CONCERNED
ARTISTS
ACTION
GROUP

Artists for Artists and the Community's Children

 

 

HISTORY
&
Activities

 

 

CAAG's first meeting was on
June 9, 1998

at 9307 South Central Avenue.

We are artists
determined to maintain and celebrate
Watts' unique history
of community creativity.

 

We have joined together to have a positive impact for artists and our community's children.

WINTER-SPRING
2001
NEWS
(SEE CAAG NEWS ARCHIVE)

On April 1, 2001 5-7 pm
A Reception to Welcome the New General Manager of Cultural Affairs for the City of Los Angeles:
Margie J. Reese

Sunday April 1, 2001 5-7 pm,
Watts Towers Arts Center
1727 East 107th Street Los Angeles, CA 90002
213-847-4646

Sponsored by Concerned Artists Action Group, Apollo West Carson Players
Friends of the Watts Towers, Watts Towers Community Action Group
Watts Prophets Community Education Association

PROGRAM INCLUDES ENTERTAINMENT, POETRY, BUFFET

Welcome: Mark Greenfield. Concerned Artists Action Group Welcome: Shirley Hamilton & Marvin Clayton
Song: APOLLO WEST VOICES OF SOUL
Poetry: STUDENTS OF THE WATTS PROPHETS WORKSHOP
Remarks by MARGIE J. REESE

Followed by Social Celebration
with music by Judson Powell,
Art Exhibit by Judson Powell (Regional Arts Council mini-grant)
Poetry by Students of the Watts Prophets Community Eduction
Video by Students of the Watts Towers Arts Center

With thanks for the Support of Charles R. Drew University Place of Family, Bradley Milken Family Youth Center, City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, Congresswoman Juanity Millender-McDonald (37th Congressional District), Councilman Rudy Svorinich, Jr. (15th Council District, City of Los Angeles), One Stop Capital Shop, Dendrite Forest, Inc.and Sweet Pea Communications for the webnotice


ANNOUNCING A FREE
TEN WEEK TRAINING WORKSHOP

ACTING • SINGING • DANCING • LIGHTING • SOUND • STAGECRAFT

APOLLO WEST CARSON PLAYERS, Inc.
and the
CONCERNED ARTIST ACTION GROUP
and the
WATTS PROPHETS COMMUNITY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

are proudly holding sign-ups for a
FREE THEATRE ARTS and TECHNICAL TRAINING WORKSHOP for the Watts Community

SIGN UPS:
all interested Males & Females
16 years to Adult

MONDAY - FEB. 12 to FRIDAY- FEB. 16, 2001 3:00 TO 6:00 PM DAILY
at Bradley/Milken Center 1773 E. Century Blvd.

for further information please telephone 310 835-5922 or 323 971-5672


begins Thursday, March 1, 2001
Workshops held EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY 3:00-6:00PM

to culminate in the play
"DON'T BOTHER ME,
I CAN'T COPE
"
on Saturday April 28, 2001

ACTING • SINGING • DANCING • LIGHTING • SOUND • STAGECRAFT

This production is partially funded by CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT/ CITY OF LOS ANGELES

SUMMER 1999

NEWS


CAAG GETS AWARD

 

YOUTH TALENT SHOW PROPOSAL

 

PERFORMANCE EVENTS:

 

 

 

 

 

PRISON PROGRAM

 

AUDITIONS FOR YOUTH PROGRAM:

 

THE CONCERNED ARTISTS ACTION GROUP received an award from the Cultural Affairs Department this summer for our contribution to the community. We are in discussion with Al Nodal regarding upcoming programs in South Central L.A.


CAAG is ready to submit a grant for Shaquille O'Neill for ongoing support of our Youth Talent Shows.

August 7, 1999 ST. Elmo Village Rhythm and Rhyme Fest

August 8, 1999 Poetry on Domestic Violance -- Watts Towers Arts Center

August 8, 1999 Charles Wright at Westchester Park

August 14, 1999 Grand Performances Tribute to Horace Tapscott--8 pm at the beautiful California Plaza Water Court
( 350 South Grand Ave At the Water Court, Downtown Los Angeles between Grand Avenue & Olive, north of 3rd & south of 2nd street. Take 4th street exit off 110, Left on Olive, Left again into first parking garage. Show is free; parking in garage is $5.00)

The Watts Prophets' tour to universities around the United States will resume in the Fall. They will be in RENO, NEVADA September 12-24, then rock on over to ROCKLAND, ILLINOIS September 27 to October 10. By November 7-14 they'll be bundling up to visit LINCOLN, NEBRASKA and then be back home before Thanksgiving! They hold seminars with students about their work, their history, and the role of the griot in the community.

Amde's PRISON PROGRAM WORKSHOPS "are on hold, we're told, until the FBI investigates him again again again," according to a report from CAAG Central. "We had four prisoners set to start in late July, "but as usual, the government is in our DNA, so we continue the struggle of the artists," writes Shirley to CAAG's members.

SINGERS, DANCERS, RAPPERS AND MORE came out for rhyming good time on
MARCH 16, 1999 at the historic MAFUNDI 1827 E. 103RD STREET, Los Angeles. More opportunities yet ahead! Call Shirley or Amde Hamilton 323.971.5672 for details.

HOT, HISTORIC AND HAPPENIN'

1999 DAVID MOSELY POSTER ART RETROSPECTIVE at LEIMERT PARK MUSEUM and WATTS TOWERS ART CENTER

Famed pioneer of Poster Art, DAVID MOSELY has a stupendous retrospective exhibition at Liemert Park Fine Arts Museum. It showed at the Watts Towers Art Center through April 25. This is powerful history of our national struggles for equal rights, with portraits of men and women who have inspired us all. SEE IT!

David's work has been exhibited across America and Africa. Thirty years ago he revolutionized art, being a leader of the Art Poster movement. It is estimated that 6-10 million prints of his posters have been distributed around the world, adorning the walls of dormitories, cafeterias, schools, homes and businesses. His work shows a powerful history of our national struggles for equal rights, with portraits of men and women who have inspired us all.

NEWS COVERAGE

photo credit: By Odie Hawkins
The Watts Prophets: Anthony "Father Amde" Hamilton, Richard Dedeaux, Otis O'Solomon

The SPRING WRITER'S CLASS with NOVELIST ODIE HAWKINS at MAFUNDI
(1827 E. 103RD STREET, Los Angeles) was a great success. Watch for the next one.

Odie Hawkins' story "HEY WORLD" in the New Times about the Watts Prophets and the authoršs days in the Writers Workshop

 

L.A. THEATER CENTER HOSTS FATHER AMDE'S TIME TRAVEL

DAMU VUSHA provided music and AMDE HAMILTON was at the controls of a trip back into time with their performance of "FEBRUARY 21, 1965" at the LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER showcase of LA Artists. (Sponsored by Los Angeles Cultural Affairs, Performing Arts Dept).

INNTON YOUTH TALENT SHOW

APRIL 24, 1999 THE "INNTON" YOUTH TALENT SHOW AT MAFUNDI
was great fun for all. Congratulations to all the talented youth who came out to give us all a glimpse of the power of creativity.

CAAG PROPOSAL BEING PREPARED

GRANT WRITERS WANTED!

Sharpen those pencils and give us a call. We are now working on proposals for raising grant money for CAAG's activities. Please contact Shirley Hamilton at 323.971.5672 if you have ideas, suggestions and skills to contribute to this goal. We seek to raise funds for public presentations, website communications and public outreach. See our GOALS page for the good work we are doing.

 

ALL ABOARD!!

 

Judson Powell gave a tour of Watts Towers Art Center, Mafundi and The Wellness Center to Nadine BeauVilla, who is writing a story for a French cultural magazine about the summer program for youth. Patric Hedlund took pictures of the mosaic mirror furniture and art, to create a gallery for Watts artists on the World Wide Web.

 

UPDATE on meetings between CAAG and the City of Los Angeles

CURRENT DISCUSSION

CAAG continues to meet productively with AL NODAL of the Cultural Affairs department.

These are our goals in these talks:

We want a Fine Arts Center in Watts.

We want to have control of our community culture, art and historical preservation. We want to preserve our community memory, culture, traditions and unique history.
We want to see community artist working with our community children.

We want the Los Angeles City Council, city government employees, businesses and those who love the arts and recognize the vital role they play in building healthy, thriving communities, to support us in these goals.

 

Here is a report from our initial meeting:

 

CAAG WINTER 1999 ACTIVITIES

 


During February, the Dunbar Hotel, Oasis and the City of LA presented "HISTORY ON CENTRAL AVENUE", including programs with CAAG members performing music, dancing, telling stories and presenting an art exhibit at the Dunbar Hotel, 4207 So. Central Avenue in LA.

 

"HISTORY ON CENTRAL AVENUE"

Historically, The Dunbar Hotel became L.A.'s happening center for hot gatherings of America's Jazz Legends.

The Dunbar was the place where black musicians traveling with the 1930's and 40's era 'Big Bands" stayed while their white counterparts registered at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.

A tradition sprang up, as jazz greats took out their horns every night to jam with the sizzling local talent of Watts.





This year CAAG helped celebrate the renovation of the Dunbar Hotel as a cultural center in the Watts community with these activities:

FEBRUARY 23, 1999
10 a.m. and again at 6 p.m.--- Poetry with the FRONT LINE POETS

FEBRUARY 25
10 a.m. -- Reggae Music with RAS MICHAEL

FEBRUARY 26
10 a.m. -- a demonstration by novelist ODIE HAWKINS

FEBRUARY 26 continued:

1:00 p.m.-- a performance by THE APOLLO WEST CARSON PLAYERS
7:00 p.m.-- a powerful time travel performance by FATHER AMDE, "BACK TO THE 1960'S"

FEBRUARY 27
7:00 p.m. -- a jumping musical performance by R&B funk maestro CHARLES WRIGHT of the WATTS 103rd STREET RHYTHM BAND. Special guest Reggae master RAS MICHAEL also appeared.

CAAG HELPS RETRIEVE HISTORY AT SOUTHWEST COLLEGE

CAAG brought former BSU students to the school over a four week period with art, lecture, drama, and music.

Our goal is to reflect the struggles and success of the 1960's era BSU, and to emphasize the importance of keeping the BSU active.

CAAG met with Southwest College in LA to present a Black history week. Many students attending that school were unaware of how the Black Student Union (BSU) helped make it possible for that college to be built in the 1960's.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH PRESENTATIONS AT LOS ANGELES SOUTHWEST COLLEGE:
(Imperial Highway at Western Avenue
), 9a.m. to 2 p.m. each day

FEBRUARY 4, 1999-- KARAMOU "FEAST"

Lecture -- PROFESSOR WALTER JONES
Poetry -- A CORNUCOPIA OF POETS
Music -- DRUMMING

FEBRUARY 11, 1999-- KUUMBA "CREATIVITY"

Art Show Presentation -- DAVID MOSLEY, famed poster artist and ELLIOT PINKEY
Reggae Music -- RAS MICHAEL

 

FEBRUARY 18 -- MUSUNDI, THIRD WORLD CULTURE DAY

Featuring CHARLES WRIGHT of the WATTS 103rd STREET RHYTHM BAND

FEBRUARY 25 -- UMOJA

Lecture and Poetry -- AMDE HAMILTON, OF THE WATTS PROPHETS

MORE TRACKS IN THE SAND:


January 9, 1999 -- CAAG youth presented TalentShow'99 at Mafundi 1827 E. 103rd St., 6pm

January 16, 1999 -- CAAG was at the Long Beach Convention Center with a display from the upcoming David Mosley retrospective art exhibit

January 31, 1999-- CAAG presented "AMDE" , a one man performance at The Watts Towers Art Center 1765 east 107th street

SUMMER 1998

   
REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL FUNDRAISER WORKSHOP On August 27, 1998 CAAG members Donald Bakeer, Richard Dedeaux, Enoch Mack and Anthony "Amde" Hamilton attended the Regional Arts Council fundraising workshop. Another significant accomplishment of CAAG was the networking with The Watts Towers and Mafundi Institute. Outcome of those meetings include arrangement of a retrospective show at the Watts Towers Art Center for David Mosely's breakthrough poster art, and securing access to The Mafundi Center for our regular public CAAG meetings.

CAAG MEETS WITH AL NODAL, L.A. CITY CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT

On Monday, August 10, 1998, six members of the Concerned Artists Action Group met with Aldolfo Nodal, General Manager of the Cultural Affairs Department of Los Angeles.

The members of the Concerned Artists Action Group came to discuss

  • the lack of avenues for our community's talented people,
  • the lack of venues for development of creative activities,
  • the need for more funds to be spent for programs that would be administered by artists for artists,
  • the necessity of having artistic outlets for our youth,

the broad range of issues (including the need for a fine arts academy) that are responsible for the creation of the CAAG.

The meeting was cordial and Mr. Nodal seemed to be quite willing to consider our concerns. He made us aware of community-oriented programs that are called Regional Councils.


The Regional Councils, according to Mr. Nodal, will have a significant impact on the artistic scene in the districts that they represent

Internships were offered to the youngest members of our group. Donald Bakeer was offered the opportunity to become involved with secondary school activities because of his academic experience.

The meeting ended on an upbeat; we have been invited to return in 30 days to determine what progress has been made in relationship to our concerns and to update the Cultural Affairs Department on the activities involving our group.

Perhaps the most important point of this whole meeting is simply this: the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles is now fully aware of the fact that we, artists for artists, are now in the mix.

CAAG members participating in this meeting were Roylene Walker, Anthony "Amde" Hamilton, Donald Bakeer, Elegba Earl, Innton Tagger, and Odie Hawkins.


RETURN TO THE STATE OF ART IN WATTS

CAAG Home Page

Contact CAAG at
P.O. Box 72341 Watts, Ca 90002
Call (323).971.5672
wattspoets@aol.com

http://www.forests.com/caag.html

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