youngest sister now wiser draws an internal masculine energy to her side in that of her brothers, who possess the tradition of "aggression and rage" normally bred out of women.  Young girls are taught from an early stage to "be nice" causing them to override their intuition.  The predator in the tale rather than empowering the light of the feminine force choses to extinguish it.

When familiar social customs can cloud ones judgement always listen to your gut, that voice or feeling in the stomach that tells you in your core that something is wrong, that this person is not whom they appear to be, listen and rage if you must.

Relentless Resilience: Call to Women

Long ago before the patriarchal systems we have today there was much respect for the great mother, the sacred feminine. With the tragedy in Haiti, the death of three female Haitian activists for women's rights due to the earthquake, and the alarming report that 72% of Haitian females are raped in their life times. Let us remember Erzulie Dantor a female archetype of war and love from Haiti. Erzulie is known as the patron of Women's Finances and Women in Business. Legend has it that she fought in the Haitian revolution alongside her people however they cut out her tongue for fear she would reveal their secrets if caught. She is a fierce warrioress and a ferocious protector of women and children. Her roots go back through to the middle passage and finally to Africa. Erzulie is Oshun the West African goddess of Women's Rights, Oshun teaches us the world will be in disorder as long as women and children are disrespected, neglected and abused.
It is just to speak up for those unable to, express anger, fight back if provoked and carry on for those who are no longer with us.

Artists in Support of our Haitian Brethren

Sterling Silver Pendants, Feather Earrings and more surprises available at the Jakmel Art Gallery.

Belady (Bela & Lady of Harp) and Jude Papaloko are joining forces to raise money for Haiti disaster relief. All funds will be donated to Papaloko for Kids at the Jacmel Art Gallery/donation center. $7.00 at the door. Wine will be available. I will have my jewelry for sale and the following artists will be performing: MDC Jazz Band, Beatriz Ayende, Vero, Poetic Vibes: Lorenzo & Underscore, Susan, Sandy, Mercy Oliva, Myka, Bela, Papaloko, Lady of Harp, Isis San Miguel, Alexandra Vonelli, Myka, Flute Quartet, Beatrice "Simbiya" Ricco, Jessica Luisa, Laura Alonso (singer) Sunday, February 28, 2010, 6:15pm to 10pm at the Jacmel Art Gallery, 7646 Biscayne Boulevard.

University of Miami

Relentless Resilience:  "Harnessing the Energy of the Contemporary African Diaspora Aesthetics"

Location:
University of Miami
College of Arts & Sciences,
Wesley Gallery
1210 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, Florida 33146

305.284.2542
Duration: February 7th to 28th

Gallery Hours: 10am to 5pm daily

Artists: Asser Saint-Val, Guy Syllien, 

Kristie Stephenson, 

Ansel Butler & Fred Thomas 
Opening: Friday February 19th, 2010
6:30pm to 10pm
Artist Panel Discussion at 8pm

 

Williams Island Art Show