Friday, May 23, 2014

It's Time To Get Back To Art...


It's Time To Get Back To Art
Buttafly Arts uses “creativity” as a platform for community “harmony” with its 2014 Summer Arts Series

Louisville, KY-- May 21, 2014-- On March 16, 2014, Me'Quale Offut was fatally stabbed on a public bus. He had joined a group of teens in savagely assaulting a lone straphanger. Me'Quale paid the price of kickin it with a raucous crew of young folk; when a quiet, soft spoken father, decided to stand up to an evil that was swathed in Aeropostle, blue jeans, and kicks. All Anthony R. Allen, 44, wanted to do was to take advantage of the affordable, safe transportation that was provided by what a visible city campaign has coined as “Possibility City.” However, the possibilities for some folk in this “promising river town” may prove trivial, as residents find it hard to enjoy a peaceful bus ride home.

It's time to get back to art... Buttafly Arts, a local agency that partners with other community agencies, schools, and arts related nonprofits to provide creative workshops for youth and adults , believes that Its time to get back to art and is kicking off this initiative with the 2014 Summer Arts Series, which will run from June 23rd to August 8th. The agency embraces the practice of art as a quality, that in some cases, has saved a community on the brink of chaos. This quality is summed up by quotes from a recent article titled Art and Expression as a Catalyst for Change and Development... the article goes on to state... This quality is key for any individual, especially for youth of color that have too often been the victims of a failing school system, an unfair judicial system, and a scapegoat for mainstream society. Yet, to transcend victimhood, one must develop a new positive identity, not rooted in deficits, but anchored in one’s strengths and abilities...Art and expression, when encouraged and praised by a supportive community, provides an ideal outlet for developing a toolbox of skills that can be useful throughout one’s life.

Art as activism... The agency prides itself with being involved with projects that pushes the individual to combine art with social and communal change. Buttafly just finished hosting the “Freedom Mic Series” which was a series of open mics sponsored by New Legacy Reentry Corp, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing reentry services for ex-offenders and returning veterans. Many of the featured artists and support staff for this series were ex-offenders who have created news paths of progress for their lives.

It's time to make it happen... The agency has appealed to churches, ministries, and other community agencies to make “community restoration” happen via a partnership with Buttafly. The agency hosts an extensive catalogue of workshops and classes which are posted on its website.

The classes can also be accessed via its Facebook page @ Facebook.com/ButtaflyArts. In addition, Buttafly also has a growing Artist Registry which can be viewed from a link on the page, as well. If you are interested in partnering with Buttafly Arts, or you would like to become a teaching artist via their registry; please forward an email to buttaflyarts@gmail.com or call 502-354-3496.

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Monday, March 24, 2014

Excerpt from T. Semakula's upcoming book..The Food Stamp Bandit.... (The Christianity of The Land)




Excerpt from T. Semakula's upcoming book..The Food Stamp Bandit.... (The Christianity of The Land)


Are we in the business of wielding the true power of God? Or are we just in the business of creating more buildings; waiting for folks to waltz into? This old way of thinking is shrinking churches and exposes the true nature of service. Churches are closing and losing their buildings, because they no longer have inhabitants to minister to. However, just because folk are no longer coming into the building, doesn't mean that they don't need the ministry.

The needs of the community continues to fester. The ministries that are calling these empty churches continue to show its face as disrespectful litter. Folk continue to throw their empty Heineken Beer Bottles, used condoms, and hallowed out heroin needles onto church doorsteps and parking lots. The ignored and disengaged continue to leave their excrement on church grounds while the church leadership continues to whine and complain yet not realizing that these cues may be the very ministries that the church needs to bring their dying ministries back to life.
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