I AM...Magazine

I found these pics while I was doing image research on Aztec culture. I love these nails and the patterns. I will definitely be using these lines in my resent artwork.
Aztec Nails Link for Purchase:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/77311141/tribalaztec-illuminati-nail-art-set-of?ref=v1_other_2

The 13th Annual Art Show at Hudson View Gardens

2011-11-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

For all of you that missed this show this is the photo that was on display. It is entitled, Yellow Woman, Black Lace. Photo taken and styled by me, ELAN.

I will have a photograph in this show. Come on Out to the LOUNGE at Hudson View Gardens,
116 Pinehurst Avenue (corner W 183rd and 5th) New York City
Opening Reception November 5th

BACK TO OUR ROOTS!

2011-11-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

BACK TO OUR ROOTS!
I am going to be there with bows on!!!
November 18th, 6pm to 10pm
RSVP
elan

Elan as the Black Genie...

2011-11-01T11:18:00.001-07:00

No matter the weather, I will be me... and this is me in my costume this year. I was a Black Genie. Make a wish... if you dare. This collection is a mixture of me as a genie and moving images. This is a character, NOT Elan. I use myself as subject because I am usually available and ask for nothing in return, lol. Rodley took the photos under my direction and I enhanced them, styled and did makeup.

JamesTop and other graffiti artists at the NU Hotel in Brooklyn...

2011-10-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Elan with and without glasses chillin' with James Top, the artist.

James Top creates his Afro-men with a combination of street and collage. Like thoughts in his this character's head, the collage change to fit the mood he's in. Best seen in person... No photo would do any of them justice.

Live painting+ good company+ music+free drinks = a good time

It was an awesome Graffiti Art show in Brooklyn, New York City. My good friend, James Top, was a featured artist and we will be in a show together called BACK TO OUR ROOTS. Come to celebrate art in Harlem!...

photos by Nikki and Elan

Things you should NOT do with lions...

2011-10-05T19:06:00.002-07:00

So many things can kill us. There's cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, landslides, fire, random acts of violence (including gunshots, stabbings, etc.), drunk driving, serial killers, tsunamis, earthquakes, police... lions? I think we should reduce risk of death however we can. Leave the lions alone. LOL

Do Not massage their feet while on their backs.

I know they are fluffy and big but try Not to ride their backs.

And if riding their backs weren't bad enough leave it to humans to have a lion ride another animal's back. In this case, a horse... Why?

Was this a bet? Because she looks really scared, to me. Do Not tongue kiss lions.

This guy is looking too cool rubbing on these lions. No one should be rolling around with lions. I don't care how cool you feel.

Next week we will discuss "Things you should NOT do with elephants..."

Unique Tattoos...

2011-09-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

I don't type much because I am a very visual person and I perfer looking to reading but I can say this is a collection of some of the strangest, ugliest, interesting, funny tattoos that I have found on the internet. Enjoy and vote for your faves. AP, I know the cat one is gonna make you laugh... or be disgusted. LOL

Brooklyn with Itiyopiya

2011-09-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

I thought I posted this and realized I was wrong. Unless I missed it. HEEEEEEERRRRREEEEZZZZ, Brooklyn... with Itiyopia.Also I forgot the Debbie part but I will add later. Love you Debbie.

Fashion Show with Ayanna and Kiesh

2011-09-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

This is Ayanna. She is Fabulous. Photos by Me, Elan.

 I love this. The color the fit... everything!

Lovely and hilarious Keish on the far right, center is a designer (when I find my paperwork I will post her beautiful name) and one of Keish's good friends.

This has taken me a lot of time so the details are missing but if you see yourself take your pic. :)

2011-09-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

Mr. JB b.o.r.n and fellow style influencers. The evening was saturated with style and good food.

photo by ME, Elan lol (like u didn't notice)

Jennifer and Monique

ABOVE

My favorite is the one in the middle with gold. LOL Mr. Serious. :)

The gentleman on the left is FranCisco Vegas, youtube.com/CiscoVegas. Facebook.com/Francisco Vegas. And the gentleman on the right is Delvon Johnson, author of

Love Yourself First.

www.DELVONJOHNSON.com

Me Crew.

Below is the Fashion Show by JB b.o.r.n

Jonathan Bodrick
JB b.o.r.n
52 West 125th Street
New York, NY 10027

The pink is so pretty. I love the layering and the shine in the fabric. This is brilliant.

Lakesha and Jennifer showing Mr. Samuelsson some love.

Below is Mr. Samuelsson's Street Food Collection.

Fabulous and Yummy!

I am... Lakesha

2011-08-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is a collection of some photos I took of a good friend of mine, Lakesha. She is a hard working woman that helps others, donates time, money and more and enjoys wearing beautiful gowns and on the weekends, works at the Botanical Gardens. This is why I used flowers for her shoot. She blooms one photo after the other. I thank her for allowing me to be her photographer.

I asked her some random questions and these were her answers:

If you could pick any car you wanted, which would you pick? Why?
- I would pick an Acura MDX as my car.

What is your favorite thing to do when you have no cash?
- When I have no money I go outside and take a walk or go sit on the park and people watch.

What is your favorite borough?
-My favorite borough is Brooklyn.

If you won $30,000 what would you do with it?
- If I won 30,000 dollars I would pay off debt , and then buy myself something really expensive. Lol

After Party at Elan's crib...

2011-07-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Yes my hand s are making a heart. I am serious about love. LOL I 'm serious.

Me with my nameplate in my mouth. I am gangsta sometimes. LOL nothing gangsta about a name plate in the mouth. I was drinking. Shit happens... VAS took this photo and every photo with me in it. If it wasn't for VAS I would not exist at gatherings. LOL thank u my friend.

See, Brown people can gather without violence. Proof...

Body Art by FUGGIE Don

2011-07-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have given in. I am using half naked women to get attention... lol naw just good pics that I took. Word Up! Plus summer time makes me feel sexy. I think I want to move somewhere warm for a bit.

FUGGIE DON, coordinated this event. He had good intentions but whenever you have half naked women, alcohol and men there will be trouble...

Uppademics at the Shrine in Harlem, USA

2011-07-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is

I had a wonderful time watching Uppademics perform and I thank them for inviting my crazy ass to be a part of it. I was so honored. Also, I think they are very entertaining. And I got to wear my outfits. woop woop

www.uppademics.org and you can find them on FaceBook as well.

Educated black men with futures and lyrics... Ladies you betta recognize! lol

Waves and curl and color...

2011-07-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

photos by Itiyopiya

CURL, LAYERS, WAVE AND COLOR... art... style... life.

I must also say, I love her profile. This would make a beautiful line drawing. Well Done Iti!!!

Itiyopiya's Fam...

2011-07-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

photos by Itiyopiya

This is a member of Itiyopiya's ( http://iamstyleoverfashion.blogspot.com/2011/01/itiyopiya-on-style.html ) fam or camp... I love her look. Very sweet and ladylike with a touch of sexy sparkle. Well done. I hope Iti adds to this...

Captured Modesty... by Elan

2011-06-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

My latest collection of photos styled and photographed by me, Elan. My concept is netted modesty. Let me know if you have a favorite.

And here is another one...

2011-06-15T21:51:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls presenting the beautifully bizarre world of Wangechi Mutu,
http://www.studiomuseum.org/exhibition/permanent-collection/wangechi-mutu-magnificent-monkey-ass-lies

Her work is inspirational and yucky all at the same time.

Self-Portrait Pinata...

2011-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

I bet a lot of men can relate to this self- portrait by Dave McKenzie.
http://www.studiomuseum.org/exhibition/permanent-collection/dave-mckenzie-self-portrait-pi%C3%B1ata

Lawdy Mama...

2011-06-15T21:31:00.001-07:00

This is Lawdy Mama by Barkley Hendricks. It is a part of theStudio Museum in Harlem's collection. Must check out their website, http://www.studiomuseum.org/exhibition/permanent-collection/barkley-hendricks-lawdy-mama

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

2011-03-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

A very interesting book about the criminal "justice system" and African Americans... hmmmmmmmmmm... ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgM5NAq6cGI

Director, Charles Burnett at the MOMA...

2011-03-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

Charles Burnett on the set of The Glass Shield. 1994. USA. Written and directed by Charles Burnett http://moma.org/visit/calendar/films/1163

Swimmy by Leo Lionni - Powell's Books

2011-03-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

Swimmy by Leo Lionni - Powell's Books
A must read for all children!!!!

A Fun Blog...

2011-02-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

I was searching something and came upon this image from this blog. I thought it was fun, this entry specifically.
http://www.postersplease.com/posterblog/?p=809

Cool Poster...

2011-02-11T13:45:00.001-08:00

http://wiki.toxicshock.tv/index.php?page=REPO!%20THE%20GENETIC%20OPERA

Terrance Zdunich...

2011-02-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

This looks scary.

My good friend, Christina Trivigno, Brought this artist to my attention. Well Done, Christina! California-based artist Terrance Zdunich. Terrance is most known for the 2008 cult film Repo The Genetic Opera but these days he works independently on a roach-filled comic book, raising the critters in his spare time. His obsession with the creatures has resulted in a Roach Necklace which he created in limited quantities in conjunction with his last comic. Check him and his work out: http://www.terrancezdunich.com/store.html
http://www.terrancezdunich.com/blog/?p=5415

Also google images for the REPO! the posters are exciting.

smARTpower...

2011-02-10T09:56:00.001-08:00

New Art Program

smARTpower, an initiative of the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, administered by The Bronx Museum of the Arts, will send fifteen U.S. artists abroad to collaborate with local artists and youth in the creation of community-based art projects.

Selected artists will design and implement projects within a 45 day period in cooperation with local arts organizations in China, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Kosovo, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Venezuela.

DEADLINE FEBRUARY 28.
Apply online at http://smartpower.bronxmuseum.org/

QuoteGarden.com...

2011-02-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving up. ~Rosa Parks

Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally. ~Abraham Lincoln

Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason. ~Abraham Joshua Heschel

Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart. ~Countess of Blessington

Be nice to whites, they need you to rediscover their humanity. ~Desmond Tutu

Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril. ~William Lloyd Garrison

NO MELBA MOORE, SAY IT AIN'T SO...

2011-02-08T19:37:00.001-08:00

I found this in a Goodwill. This is an album cover for Melba Moore. I do not know what they were thinking but I pray it never happens again. God Bless YOU, Melba. Know everything is better then this.

Harlem Opera Theater...

2011-02-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

Hello!

The Harlem Opera Theater Presents: A presentation of gifted emerging and professional artist singing excerpts from composer Kurt Weill's historic opera "Lost in the Stars", set in a village in South Africa and Composer George Gershwin's opera "Blue Monday", set in a cafe at the intersection of 135th and Lenox Avenue in Harlem. In Celebrating Black History Month, the Harlem Opera Theater will also perform a tribute to Dorthy Maynor, soprano and founder of The Harlem School of the Arts.

When:

Friday

February 25, 2011

Pre- Reception - 6:00pm

Concert - 7:30pm

Where:

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

515 Malcolm X Boulevard @ 135th Street., NYC

2 & 3 train to 132th Street

Tickets:

Price: Pre-reception and concert - $35.00

Concert only - $ 25.00

Pick up:

The Dollar Internet Cafe

1687 Amsterdam Avenue (143rd & 144th Streets)

718-213-4677

On Line:

www.HarlemOperaTheater.org

Message Line: 212-592-0780

DANCES FOR VENUS...

2011-02-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

DANCES FOR VENUS: a celebration of women, dance, and love.

starring Jannelle and Groovefit Dancers
Special guest artists: Ayana, Rhia, Alura, Edmee, and Saloua
The fabulous Rami ElAasser will be on Darbouka!!!

Saturday, FEB. 12th at THE POET'S DEN in East Harlem! 8p.
After-party in the Gallery immediately after the show - DJ Maurizio of Layaly

$25 in advance, $30 at the door INCLUDES MOROCCAN CUISINE CATERED BY THE KIOSK RESTAURANT Wine, Beer, Exotic Cocktails will be available

PAYPAL LINK:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=C99YACFS7XCN6

Seats are limited and going fast!!!

Some New Collage from ELAN

2011-01-30T19:58:00.000-08:00

This is a collection of my most recent collages. I was raised doing collage. My father and artist, Edwin G. Cadiz, was my first teacher. His work is incredible and I hope to post some of it soon.

Sunny Shinez...

2011-01-24T20:31:00.001-08:00

Hereeeeeeeeessss Sunny Shinez... With his love antennea loaded ( I am referring to his middle finger, people) he is ready for 2011.
During a deep discussion of life and all that lay between it and death we came to an important decision for mankind. We have decided to change the symbol of peace from two fingers to just the one. We think it is more efficient for the peacemaker of a fast paced world and it will better reflect the true feelings of people who try to achieve peace, in this complicated world...
I asked Mr. Shinez, 5 gut wrenching questions about peace, love and happiness... here they are as well as his thoughtful answers (his are in blue)...

1. Favorite cartoons... List three

1. if you mean as a kid *tom and jerry, transformers, thundercats*

2. If you were stuck on an island for a year without access to the world what 3 books, 3 movies and 3 loved items would you take?
2. autobiography of malcolm x, wild seed, catcher in the rye / damn only 3 movies? I'm a movie fanatic lol ok lemme see... goonies, the mack, gangs of ny...cuz the other ones I normally watch...I wouldn't wanna be on an island thinking about that shit lmao!

3. What colors excite your creativity?
3. Red is a really powerful color that sparks an eternal fire in me...plus it's the color of kool-aid lol

4. Five favorite artists: make sure you have at least one current artist.
4. Slick Rick, Jimi Hendrix, Metallica, Rage Against The Machine, Jay-Z

5. If you can go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
5. Cairo, Egypt

From Russia, with love...

2011-01-23T23:07:00.000-08:00

This was one of my album covers, if I actually sang or wrote songs... lol

Elan Hi, aka Elizaveta, was temporarily a Russian Moon Spy looking for the best moon pies on the moon... Combating racism, biggotry and just plain hatred she conquered the wicked Madame Lisvbeth. Her hair was bleached blond and the atmosphere almost sucked her eyes and lips off her face. Such memories...

Reminder: Use your imagination today... inspired by VAS.

I am... Adria

2011-01-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

We were friends since our FIT days... 1996 or 7? I forget... We go way back. But I must admit I did not know as much as I felt I should about her, so I gave her some questions... Her answers are in blue.

1. What was your best childhood memory?
I have several, my dad picking us up from school, hanging out with my family, but if I had to pick one, my uncle drawing with me. We'd draw comic strips from the Sunday Paper.

2. What is your favourite article of clothing?
My mid-rise boot cut jeans ( I can pick something up without my butt showing).

3. If you could f@ck up one person on this earth, who would it be?

Ronald McDonald

4. If you could go any where in the world, where would go?
To live or just hang out? Maybe Fiji. It looks nice on TV

5. What is your favourite television show?
Keeping Up Appearances I must say that she seems to be favoring Atlanta Housewives recently...

6. What is your special talent?
Coming up with bright ideas that I never seem to find time to work on.

7. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Living in a mortgage free house making a living off of my special talent and spend time working with animal charities

When I asked her for a dope picture she tells me:

I haven't taken a picture in a while, even if I had, none of them would be dope.

So, I found a photo I had of Adria and suped it up. She is one of the most kind, helpful, funniest people I know and I expect a lot of great things from her soon.
She is currently a Senior Designer for Marketing at a magazine.

Inside Parenting... by Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz Ed.D

2011-01-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

Their sneakers are new and their clothes are stylish. That two year old is sporting a leather bomber jacket and cruising the boulevard in a state-of the-art stroller that screams its own price tag. The little one year old is wearing a halter top and a mini ruffle skirt as she is carried into the park to celebrate her first birthday. Music is pulsing out a tune of lost love and the kids are all gathered around as smoke and profanity fill the air. The little ones shout to be heard and the birthday girl is seated upon a motorized pink car that all the kids quickly start to fight over. Other children who are in the park stand by and watch, and slowly move in for some chips or a ride.

The scene changes to the busy pre-teens begging for some money to buy new sneakers, and when the request is denied both parent and child get into an argument. In the next apartment, a teen is watching an “R” rated movie that convincingly promotes the fun that is derived from sex and drugs while the parent falls asleep on the sofa. Across the hall another teen is sneaking out to go hang out with friends.

Soon they are “grown” and the parent wonders where the time went and where the food money in the cookie jar got to. One youngster doesn’t ask for money for because he has his own. In fact, he buys things for his parent and no one asks questions until one day when the officers show up and he’s off to jail.

This is a short story and one that begs the question: What did we put inside? Regrettably, we look back over the past and see that we put everything into creating trophy kids that could impress the neighbors at a glance. Later, we want to make sure they have everything we didn’t have, so we put the finest sneakers on their feet while leaving their head uncovered.

Before long the bill comes due and we realize that we put everything on the outside and nothing on the inside. But wait, there is still time. Take out your pen and paper and write down your answers to this simple question: How would you feel and act if your were valued; listened to; protected; treated with care and held in high regard; trusted; believed. Next, write down how you would feel and act if you were disregarded; overindulged; treated badly; unprotected; distrusted and disbelieved. In your heart, you probably know the good stuff from the stuff that’s not so good. And you suspect that Time will be on your side if you use it to watch and listen as the little one grows; making regular deposits of love and care that show them that what’s inside them is all good stuff that will last longer than any toy or pair of sneakers.

Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz Ed.D and author, in Jamaica

2011-01-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz, author of Rules for Take Off, has been in the profession of wellness and health since I was in Junior High School. After 20 years of living and practicing health, wellness and self care in the United States from New York to California and in between, she is spreading her wisdom to other countries... Below is an article about her time in Jamaica.

Book cover designed by ElanArtist aka ElanHi www.the-hi-art.com
Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz can be reached through her website, www.747seminars.org

Year of the Rabbit

2011-01-02T16:54:00.001-08:00

I don't know who did these photos/illustrations but they are wonderful... Happy 2011

Protect the Children...

2011-01-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

PROTECT THE CHILDREN!
Children are to be protected from harm, war, sexual abuse, violence, verbal abuse, starvation, slavery, sex, hatred, wickedness...
PROTECT THE CHILDREN!

VIBE to flatline... then resurrection?

2011-01-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

VIBE, My Two Cents... maybe you can have a graphic with pennies floating around a person's silhouette, and since my article is very short, fit it into two pennies???
I was excited by the thought of all the projects I'd get to work on. It wasn't before long that the word "cool" would be replaced with the words "hot mess." I'll make this quick, because VIBE has already taken up enough of my precious youth. They can be forgiven for lack of communication, lack of budget and inexperienced staff, almost every workplace has that, but it was rampant at VIBE.

VIBE was running on fumes or their "cool points". There were a lot of posers, staff members that would look the part and act the part but didn't know what they were doing. It was like watching a play. There were a lot of hot-headed, fresh-out-of-college-kids, that had a lot of attitude and none of the experience to justify it. Of course not everyone was like that, VIBE wouldn't have lasted this long if they were. The experienced staffers that actually performed just started leaving, whether they had another job lined up or not ( I was proud to be a part of that set). I tried to stay and be a part of the solution, but the problem was much bigger than I cared to deal with. There was no appreciation for the extra hard work that one would put it in. Or the extra mile one would go. Forget about being thanked for working unpaid overtime for on a major project you were given to work on at 4:59 pm on a night you had plans, that was due at 8:30 a.m. the next morning.

I heard that VIBE won't be allowed to rest in peace and someone's going to try and bring it back from the dead. Good luck with that. Please weed out the posers, it takes more to run a successful urban business than looking the part.

-Anonymous

Afrikana Madonna...

2011-01-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

Got to check out Afrikana Madonna and her words of healing in her album of spoken words,
Like Manna For The Soul

Itiyopiya on STYLE...

2011-01-02T12:05:00.001-08:00

Image by Itiyopiya.

People on the Streets Summer 2009

2010-12-29T21:08:00.000-08:00

and this is just some of them... I love personal style... People need to express themselves without people being mean or hateful... The more expression the more interesting stuff we can see.

i am...

2010-12-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

The intention of i am... was to show brown women other brown women and help bring attention to the stuff brown people were making and/or services they were offering. Women of all shades of Brown are BEAUTIFUL, from the light tans to the rich browns, we are all BEAUTIFUL. This is the proof...

I am... A Male Exotic Dancer

2010-12-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

Tahjaleenie Tahji, aka Mega Body, the author of G-String Dreams, was once my neighbor. He was always polite and encouraging and I was impressed by his positive nature. If you want to read something interesting, fun and informative read this book. Com'on you know you want to read this book... lol
http://www.amazon.com/G-Strings-Dreams-Confessions-Exotic-Dancer/dp/0976347601

Wear A Condom

2010-12-29T19:45:00.001-08:00

House of Nassat by Nacinimod Deodee

2010-12-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

If you need anything knitted, Nacinimod Deodee, has taken the comon act of knitting and made it edgy, fun and sexy! He has designed for famous performers such as, Erykah Badu and Common and soon I will be getting a pair of knee highs made... Yes Knee High heels!
Don't mess up and miss out... House of Nassat!

Susann E. Sanders FemmeStone Collection

2010-12-20T17:47:00.001-08:00

ielan...

2010-11-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

Generations of anxieties will find peace... gradually, it does take time... unpredictable and wonderful... Full of purpose and uncertainty but safe and wonderful because we lived, together loving, respecting, protecting each other from self pity and negativity. Genius Child, please stop dying too soon, hope exists and you are not alone.

ielan...

Movies...

2010-11-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

I watched these movies recently. I really enjoyed something about each of the movies I have posted.
Hollywood Shuffle speaks the truth of the average Black actor and/or actress in Hollywood in an amusing way.
Please Don't Eat the Daisies shows classic motherhood. Looking fabulous, raising your babies and always have a mommy helper!
She-Devil displays the beauty of a woman focused on the execution of her need for revenge and finding salvation through sisterhood in a comedic way. It is a very 80's junk food but fun.
Bizzare Foods is so interesting. You watch this fat guy eat strange things all over the world and you get to see and learn about the places while watching him eat different stuff like worms, hearts and other guts. I don't like the name because it implies another culture has "bizarre" food, and that seems rude. It is different but not bizzare. You eat what you are use to.
The chef, Andrew Zimmern, is excellent at describing the taste and flavors of the food he is eating and he is very honest.

Halloween

2010-10-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

I have no feelings of like or dislike toward Halloween. I am not sure of its history in the United States of America nor anywhere else. I don't even know if they celebrate it anywhere else.
All I know is it has become is another holiday for woman to dress up as a "sexy" career woman.
Every year we have sexy nurses, sexy policewomen, sexy secretaries, sexy ninjas, everything these days are sexy.
I am officially over sexy. And make note: Even the sexiest people on the Earth, sh@t! That is definitely not sexy... to normal people.

ielan

I am... Mama's Style

2010-10-11T00:19:00.000-07:00

This is a collection of photos I found of my mom. I loved her style and still do! I believe most of the photos have been taken by my father... Edwin G. Cadiz... www.artist-unlimited.com and my mother's, Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz, website is www.747seminars.org

I am... Blond

2010-10-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

Just some good old fashion exploitation and propaganda... I am really proud of my ability. I took this photo by myself with a camera that has no flash, with two lamps and a cieling light. No photoshop.

i am... the Michael Jackson Memorial Wall on 125th Street Harlem, USA

2010-09-28T23:42:00.001-07:00

I remember the Michael Jackson Memorial Wall on 125th Street, right next to the APOLLO. My daughter and I went and wrote on the wall. I apologized for being a part of a society that made his life weirder and harder and my daughter wrote "I love your song Thriller." She and some of her friends did a dance routine to Thriller just a couple of weeks after his death.
RIP

Share this profile

2010-09-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

Share this profile

I am... Summerstage 2009

2010-09-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

These are just some of the interesting outfits I saw that day... as I find more I will post. I love it when people express themselves through there clothes. Whether or not I like the way they mix and style their clothes has very little to do with it. We are all different and that is what I most enjoy about life. Diversity. So focus on what you do like and keep it moving...

I am... Ziggy...

2010-09-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

I am... The Cotton Candy Crew

2010-09-24T00:16:00.001-07:00

Here comes a candy lovers dream.
Late one cool summer evening a innocent cotton candy machine was plugged into the wrong socket. With an explosion from the socket as well as a lighting bolt from an unassuming gray cloud... there was an explosion and the cotton candy machine blew up in the stand. Thankfully no one was around to get hurt but cute confections emerged from the rubble: The Cotton Candy Crew. All sweet and filled with kindness and love, they travel the earth looking to change the world with a smile.

i am...Just A Band Ha He

2010-09-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

I love the sound and the video... They are so cool...

I painted my fingernails orange...

2010-09-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

I painted my fingernail orange. Why that is necessary for anyone to know... there is no reason it is necessary to say but i think, because I am not in a room with people. I am not expected to say something conversation worthy.
I am on my bed hunched over the keyboard typing and I will type whatever the heck is going on at that given moment because I exist whether or not this is read. This is not my beginning and end. I think nothing should be. Too much to do in this world to only do one thing. Boredom is not allowed! You can paint your fingernails orange. Damn I smudged three of them already.

- ielan

Ramblings of a person trying to figure out Suffering and Violence

2010-09-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

You know... I have lived in the hood for a couple of years and witnessed about 4 acts of gun violence... it bothers me... I don't think that is why God brought us here. and for those who don't believe in a God, how would the 'science of existing' benefit from shoot outs? No one benefits from terrible acts of violence. We just learn fear.

And who wants to make others fear? Think about it. Why would you want to feel unsafe? Unless that angry fearful person knows this feeling well and due to lack of self control or perhaps due to feelings of normalcy (not knowing any other way) they spread these feelings causing others to have pain and fear. Another thought I was pondering... Who benefit from us being afraid? I keep thinking the only people that want others to fear are people that want to spread fear. It somehow empowers them or relieves them of their pain. Can we find these people and allow them to experience kindness and love, so they can stop hurting themselves and others.

If you had no fear what would you do? Would you try to paint, or take a dance class or talk to someone you have not met through family or work. If what you choose to do becomes violent and mean, you are a person spreading pain. Check yourself. Be responsible.

We have one experience... as you. No matter how random or similar any two experiences are, interpretation will never be exactly the same. We are all in different rooms with different views. And we choose what we see. We choose. We control our minds and our behaviors. And since life is the ability to live, to do, to exist, why would pain, suffering and hopelessness be necessary. It is not, the goal of living could NEVER be about finding different ways to kill ourselves.

So lets start living.

The BEST version of the ABC's by Mrs. Patti LaBelle

2010-09-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlFqhHJczDs&feature=player_embedded

All rights reserved to whomever owns this picture. If it is the wrong thing to do please remove it and not sue me because I have no money to give you because the man is keeping me busy running in this hamster wheel of reciprocity but the problem is I don't gain anything other then more things to worry about. What the F@CK?

I am... For the Love of GOD comic

2010-09-18T11:13:00.001-07:00

by ElanArtist

I am... Books

2010-09-18T10:53:00.001-07:00

Here are some books that changed my life...

who is ElanArtist?

2010-09-18T03:19:00.001-07:00

i am... ELANartist
more on www.the-hi-art.com

Reaserch Development Foundation for Professionals

2010-09-18T02:56:00.001-07:00

The event posted has passed but will be done again next year. RDF Professionals is dedicated to bridging resources to communities.

www.rdfpinc.org

El Barrio Museum having photo contest

2010-09-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

Calling all people of Spanish Harlem... The Museum El Barrio is looking for community photographs from the hood. Take out those cameras and capture your everyday in Spanish Harlem. Rules and regulations are posted on http://www.flickr.com/groups/1079328@N23/
If you have a camera you can enter...

http://www.elmuseo.org/en/event/el-barrio-today-photo-contest

Educational Information

2010-09-18T02:41:00.001-07:00

If you are in school, planning to go back to school or just thinking about school, here is some info... I hope it is useful to you or those around you.

PHASE ONE and ASA BUCHANON

2010-09-18T01:29:00.000-07:00

These are photos of PHASE ONE and ASA BUCHANON handling their business and answering important questions, like: how can I see your new video?

PHASE ONE & ASA BUCHANON "WE GOIN" from Phase One and Asa Buchanon on Vimeo.

BUGNANAS videoRelease Party... the people

2010-09-18T01:05:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to attend the Bugnanas Video Release Party. Great music, good people and excellent energy. Everyone should keep an eye out for PHASE ONE and ASA BUCHANON! These are just some of the guests that were there... more to come...

PHASE ONE & ASA BUCHANON "WE GOIN" from Phase One on Vimeo.

Kako Uedo

2010-09-18T01:02:00.000-07:00

I have just found out about this fabulous paper- cut artist by the name of Kako Uedo. Her work is an inspiration to me and I look forward to seeing more of her work! This blog has more about her and her work:

http://www.ntizain.gr/2009/02/12/kako-uedo-paper-cut-by-hand/

Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz

2010-09-18T00:40:00.000-07:00

Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz

Director of the Clinical Consultation Program

Sharon M. Cadiz Sharon M. Cadiz , EdD, is currently Director of the Clinical Consultation Program for the New York City Administration for Children's Services; a program assisting child welfare staff in the areas of substance abuse, mental health and domestic violence. A national speaker and an outspoken advocate, Dr. Cadiz conducts seminars that actively support women's wellness and healing and heads an expert consultation group specializing in implementing women's services within communities, organizations and diverse care settings.
Sharon M. Cadiz Director of Clinical Consultation, New York City Administration for Children's Services Sharon Cadiz has spent more than a decade at Palladia (formerly Project Return Foundation), working to implement innovative treatments for the co-occurrence of chemical dependence and mental illness. She was the Principal Investigator for Palladia's Portal Project: a study of women, the co-occurrence of chemical dependence and mental illness, and violence and trauma. Her work on behalf of women, children, and families has been recognized by organizations such as the National Council of Negro Women, and she has a record of community-based work that spans three decades. Sharon is currently spearheading a city-wide initiative of the New York City Administration for Children's Services as the Director of their Clinical Consultation Program. Sharon has a diverse background in child development and early childhood education, as well as a wealth of experience in working with special populations, including survivors of domestic violence, criminal justice involved clients, and those affected by HIV and AIDS.

Dr. Sharon Cadiz is the CEO and originator of 747 Seminars. She is a dynamic leader in the field of human services and utilizes her years of experience in the fields of child development, addiction treatment, mental health, domestic violence, interpersonal trauma, cultural competence and life skills development to inform her efforts to counterbalance the effects of many common problems that stifle individuals and groups. Dr. Cadiz uses a simple technology to awaken those who sleep-walk through their days; creating lives, organizations and settings that are stuck and unable to launch plans for better results.

Things I have learned...

2010-09-18T00:25:00.000-07:00

Things I have learned...

Best way to learn is through the experiences you've created, as well as the lessons from the experiences others have had. I know this because I have learned so much from everything that I have experienced.
My work is the product of me living to express myself through the visual arts.
Some days I breath deeply and look toward the sky thankful and gay while other days I want to stay in my room with the curtains drawn. It is all a part of my life and the real art of living lies in my ability to balance of the two.
From playing pool at the Ravenswood Senior Center, when my father was the director, to hiding out in libraries and staring at pictures for hours, my diverse environment exposed me to so many different an wonderful possibilities.
I remember an old Caucasian woman that would sit in the front area of the library near the checkout desk. Back in the 90's the library in Ravenswood Houses was attached to the bottom of one of the buildings on 21st street. It was small and in the bottom of this 6 story red brick building.
I liked the library because it was quiet and safe and I liked to be both. Not to say my project was not safe, I was not concerned about gunshots or stabbings (although those things did occur). I was having a very difficult time transitioning into adolescence and most adolescents went to the library.
What I found so wonderful about libraries was the information. I absolutely loved being so close to answers and questions and people and images: information.
I liked to sit as far as I could from the area the pre-teens and children would gather. They usually gathered in the Children's Books section toward the back of the library. They would sometimes be noisy and disrespectful and I did not want to have anything to do with that kind of behavior.
I would sit in the library alone, at a table as long as I could but on a busy day it became quite hard to sit alone quietly. If I had to sit it would be next to an adult usually someone old. I liked being around old people. They always had something to share. Sometimes it was good and sometimes it made no sense but it was informative or humorous.
I remembered one time I sat next to an old white woman. I regret using the term "white" and even Caucasian because she meant more to me then just a color but I have forgotten her name. I will refer to her as Ruby.
Ruby was sitting quietly reading the paper and I thought since the other two tables were occupied, one had a weird Hispanic man and the other had a mom with a little one in a stroller and the second sitting at the table, Ruby was my best bet for quiet. I put my seven or ten books down. And i saw her look over but return to her reading. That made me very happy since i didn't really want to discuss the books that I have chosen.
You may wonder why so many books. Well I liked to pick a topic of interest and get books about that subject (preferably with pictures in color) and I sit and go through each page. With books filled with words I skimmed for the stuff I wanted to read so I followed keywords and chapter titles. I learned about the word virgin in a dictionary. Also the words, bitch, faggot, gay and sex. I also would look to see how a word was used. I found words so interesting. My interest in words lead me to Mandarin and I used to check out books in Chinese section of the library just so I could stare at the characters.
I guess with my quiet and deep gazes Ruby thought it safe to ask me, " So you'll read all of those books?" I looked up and looked her in her light gray eyes and then looked down at the table and nodded, yes. My head nodding was quickly followed with a scruffily voiced, "yes and no" answer. I didn't read the words but I read the pictures.
She excused the confused answer I gave and put down her paper, then glasses. She paused and then asked me if I may read something to her. I did... gladly. I learned that I enjoyed reading out loud.

i am... Shoshana Colon...

2010-09-17T01:11:00.000-07:00

Photos by Shoshana Colon
http://banana-ana-ana-aye.deviantart.com/

i am... Movies

2010-09-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

These are movies that can entertain and inform... have an awesome movie night!

Black Male Initiative

2010-09-17T00:43:00.001-07:00

Good Program Alert...

Blowing the Roof Off Racism... by Dr. Sharon M. Cadiz

2010-09-17T00:05:00.000-07:00

Blowing the Roof Off Racism
By Sharon M. Cadiz
April 25, 2010

The storm clouds have been forming and they are blowing the past into the present. We hear of Arizona legislation that strangely resembles apartheid. We see a Boston rebellion that proclaims a struggle for freedom that fills the air with the smell of sheets that flap in the wind on the clothes line in the day; and at night adorn the forces of desperate will. We feel the breeze of discontent and despair as we struggle to understand why the police look for crime in certain places and not others; why a handout to one is a subsidy of another, and why with relative ease we continue to parcel privilege into big bundles for a few and package rights into small packages for those who are expected to follow the rules, but not make them. The storm is blowing Attica and political prisoners into our front yard along with internment camps and reservations; immigration bans such as the one prohibiting Chinese way back when; foreclosures and illegal seizures; health care reform and death by debt.

It is a rainy Sunday evening after a stormy day, and I sit among the spring flowers from my many gardens, and feel the aftermath of Katrina; the man drug behind a truck; and the suicide of lives exploding in ghettos on a Saturday night. I ask the question, “Why?” and to my surprise the question is not answered by a political pundit; a scholar; a leader or a neighbor. The rain taps on my window; the thunder is heard in the distance and I have my answer. I see the news report of a tornado that swept a town in the west and see three homeowners standing outside of the rubble lamenting the loss of property, but rejoicing in the grace of their survival. They are many colored and have different stories, but they stand together and remind me of the fact that it rains on us all; no one is exempt. Then, in the concluding moments of this report the story is told of a Black woman who was on the telephone with her niece when the tornado hit. After a scream at the other end of the telephone, the woman probably thought her niece dead. Suddenly, I see a young dark skinned girl, appearing to be about thirteen, who is interviewed on camera and gives an account of the events that followed. She held onto a tree against 160 mile an hour winds and survived. Her community came together at church to acknowledge this miraculous occurrence.

Things are moving; things are stirring and the racial divide is becoming a flood zone and a tornado alley; and the answer to my question is that racism will not survive against the forces of nature. It will have to succumb because racism is built on difference and nature treats us all the same. Nothing that is built can stand against the tempests. Nothing that is written into law by a hand that gives with one hand and takes with another is destined to keep the promise of the human spirit and the bond that exists with nature.

I will rest easy tonight as the rain hits my window because it is tapping out a new song of freedom for a beleaguered nation that has come to the point of facing the lies. The storm has blown the roof off, and we all have the opportunity to look inside. Think of every house in America with the roof blown off. Now, we can look inside. Now, we can see what we could not see before. Now, we can ask what we could not ask before. Now, we have the chance to let the tears of many years become the rain that washes and floats us to a new reality; one that does not recreate hatred in a ruling that targets a group of people in a state; ban gay marriage in the same way that interracial marriage was against the law in certain states not too long ago; recreate separate but equal in our public schools and call it progress; one that makes police maltreatment a dubious protection in a so-called just society. Nature has blown the roof off! We are standing in front of our broken homes in tatters facing the moment of truth when we must decide how to rebuild the house we live in. Will it be built on a foundation of lies and injustice, or will it be built in unity with many multi-colored hands of people from many clans and different lands.

In Arizona, Littlerock, New Orleans, the Midwest and the burning forests of California we find our new beginnings and our tragic endings but most of all we find the challenge to our people to sort through the rubble, salvage what is good and invite your neighbor to breakfast and ask them to stay to help rebuild. But know this truth, as Lincoln proclaimed it from his distinguished place in history: a house divided will surely fall.

CatCalls: Street Harrassment or Flattery by Diana Carolina

2010-09-16T23:37:00.001-07:00

In this piece I will be briefly engaging in a conversation about the issues surrounding catcalling, particularly from the experiences of heterosexual women. Given time constraints I wish to note that this piece is limited in its depth to examine the experiences and relationships of power in catcalling as manifested in non-heterosexual relationships and encounters. Further analysis is of absolute importance in order to develop a theory that comprehends the power involved in cultural practices within the realm of sexuality and all sexualities.

Pssst... Pssst… Hey you. Yeah you. Come over here. I want to talk to you. O why you walking away baby? What’s with the attitude? Catcalling—a widespread phenomena on the streets of New York City. It has nothing to do with finding one’s lost pet, or strutting your stuff down a runway. Yes for those who did not know, that’s called cat walking. Cat calling however involves an attitude of a different kind. Catcalling, also known as hollering, involves getting a person’s attention through words or actions in order to make that person aware of one’s presence and or sexual attraction towards them. So why is that this happens? Is it of any importance; is it just playfulness, a couple of neighborhood jerks that have nothing else to do? Or could it be perhaps that such a practice is reflective of larger values within society?
One of the many rationalizations in explaining the practice of catcalling is that well, sorry love you should have known better! You can’t be walking down the street in your sexy shoes, with your hair all did and not expect some sort of response, because after all baby you damn fine! Popular belief argues that catcalling is the result of fine looking young women walking down the street. And what can the fella’s do but just compliment? After all, isn’t it in the “nature” of men to pursue the good looking women? Aren’t’ men just “naturally” more sexually aggressive, hence the often vulgar stares, comments and outright groping? However, what are the problems in such assumptions, what does it silence and what sort of behavior does it rationalize and perpetuate?
Biological arguments have a long historical tradition of rationalizing social practices and even an uglier history in justifying oppression (i.e. Eugenics the pseudo-science which argued the “innate” inferiority of non-whites). By arguing that men are just biologically wired to behave in such a manner makes their actions inevitable. Such an argument does not take into consideration or outright ignores how society itself, its values, institutions and ideologies socialize members to take on particular roles, behaviors and forms of consciousness. Most importantly, such logic denies the possibility of being able to relate to one another differently, under different conditions. Thus catcalling needs to be understood not as a biological inevitability, or a result of the “true nature” of men, but rather a cultural practice that is made to appear “natural” and “normal” through its every day occurrence.
So if its not some innate quality in men to catcall, what’s behind the desire or need to catcall? What purpose does it serve? One could argue that catcalling is just the action of a few, rather stupid men who are dumb enough to believe that women will actually turn around and go home with them. While I’m sure that there are a few morons who actually believe this, I do not think that most men think they will obtain a positive response. I believe catcalling to be a cultural practice, which cannot be understood in isolation from relationships of power and people’s social position. I find it difficult to separate a cultural practice from the rampant sexual objectification of women in society. Sexual objectification impacts both men and women, and has dire consequences for the ways in which we are allowed to relate to one another.

But come on, what about the girls who are really asking for it? The ones with cleavage that is nowhere near small and humble and are confusable with mountains? (Thank you Shakira). The ones with the sexy jeans that make one’s booty go bam, or the ones out in the street walking around late at night? Whether its sexual harassment or rape, we need to absolutely reject the notion that women were just “asking for it” and here’s why. Such an argument implies that a person’s rights as a human being are arbitrary and that a woman has renounced them depending on what she’s wearing and in what space she finds herself. Such logic blames the victim. It’s the victim who enticed; it’s the victim who should have known better, not the perpetrator. Anything wrong with this logic? Yes, fucking plenty! Society nearly demands for women to present themselves as sexy beings. The messages are extremely contradictory; be sexy but not too sexy, wouldn’t want people to think you’re a whore now would we? Be smart, but not too smart, because then you’re just an overpowering know-it-all-bitch. How is a young girl to navigate through such an ocean of contradictions and impossible social standards? My point is that this issue extends beyond the clothes, the level of attraction, and lies in social roles and expectations. Gender defines our roles, behaviors and subjectivities (meaning how we feel about our particular sex or gender). It is so powerful in fact that it even impacts what actions we consider to be emotionally fulfilling and empowering. Thus gender defines who does the hollerin’, who gets hollered at, and how each person involved feels about the situation. This is not meant to explain every experience for there are often exceptions. However, I believe that we can observe patterns in social relationships and systemic occurrences, thus I find a gender analysis extremely useful in understanding catcalling.
So which way forward? How do we change social attitudes, which greatly impact the ways in which we see and treat one another? How are these values systematically enforced? It is of utmost importance to raise our consciousness as individuals, but that alone will not address the problem at its root, for as individuals we are extremely vulnerable to larger social pressures. For example, I have a lot of guy friends who often wish to speak against their friends who are indirectly or blatantly disrespectful towards women. However, they remain silent, for they simply but do not want to deal with the social stigma not being seen as “one of the guys”, or worse having their sexuality be called into question. Thus we need to come up with strategies that do not leave the solution of social problems to only individuals. We have to see social issues as a collective struggle and responsibility. We need to politically strive for and articulate the sort of society we wish to see and begin to promote positive values of respect, empowerment, and solidarity in our every day encounters and local communities.
To conclude, I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I wish to open up a dialogue in which we exchange experiences and begin to have a critical examination of the social spaces that we inhabit. No social relationships are the way they are “just because”. Such an assumption actually makes these relationships appear “normal”, “natural”, “necessary” and thus inevitable. All social relationships are human creations and are the result of specific values and a particular way of organizing society. Thus, we have to ask what are the conditions that make us relate to one another in particular ways, in all areas of life, from the workforce to the bedroom.

Below are some questions to consider and in parenthesis are my comments.

Are all catcalls the same? (I believe that we need to look at intentions, attitudes but also consequences, the actual impact and result of actions.)

What are the questions and criteria by which we judge a dynamic, a social relation, an incident, etc?

And what about the guys? Guys how does it feel to constantly have to reaffirm your (hetero) sexuality through the objectification of women to be considered manly, to achieve respect?

Wendy from beautiful Jamaica...

2010-09-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

photos and designs by ElanArtist

i am... Subway Trapeze...

2010-09-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

They do this on the subway in tight spaces all around other commuters. The Subway Trapeze artists.

Squirrel Danger...

2010-09-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

by ElanArtist