Liberated Muse: Transforming Places Into Art Spaces

This Blog Space Has Moved to LiberatedMuse.com

2015-08-13T11:55:00.002-04:00

THANKS FOR VISITING THIS BLOG

BUT WE HAVE MOVED!

CLICK HERE to visit our website and blog space with up-to-date information, links to our social media spaces, etc.

2015-05-23T07:05:00.004-04:00

This is an archive of our blog that ran from 2008-2012.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT LIBERATEDMUSE.COM

for news and updates on Liberated Muse Arts Group

Turning 30: Prince's "1999"

2012-08-16T10:44:00.001-04:00

Do you remember when you first fell in love with Prince? Was it when you first saw the movie "Purple Rain" or was it even earlier? Believe it or not Prince fans, but Prince's first hit "1999" turns 30 this year. Where has the time gone? Liberated Muse's Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman (Moon) celebrates his royal highness' hit in this tribute piece on SoulTrain.com. Check it out!

Liberated Muse Goes Mobile

2012-07-20T15:37:00.001-04:00

Enjoy LiberatedMuse.com on the go with your smartphone. Our new easy to navigate interface makes keeping connected a seamless experience. Try it today!

Be Sure to Come Check Out Liberated Muse's Return to the @Artomatic

2012-06-15T09:48:00.000-04:00

In 2009, Liberated Muse members took to the stage at the Artomatic in promotion of the first anthology in the Liberated Muse series and to showcase the talents of the online network's very talented community members. Fast forward three years and we return!

Tomorrow-- Saturday, June 16 at 2pm on the People's (Orleans) stage at the Artomatic, Liberated Muse members perform for four hours of non-stop entertainment.

The second anthology in the Liberated series-- Betrayal Wears a Pretty Face-- will also be sold with writers from the book reading their pieces.

Featured performers include singers Nia Simmons, Cherie "Kalicoh" Latson, D. Marq and the group 8orMas who will be accompanied by the talented Bangladesh Project out of Baltimore, MD. Singers Teisha Marie and Quineice who were featured in the Liberated Muse showcase at the Artomatic in 2009 return.

Hosted by Liberated Muse's Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman who will also perform during the event, the showcase also will feature poets Serena Wills and Porscha Felicity Coleman who will perform spoken word pieces.

Check out the video below that highlights the 2009 showcase:

One Common Unity's ART ESCAPE Features Liberated Muse Members

2012-06-05T07:41:00.004-04:00

Select Visual Artists from the Washington DC Metropolitan will be featured in this interactive art show featuring live music from the city's top acts.

Enjoy and purchase art by artists:

Greg Slade
J'Nell Jordan
James Terrell
and ArtByLiz

Music by:
Teisha Marie
Quineice
Will Henderson
and D. Marq

Free to attend, but we suggest a donation of $7-$10 to enter. All donations support One Common Unity programming. View flyer for address and time.

Support Independent Artists!

Buy the Second Book in the Liberated Muse Anthology Series

2012-05-24T13:38:00.000-04:00

View the trailer

Buy the book on Amazon.com

The Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest All-Star Show May 24th

2012-05-14T10:37:00.002-04:00

RSVP HERE

The Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest was conceived in 2008 by community activist Maceo Thomas & co-produced with Liberated Muse to provide a platform for DC area artists to showcase their talents while bringing attention to the Ward 7 community the festival was held. Joining artists, small business owners and music lovers alike, the festival enjoyed three years of substantial success as a landmark tradition in the Deanwood community's revitalized Marvin Gaye Park. Past acts have included Gods'illa, Teisha Marie, Mello D & the Rados, Mycah Chevalier, Christylez, Kokayi, The Bangladesh Project, Enoch 7th Prophet, The 5th L, Marcel and the Truth, Tamika Love Jones, Chaquis Maliq, Kenny Wesley and more!

Join us on Thursday, May 24th as festival director Maceo Thomas presents an evening show featuring some of the top acts to grace the stages of the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest in past years, including:

Substantial https://www.facebook.com/SubstantialMusic

Ardamus https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ardamus/9764964850

Colie Williams http://www.coliewilliams.com/

Quineice http://www.reverbnation.com/quineice

D. Marq https://www.facebook.com/pages/D-Marq/335402565194

This event is a kick-off event of the monthly Voices of a Movement event produced by One Common Unity. A $10 donation is suggested. All proceeds support programs of One Common Unity. Learn more at https://www.Facebook.com/OneCommonUnity

TOMORROW- Screening of FLY BY LIGHT, the Movie

2012-05-02T13:33:00.000-04:00

One Common Unity, Inc. a Washington, DC-based nonprofit presents a screening of its new documentary “Fly By Light”, directed by award-winning filmmaker Ellie Walton.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 @ 8pm

Fly By Light Movie Screening, co-presented by Meridian Hill Pictures

Josephine Butler Center

2437 15th St NW

Washington, DC 20009

In the summer of 2011, 15 high school students from diverse neighborhoods across Washington, DC were uprooted from the hustle of inner-city life to beautiful mountain vistas and springs. For many of the teenagers, this was their first time leaving the concrete confines of the city. It was also their first time experiencing a hike through the mountains, a swim in the creek, the feel of a sincere cry, the sound of their song through a microphone, the touch of a painful bee sting, the rush of fire spinning, and the smell of sage burning during a Native-American sweat lodge ceremony. It was a transformational week of boundary-stretching and social-emotional learning, reflecting the love, struggle, compassion, pain, laughter, and friendship of their daily lives.

Directed by filmmaker Ellie Walton, the new documentary film follows the experience of a select group of youth who participated in this program facilitated by the nonprofit One Common Unity. Both screenings will feature a works-in-progress screening of the rough cut of the film, followed by a discussion facilitated by Rajeev “HawaH” Kasat from One Common Unity.

Screenings of “Fly By Light” kick off the beginning of the One Common Unity fundraising campaign “IGNITE THE FLIGHT”. To learn more about One Common Unity, visit OneCommonUnity.org. Email onecommonunity@gmail.com for questions.

Songs for Janie Show an Enjoyable Presentation

2012-04-30T09:20:00.000-04:00

Tamara Wellons debuted her new collection of music Songs for Janie this past Friday and Saturday at Joe's Movement Emporium in Mt. Ranier, MD. Inspired by the character Janie from Zora Neale Hurston's book Their Eyes Were Watching God, the show depicted Wellons as the strong Janie, dazzled by the promise of love and freedom.

Tamara Wellons presents a passionate Janie in her "Songs for Janie"

The venue was an intimate black box setting which added a theatrical flair to the show which included custom costuming and a dynamic four-piece band led by the incredible Zach Cutler with three remarkable backing vocalists-- including N'ea Posey-- supporting Wellons on lead.

Wellons presents a passionate character-- often serious, sometimes sensual with costume changes that happened almost miraculously with how quickly they occured. With a resident TeaCake as part of the show, the show was an unexpected showcase of disciplines as dance, theater and music all had their place.

Tamara Wellons and Risikat Okedeyi participate in a talk-back after the show

Directed and conceptualized by event producer Risikat Okedeyi of Lil SoSo Productions, Songs for Janie is a show worth attending as it will continue to transform and build as a production as it is still in its birthing phase.


Riskat Okedeyi (left) with Shonda Goward and Jessica Solomon of The Saartjie Project with vocalist	Quineice

Poem of the Day: Man of Rivers by Valijeane Jeffers

2012-04-30T06:33:00.000-04:00

Man of Rivers (for Quinton Veal)

Let my breath
wash your broad face
pool in your sepia collarbone
anoint your bread

As you taste
catch the crumbled pieces
mixed with tears
hold them tight
in your calloused palms

vows and roads
are etched in water
I float
‘neath southern moons
in your embrace

murmur lust’s syrup and life
near my heartbeat
and I’ll crone swollen,
dripping peaches
sing forever to your soul

And let our cry be ripened by
the dark Mississippi…

My Man of rivers

Copyright Valjeanne Jeffers 2009 all rights reserved

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

TOMORROW, 4/28/12: Fly By Light Screeing @ Flow Yoga Center

2012-04-27T23:24:00.000-04:00

One Common Unity, Inc. a Washington, DC-based nonprofit presents screenings of its new documentary “Fly By Light”, directed by award-winning filmmaker Ellie Walton. In partnership with Flow Yoga Center and Meridian Hill Pictures, One Common Unity presents “Fly By Light” on two days for audiences to enjoy:

Saturday, April 28, 2012 @ 8pm

Fly By Light Movie Screening, co-presented by Flow Yoga Center

Flow Yoga Center

1450 P Street Northwest
Washington, DC

Suggested Donation: $10-$30

Thursday, May 3, 2012 @ 8pm

Fly By Light Movie Screening, co-presented by Meridian Hill Pictures

Josephine Butler Center

2437 15th St NW

Washington, DC 20009

Suggested Donation: $10-$30

Screenings of “Fly By Light” kick off the beginning of the One Common Unity fundraising campaign “IGNITE THE FLIGHT”. To learn more about One Common Unity, visit OneCommonUnity.org.

Poem of the Day: A Day in the Life by Gene Cartwright

2012-04-26T23:25:00.000-04:00

Palm prawns prance in tradewind breeze.
Another day in Paradise.
Tropical creatures of the air soar and dive.
Another day in Paradise.

The gods smile and stay their thunder and rain,
to suit rich, tan bodies that rise at dawn,
to plant bare feet in shimmering white sand.
Another day in Paradise.

A boundless view of crystal blue waters.
Sleek, shiny, snow-white yachts anchored nearby,
vessels boasting captains and crews in smart attire.
Servants poised to answer every desire and whim.
French Bordeaux, world cuisine, meals for kings.

A bright, golden sun rules in an azure sky,
above this pleasure paradise—this Garden of Eden;
a Shangri-la worlds away from paupers and beggars,
natural calamities, war and such earthly hell.
Another day in Paradise.
Life seems forever.

Screaming sirens serenade sweltering nights.
Another day in the life.
Random gunfire crackles, signaling the dawn.
Another day in the life.

Well-worn, war zone pathways to school,
littered with human rejects, and their refuse:
blood-dipped needles strewn along the way.
Another day in the life.

Funeral bells toll for young lives gone too soon,
in a place where young hearts dare to dream,
but of only the next heart beat, the next breath.
Shuttered windows, barred doors, cluttered streets.,
children at play under their mothers’ watchful eyes.

Their neighborhoods? Little more than cemeteries,
home to the living, the dead, and the living dead.
Even nature afflicts the afflicted, damns the damned
in this garden of evil in the midst of pure hell.
Another day in the life

One dream realized, another still-born, if at all.
One life ascends to what seems a birthright
of power and success, while another falls
farther into the abyss.

Yet, the dispossessed must cling persistently to hope,
a hope that endures, a hope that rises like leaves
of grass through narrow cracks
in their concrete wasteland.

Though beaten down, the young must also rise
each day, determined that, despite all,
and through their striving,
the dark fate bequeathed them will not repeat…
another day.
__*___
from "Still Dreaming"
a book of poetry by Liberated Muse member Gene Cartwright

Poem of the Day: Square Peg by Khadijah "Moon" Ali-Coleman

2012-04-25T23:25:00.000-04:00

Square Peg

my people
no disrespect
but I suspect
I trespass on who you be
you cling to security
of a singularity
that does not
define me
that does not even see

who I be

KAC (c)2008

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

Poem of the Day: Cicadas and I by Sandy Hoar

2012-04-24T23:23:00.000-04:00

CICADAS AND I

It will be hot today
But now, it is almost chilly
Ok for sitting with a cup of coffee
Cicada stillness
No wind
Clear, leaves sharply outlined
Blue morning glories interwoven in the rose-of-sharon
I should pull down those dead oak branches
Lilies blooming beside the roses
The weeds higher than the tomatoes
Asters, lilies, and ornamental grass
Pull the eye along the basil and parsley,
the marjoram and mint
Poke weed--better remove before a dog decides to nibble
So still-- the squirrels and birds sleeping late this morning
The dogs running, checking each distant truck
For now
The cicadas and I
Sit and see
The end of summer

It will be hot today
For now
Still, clear, chilly
The squirrels and birds sleeping late
For now
The cicadas and I
Sit and see
The end of summer

-Sandy Hoar

8/30/11

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

Poem of the Day: The Out of Water Xperiemce by Femi The DriFish

2012-04-23T09:57:00.000-04:00

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

Poem of the Day: Trayvon Martin-Never Again Yo- Hip Hop Poetry by Kamal Imani

2012-04-20T17:02:00.000-04:00

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

Poem of the Day: I Am That Nigger by Spoken Word

2012-04-19T10:52:00.000-04:00

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

Get Your Ticket to See Tamara Wellons' 'Songs for Janie'

2012-04-19T04:09:00.001-04:00

What better concept than to bring to life the story of Janie, the beloved character from Zora Neale Hurston's classic novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God"? Tamara Wellons does it next week in the debut of her song collection in a unique musical theatrical presentation. Learn more by watching the video. Get your $10 ticket here.

The Carcass of Saartjie Baartman

2012-04-19T02:09:00.000-04:00

A firestorm ensued after Swedish-Afro artist Makode Linde made a performance-cake at World art day, Moderna Museet Stockholm 2012. IAA (International Association of Art) of Sweden arranges World Art Day with a focus on censorship and freedom of speech. Makode Linde presented his work depicting the woman known as the Hottentot Venus-- Saartjie Baartman--with the intention of bringing awareness to the still rampant practice of female mutilation. To add injury to insult for some, Linde even went further, in honor of his sculptures that depict grotesque depictions of Baartman that resemble American classic images of offensive sambo figures with the black skin and clown-like painted lips, to paint his own face and use it as the "head" of a cake that was baked in the form of Baartman. Then, as participants in the event cut the cake, Linde cried out in misery as participants cut into the vaginal area of the cake figure, howling as if they were, in fact, cutting him. Watch below for yourself and answer the question-- is this art or something else? Whatever you decide, it can not be denied that the ensuing laughter that you can hear in the background is, in fact, quite disturbing to witness. Read more on this story here.

Here is Linde's response to the firestorm:

Poem of the Day: April 4, 1968 by Douglas Curry

2012-04-18T06:59:00.000-04:00

April 4, 1968

Eyes bulging, angry and dry
Tears scalding the back of my throat,
Into my stomach they go churning,
And set my heart really burning.

This just in. It is confirmed…
42nd Street in a riot.
Wall street in a panic.
Grown men crying, women cursing.

So it is done. He is dead.
Down from the mountaintop
With a bullet in his head.
Sing a song of Don Quixote….

They’ll be sorry, just wait
Watch what comes, you’ll see
A hawk has killed the dove.
Vile, putrid vultures now circle.

-Douglas Curry

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

Poem of the Day: Quiet Storm by David Weeks

2012-04-17T08:59:00.000-04:00

QUIET STORM
(Love Scenes)

Evening Sun sets
Giving way to the night
The Moon rises
Mellow with a yellow glow
As if moving to a jazzy groove
Setting the mood for our evening
Of serenity and peace
A night of Quiet bliss

Midnight Blue sky
Deep blue with passion and emotions
In The Mood For Love
Our anticipation
An Intimate Rumble

Warm front, Cool front merge
High pressure, Low pressure settles
Warm air, Cool air entwine
A night set for a Quiet Storm

Storm winds
Gently carries us across the night sky

The ease in the breeze
Brings a moment of tranquility
White clouds painted on a canvas
Of sky blue, softens the mood
The mist in the air sprinkles us
We are blessed by Morning Light

We made it through the Quiet Storm

by: David L. Weeks
LASANA Productions
(c) 2001

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

Poem of the Day: trouble sleeping by Sumayyah Talibah

2012-04-16T07:12:00.000-04:00

trouble sleeping

invisible prisoner
in a closet of glass
ignored by everyone
with different views
i can scream
i can cry
i can hold up signs
but no one tries
to hear my side
who gets to decide
if how i’m feeling is wrong
enforce these so-called laws
that alienate me
and my thoughts
and my actions
and erase my life
confuse my perception
of my reality
make me question
my convictions
shake my foundation
my beliefs
will you be satisfied
when i’m broken and bruised
i wonder about
life on the other side
is there a fire
or a river
milk and honey
fruits and trees
is it too much to hope
for true equality
for a time when i
don’t spend my time defending
to anyone who’ll listen
and feeling like
i’m being forced to choose
been accused of passing
when i’m just interacting
with the people around me
in society
who am i
what do i do
was i supposed to tell you
whenever i planned to
make a move
wide awake
taking chances
moving cautiously
in my see-through cage
under intense scrutiny
i don’t know how
i don’t know why
i ended up this way
curse of my birth
hardwired in my brain
lullaby fails to soothe me
as the sky turns light
and its another day
all too soon
where i must fight
to have my voice be heard
lessons
don’t fail me
i think i’ve learned them well
until cracks appear
in the walls
i’ll keep pushing
and waving
and hoping that one night soon
i won’t have trouble
sleeping

from: Sumayyah Said So

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

Poem of the Day: The Grind by Chenyelu Bomani

2012-04-13T16:12:00.002-04:00

The Grind

longing
for those buttered hips
sugar coated lips
and sunshine
of a smile
instead you've got
a loosed lipped
swivel necked
finger wagger
that has forgotten
how to smile
could it be
from calamity
that she mistrusts
your
indentured words...
I love you baby
when the tribe of five
cannot frolic in life
because of your
rimshots
at the employment office
so now you think
the streets
are paved with gold
but
you only pull dust
out of your pocket
from midnight panning
you've been
skinned alive by
the government's 535
that refused to leave
even grit
between your teeth
shoe leather has
become
your every day meat
you whine
you moan
you huff
you puff
thinking your
display
will raise the shade
to a employers brighter day
not understanding
that the world
has deflated back to flat
incense
ten for a dollar
might pave
the way
towards independence
you think
until you realize
it's hard for some
to rub two nickels together
one doesn't look
for smoke
in a quest for fire
reality
like lightening
can knock many
off their feet
but only
the strong
live to tell about it
shouting to heaven
gets drowned out
from the high volume
of turmoil
there is no cuts
in the long line
of the needy
don't step over
the weary
or slip past
those left behind
all men
are brothers
in the pot
where blood boils
light appears
at the end
of a tunnel
unless
it's a dead end
either chisel
or blast the way out
darkness
requires
the eyes of a cat

(c) Chenyelu Bomani

Poem of the Day is a spotlight on Liberated Muse poets found on our site LiberatedMuse.com. This is a celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Find all featured poets on LiberatedMuse.com

"I'm Every Woman" a Success!

2012-04-01T11:42:00.000-04:00

Visit here to read more and view photos.