Farm Bill Action Needed Today

The U.S. Farm Bill is up for a vote on TODAY in the House, and that it has not been reformed as hoped, to reduce the dumping of subsidized US commodities like cotton on Third World markets. I'm calling my Congressman to ask for two actions, which you are invited to take as well:

1. Vote Yes on the Kind-Flake "Fairness" Amendment to the Farm Bill which would reduce the commodity subsidies and shift them into subsidies based on environmental performance, risk management accounts, rural development, and nutrition.

2. Vote No on the Ag Committee Farm Bill if the Kind-Flake "Fairness" Amendment is not adopted.

For more information see the Peace Corps Advocacy website, or their partner organization Oxfam America.

Coverage of American Iron

Watch the clip on Kare11 of the American Iron display on Nicollet Mall last week.

There are more pictures and commentary on the American Iron website and at KSTP.

A short commentary was give in Recycle Today.

Check this posting for more updates and coverage!

Snaps to Powderhorn

Rabi is participating in only 1 summer art fair this year and it is the Powderhorn Art Fair. He won the Community Showcase Invitational Award last year, so he decided to try his luck with the big boys this year.

Powderhorn Art Fair

August 4-5, 2007

Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

Powderhorn Park

Midtown Minneapolis

Booth #103

And please check out coverage of Rabi's work in the most recent Lavender issue. Rabi's participation in the Powderhorn Art Fair was previewed in "Art Palpitations: Minneapolis’ Art Fair Extravaganza."

Mother Earth: “What have you become?”

Mother Earth: “What have you become?”
Stainless steel & brass

I'm pleased to announce that this evening Rabi was awarded First Place in the Small Sculpture Category at the 7th Annual American Iron Metal Sculpture Competition, which is part of the 2007 Minneapolis Aquatennial celebration.

This piece is about global warming, wars and people not taking care of the earth. Mother Earth’s spirit contemplated herself and she saw that she was wounded everywhere. She started crying and asked “What have you become?”

As part of the competition, all artists have 1 hour to select their materials from the grounds of American Iron. This year, American Iron employee Kevin C was Rabi's guide during the retrieval day. Since the artists are not allowed to climb on the materials, Kevin climbed on top of a pile and found the metal globe. Once Rabi saw the globe, he had an image in his head as to the piece he was going to make. Since the Aquatennial celebrates water in Minneapolis, Rabi thought about the enviroment and global warming.

Kevin & Rabi at retrieval day with the piece that started it all.

Rabi & Kevin at the artist reception with the winning sculpture.

The sculpture will be on public display Tuesday and Wednesday, July 17th and 18th, on Nicollet Mall in front of the IDS Crystal Court (717 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis). All entries will eventually be posted on the American Iron site.

Please stop by the IDS Crystal Court from 10:30am-6pm if you get a chance. Otherwise, visit our Flickr site for photos of the piece and its creation.

Center for Independent Artists Exhibit

Please visit Rabi's solo exhibit Dargo.

Center for Independent Artists
Anexo Gallery
4137 Bloomington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55407

July 3rd - July 28th
Tuesdays - Saturdays, 12-5pm
Wednesdays until 9pm

Opening Reception
Friday, July 6th @ 6-9pm

GG FilmFest

There's another exciting event going on at GlobalGiving highlighting the Noon Meal Girl’s Education project supported by the Friends of Burkina Faso.

GG is currently hosting a FilmFest where people can vote for the video that makes them feel the most connected to an incredible grassroots development project. GG gathered raw footage (photos and video) from more than twenty high-impact projects around the world. Film makers used this footage to create compelling and interesting videos that tell the stories of these projects and the people who are helped by the work they do. Each video tells the story of a project from GG and will help to connect these amazing projects with the support they need. Votes will determine which videos do the best job of telling the project's story.

Please vote for the Noon Meal Girl's Education project video! Voting ends June 29th at 11:59pm. It is currently ranked 5th out of 13.

African Traditional Values Exhibit

Paintings and sculpture promoting four African artists living in the Twin Cities will be on display. Besides Rabi, the other artists include painter Constant Kpami from Cote d'Ivoire, painter Koffi Mbairamadji from Chad, painter Aziz Osman from Somalia.

East Side Neighborhood Service

1700 2nd St NE

Minneapolis, MN 55413

Opening Reception

Saturday, June 9th @ 12-2pm

The exhibit runs thru July 13th.

Minneapolis MOSAIC

Please visit the Global Unity II exhibit thru June 15 and see some of Rabi's pieces on display during Minneapolis MOSAIC. Minneapolis MOSAIC celebrates the richness and diversity of the arts and cultures of Minneapolis all summer long.

Global Unity Art Gallery

705 Hennepin Ave

Minneapolis, MN

Opening Reception

June 9th @ 6-10pm

1st Annual Summer Juried Art Show

If you're in St. Cloud, please visit the Visual Arts Committee's 1st Annual Summer Juried Art Show on display from June 4th to September 13th.

Atwood Memorial Center Gallery

720 4th Av S

St. Cloud, MN 56301

Closing reception

September 11, 2007

Artists besides Rabi include Evan Cook, Vigee Blue, Brad Kissell, James Michael Lawrence, Linda Deg Lee and Mary Lingen.

Palm Court Bar & Restaurant Reception

The TAWU group (The Art within Us) will be have a closing reception of work by artists of color at:

Palm Court Bar & Restaurant
2424 Central Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418

Friday, June 8 @ 6-9pm