hidden in plain view – various Florida Keys productions
Friday, November 9th, 2012
Erika Biddle
Today’s mobile outreach starts with this from Facebook:
Erika Biddle Thank you Sloan Bashinsky for your support, encouragement, advise and most of all your drawing and poetry that gave the art heart connection book extra “food for thought”. XOE
============================
Promo for Hidden In Plain View, followed by other Florida Keys hidden in plain view productions:
|
On any given day in Monroe County there are men, women, and children who are homeless, living and sleeping in the street, the mangroves, vehicles, derelict vessels, or other inappropriate and…
00:12:01
Added on 4/02/12
806 views
|
 |
HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW: FACES & STORIES OF HOMELESSNESS
November 15, 2012 – December 14, 2012 The Studios of Key West
MAIN HALL: November 15-December 14 HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW: FACES & STORIES OF HOMELESSNESS Project Developer: Erika Biddle Photography by Sheelman Sheelman
Opening Reception: November 15, 6-9pm
Sponsored by JANGEORGe Interior Design
When Erika Biddle launched the incredibly successful Women Sustaining the Earth calendar in 2010, she had no idea the project would lead her to where it has today. The calendar, which featured local women posing nude in outdoor Keys’ environments, raised $8,000 for the Green Living and Energy Education community garden.
Now, just two years later, that idea has led Biddle in a new direction. In the past year, Biddle has conceptualized and developed a full-scale art exhibition at The Studios of Key West titled, Hidden in Plain View: Faces and Stories of Homelessness. The exhibition, which runs from November 15-December 15 in the Armory main hall, will be celebrated at an opening reception during Walk on White on Thursday, November 15 from 6-9pm.
Biddle says the evolution from creating a community garden to developing an exhibition which challenges attitudes towards the homeless was more natural than one would guess.
In her efforts to create a garden which could, in part, benefit the homeless, Biddle visited soup kitchens and shelters, hoping to become familiar with members of Key West’s homeless population, and to learn more about their needs.
“A community garden offers a place where people can learn to cultivate food, a place where they can go for rest and for sustenance.” says Biddle. “But on a more fundamental level, it offers a way for people who are on food stamps to enhance the variety and freshness of their food.”
But through her interactions with members of the homeless community, Biddle quickly became sensitive to the depth and complexity of the homeless issue. She realized that many of the people she encountered had lost not only a place to call home, but had also lost their dignity in the process. She came to know many different types of people who were living on the street: veterans, the underemployed, even teenagers.
“We live in a place that emphasizes the importance of One Human Family, but what does that really mean?” asks Biddle. “I wanted to put a challenge to those of us who simply look the other way when confronted with the homeless; I wanted to give the homeless an identity, and bring them into the public eye.”
Faces and Stories of Homelessness gives a human face to what is typically unseen and often ignored. The main component of the exhibition is a series of two dozen compelling black and white portraits of homeless people, each a commanding 24” x 30” in size, taken by photographer Sheelman.
Biddle felt it was equally important to represent the stories and voices of the homeless, and, as a another facet of the exhibition, she asked people who are living on the street for sketches, poems, and quotes about their lives.
“I ended up with a pile of beautiful snippets,” says Biddle. “These things are the common threads that that connect us all as ‘One Human Family’. Everybody dreams, everybody somehow has art, even if their whole lives are poetry.”
Biddle then asked a dozen local artists to choose a sketch or poem that resonated with them and respond to it. By pairing established local artists with the street artists who made contributions, Biddle was able to create a large “art heart connection scrapbook” which will be on display during the show. The book represents disparate worlds joined through self-expression, and includes a dozen beautiful sketches, paintings, and collages inspired by the words and voices of the homeless. The show also includes a variety of multimedia images, films, poetry, and quilts.
The entire community is invited to the Thursday, November 15 event, where Help Yourself Cafe will provide food for “everyone who wants to eat”. Biddle hopes the event, filled as it will be with music, art, food and celebration, will “ease social boundaries, and allow everyone to enjoy the unifying and healing power of the arts.”
This project is sponsored in part by the Florida Keys Council of the Arts & Culture, Southernmost Homeless Assistance League, Florida Keys Outreach Coalition, JANGEORGe Interior Design, The Gardens Hotel, generous community and private donations and food by HelpYourself.
==========================
Larry Murray replied to yesterday’s blah, blah, blah – Florida Keys school board and US presidential election fallout post:
==========================
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 08:07:58 -0800
Subject: Re: school board and US president election fallout
Sloan:
Why am I not surprised that John Welsh will not concede defeat until the results of the Canvassing Board on Friday. Ed Davidson has a 146 vote lead while there are only 120 provisional ballots to be determined. If Welsh were to receive all 120 votes, he would still lose.
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The simple fact of the matter is that Davidson won and Welsh lost, regardless of the margin of victory. Vox populi, vox Dei. The election is over and it is time to move on. I will be interested to see how involved Welsh remains in School District affairs now that he has been defeated. I never saw him around or heard anything from him before he decided to run and bring his 35 years of experience to the Board. I’ll have more to say on that subject later. Larry
Dr. Larry Murray
Fiscal Watchdog and Citizen Advocate
=================================
I replied: Morning, Larry – I can’t speak for John Welsh. However, a full vote count will show what, if any, effect my 115, or perhaps more, write-in votes might have had on the outcome. The same can be said about Mark Peterson and Michael Cunningham – Where were they all this time? John Welsh was immersed in the school district as a teacher and principal for most of his working life, so I don’t see him as not being involved. I was only occasionally involved in school stuff before I moved back Little Torch in March 2010. After that, I started getting more and more involved, and finally I realized I would run for one of the two School Board seats, but it was close to the filing deadline before I knew which seat it would be. Something you might find interesting happened this morning after I put up today’s posts and had just sent this letter to the editor to The Citizen: ===========================
I was told in my sleep in 2008 that Barack Obama had the potential to be the Anti-Christ. After President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, while he waged George W. Bush’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I was hardly able to have a bowel movement for a month. The malaise ended only after some pretty rough poetry about what President Obama had done erupted out of me. As Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc in NY City on the eve of the election, it came to me that that was karma for the way America reacted to 911, which could have been mitigated if President Obama had not continued George W. Bush’s wars. The day after the re-election of the President Obama, a second rough storm hit NY City, with snow and plummeting temperatures. To top off the whole affair, I read on Facebook yesterday that George W. Bush “accidently” voted for President Obama. Some people took that as God’s way of saying Barack Obama was supposed to be re-elected. I took it as God’s way of saying war birds of a feather flock together.
Meanwhile, when is The Citizen going to tell its readers that its Editorial Board had nothing to do with The Citizen editorial which endorsed Mitt Romney, and that Editor Tom Tuell removed his name from The Citizen Editorial Board staff head above that editorial, but did not remove any of the other Editorial Board members’ names? I was told all of that by another Editorial Board member, who backed Romney.
Sloan Bashinsky
1031 Grand Street
Little Torch Key
(305) 872-1705
============================
What happened was Todd German called me today to say he had been asked by The Citizen’s Publisher Paul Clarin, because he knew Todd and I are friends, to ask me to stop reproducing articles, letters to the editor, etc. from The Citizen in my posts. Todd said he had done some checking around and felt the copyright laws were on The Citizen’s side. He seemed conflicted about it. I said, yes, the copyright laws are on The Citizen’s side; they could have asked me years ago to stop reproducing Citizen material, but they wait until now, right after I published Todd’s email to me in yesterday’s post-election hangover – Florida Keys and beyond post, explaining that The Citizen Editorial Board had nothing to do with the editorial which endorsed Mitt Romney, and also explaining Tom Tuell taking his name off the Editorial Board staff header on that editorial.
I told Todd to tell Paul that today’s post was already up on my websites, and it had in it today’s article from The Citizen on John Welsh wanting all the votes counted, and I would not take that post down therefore, but I will not reproduce any more material from The Citizen. I told Todd to tell Paul I understand his situation, he has more than me to deal with, but it’s chicken shit anyway. I’m a paying subscriber, The Citizen comes to me daily, I did not go out and hijack it. My websites are not commercial, I do not profit financially from what I use from The Citizen. I told Todd to tell Paul that I would publish this news on my websites, and that I would copy him [Todd] with the letter to the editor above, which I was ready to send to The Citizen when he called me.
The oldest website, goodmorningkeywest.com, went active in July 2007. It has 1934 separate posts in the Archives. Maybe close to one-half of those posts contain reproduction of Citizen material. For years before that, I used Citizen material in my bulk emailings. From now on, I will read Citizen material and say in my own words what is reported, instead of honoring the journalist, The Citizen, the people about whom the articles are written, and my readers, by allowing my readers to read verbatim, not my take, on what The Citizen reported. I will provide the keynews.com link for my readers to use if they wish to pay the 50 cent fee, by credit card, plus any charges by their bank, to see that day’s Citizen online.
I wonder if the Keynoter will ask me to stop reproducing Keynoter material? Keynoter Publisher Wayne Markham has been on my email hit list for years. We first met in the early 1980s, when he worked for the Miami Herald and interviewed me in Miami Beach, as I recall, about Home Buyers – Lambs to the Slaughter? I was en route to the Keys, to spend some time at my father’s home on Lower Matecumbe Key. And some time fishing the flats. And some time drinking beer at the Lorelei at sunset, eating at the Green Turtle, The Conch, Manny and Isa’s and Marker 88. And some time hanging out with dear Islamorada friends I had known for a while. I think you could still get local conch in the restaurants, but by then you no longer could get green turtle steak. Another life. Sloan
=============================
Larry replied, with copies to Todd German, Stuart Kessler ad Ed Davidson:
Sloan: 1. Looks like you are in a serious pissing contest with the Citizen. Why they are trying to block your posting of their articles escapes me, especially since you post them in toto. If you provide some sort of abridgement or interpretation, the Citizen is likely to be even less pleased with you. It used to be said that one should never argue with someone who buys ink in 50-gallon drums. That needs updated for the 21st Century. One should never argue with someone who has a “send” button.
2. As for John Welsh, time will tell as to whether or not he maintains an active interest in School District policies. He didn’t after his retirement until he decided to run. Then, he attended most, not all, School Board meetings, but never once made a comment on any subject, positive, negative or informative. You are correct about Mark Peterson and Michael Cunningham. Add to that list Howard Hubbard. I will have more to say about all three in the future.
Larry
========================
I was banned from reproducing material from The Citizen the day after I published Todd German’s email explaining what Tom Tuell had done re the editorial endorsing Mitt Romney for President. Naw, there was no cause and effect, the Citizen just woke up one day and realized I had been using its material verbatim hidden in plain view for over 10 years, all the way back to when I slept in doorways on Fleming Street and lots of other places the City now does not allow homeless people sleep.
I went by the Marathon Elections Office yesterday afternoon and filed my Candidate Termination Report. I asked lots of questions about Ed Davidson and John Welsh’s race. Bottom line, provisional votes are automatically canvassed during the 48 hours after they are cast. This always happens, and the 48 hours ends tonight for provisional votes cast on November 6. Also, if the vote difference between Ed and John is .5 percent or less, a recount is automatic. The candidates have nothing to do with county provisional votes or an automatic recount. This is not a manual recount. That only happens if a candidate contests the automatic recount. As for John’s future activity in school stuff, that’s up to him. I ran seven races.
I saw lots of candidates all hot to trot to be elected, but after they did not get elected, nothing further was heard from them about the office they had sought. They did not attend public meetings. Nothing, although sometimes I saw one run again – mostly Jimmy Weekley and Morgan McPherson. Tom Milone remained active in KW government affairs after he was not elected to the City Commission. Margaret Romero has remained active. You have remained active in school stuff. I remained active in every local government in which I ran for an elected office, because the angels saw to it that I remained active. Maybe I should hold myself out as a political consultant for hire – insincere joke.
============================
Received this on Facebook re the month-long constipation following President Obama accepting the Nobel Peace prize:
Love Lane Jack …”Greetings from the Hill….a little chilly today….perhaps you have ‘exhaustipation’….too tired to give a shit…hohoho…good health…!”
I replied:
Sloan Bashinsky I take inside of me the spirit shit that is given to me to work. It happens ongoing, however this was an especially big pile. That might sound weird, but the phenomenon is familiar to shamen.
============================
On the Truman Waterfront …
In The Citizen yesterday – keysnews.com – was a hot article about the Navy telling the City of Key West that the Navy is putting The Outer Mole, the man-made concrete pier in the photo, up for competitive bids. Heretofore, the Navy has leased The Outer Mole to the City, which uses the pier to receive cruise ships. There is another article today in The Citizen – keynews.com. Here’s the Navy’s side of it, unfiltered through The Citizen and Key West city officials.
NEWS RELEASE FROM NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND, SOUTHEAST PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Nov. 1, 2012 No. 13-04
Contact: Sue Brink,
NAVFAC Southeast Public Affairs Officer
E-mail: susan.brink@navy.mil
Voice: (904) 542-6622 Fax: (904) 542-6634 Sources Sought Notice:
Lease of Mole Pier at Truman Annex, NAS Key West Jacksonville, Fla. – The Department of the Navy (Navy), through Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast (NAVFAC SE) Asset Management Business Line, requests an expression of interest from prospective entities (developers, contractors, teams, consortiums, joint ventures, etc.) capable of leasing, operating port operations on, managing (to include financial accounting), permitting, planning, repairing, protecting, and maintaining the Outer Mole Pier in a manner compatible with and supportive of Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West’s mission and operations. The Outer Mole Pier is approximately 800 feet with one berth and a minimum water depth of 37 feet. Parking and transportation access on Navy property is limited. The Outer Mole Pier is currently leased to the City of Key West and that lease is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2013.The Mole Pier is currently utilized for cruise ship berthing by the City of Key West. The Navy seeks to gather information from and gain a better understanding of the questions and concerns of potential participants. The Navy will use information received to this Request For Information (RFI) in determining whether to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the out-lease of the Outer Mole Pier, and if so, to develop the content for the RFP.If the Navy proceeds with an RFP, it will evaluate the responses and may select a “highest ranked offeror” with whom to negotiate the final terms of the lease transaction and execute the appropriate lease documents. It is anticipated that a lease would be competed and granted under authority of 10 USC § 2667, authorizing the Secretary of the Navy to out-lease non-excess real property for a term of no longer than 20 years in exchange for at least fair market value to be paid to the Navy in cash or in-kind services. To obtain more information regarding this notice, please visit the Federal Business Opportunities website at https://www.fbo.gov/ and enter in solicitation number: N6945012RMOLE.
The requested response date is Nov. 30. ?
============================
According to The Citizen, the city’s five-year lease with the Navy to use the pier to dock cruise ships was made in 2003 with five one-year extensions that run out in June 2013. The lease provided gross revenue of $2.4 million to Key West for the 2011-12 fiscal year. The Navy got 40 percent of the $2.4 million. Ed Swift’s Historic Tours of America (Conch Trains) got $530,000 to to shuttle passengers from the Outer Mole into town. The city got $559,449. The total Outer Mole revenue comes from $10.63 per passenger that the city charges cruise lines; $10 a head plus the small change for additional security.
Swift’s Conch Trains haul cruise ship passengers to Lower Duval/Front Street, and back to the ship.
I don’t know how long Swift has had that concession, but I remember seeing Conch Trains hauling cruise ships in from and back out to The Outer Mole in the fall of 2002, when several people and I spent every morning at the little Truman Beach. Back then, the Navy let civilians go out there, as long as there was no Navy ship in port, which there seldom was. The Outer Mole was a favorite fishing, picnicking, cooking out and sunset watching place for local civilians. But after the Navy deeded Truman Waterfront to the City, civilians were not allowed to go to The Outer Mole – unless they drove or rode Conch Trains or City vehicles.
In The Citizen articles, city officials expressed outrage that the Navy put The Outer Mole out for competitive bids. Also causing unhappiness, Ed Swift’s, was talk of the city putting out competitive bids for hauling cruise ship passengers to Front Street and back to their ship. For years Swift has had a monopoly on The Outer Mole – sounds like something that quacks like a duck, about which folks in Key West all are all too familiar – Swift’s Conch Trains and Trolleys monopoly ended up costing the City $6.5 million in an anti-trust lawsuit some years after the City Commission authorized the City Attorney to grind Swift’s competitor, that would be Duck Tours, into dust.
Well, surely the good city officials know all the talk about widening the channel to bring in super monster cruise ships, much larger than the monster in the photo leaving The Outer Mole, has perked the Navy’s interest toward the possibility that perhaps the City isn’t paying enough rent for The Outer Mole, which probably is the only pier where the super monsters will be able to dock. Today, the regular monsters also dock at the Westin pier and the adjacent Mallory Pier, from which their cheap passengers can walk to nearby Duval Street.
The City must feel $560,000 a year is not enough to compensate for what regular monster cruise ships do to the channel bottom. But if the City gets twice or three times that much $$$, it will make everything okay, while Duval Street is flooded with cheap tourists and city streets are jammed with slow, loud Conch Trains and Trolleys carrying cheap tourists.
Erika Biddle and friend, in Women Sustaining the Earth CalendarConverting half of Smathers Beach to a nude beach would by word of mouth on the Internet bring in several hundred thousand tourists a year, who stay in Key West lodging places, eat meals in Key West restaurants, party in Key West bars, patron Key West galleries, museums and watersport businesses, and do not tear up the channel bottom.
Sloan Bashinsky
goodmorningfloridakeys.com
goodmorningkeywest.com
goodmorningbirmingham.com