Report Back from Gaza

On Friday evening WESPAC held a panel discussion reporting the outcomes of the recent historic Gaza Freedom March. The march that took place on December 31, 2009 brought 1300 people from 43 different countries together to join the Palestinians of Gaza for a non-violent march to Israel to put forth a global call to end the siege!

Felice Gelmen opened the evening with footage taken by Fida Qishta, Palestinian organizer in Gaza followed by Mike Levinson who was part of the WESPAC delegation to break the siege of Gaza. Next we heard from the two panel speakers of the evening, Dhoruba Bin Wahad and Ali Abunimah.
Dhoruba Bin Wahad is a Veteran Black Panther and 19-year political prisoner in this country. He won his freedom in 1990 after a New York State judge found that the FBI had suppressed evidence that could have helped clear him of his 1971 charge. He recently tried to enter the West Bank to attend a Palestinian conference on political prisoners and was denied entry by Israeli authorities. There are over 11,000 Palestinian political prisoners being held by Israel with hundreds of them under the age of 16.

Ali Abunimah, founder of the Electronic Intifadah, is one of the more than 1,300 international solidarity activists who participated in the historic Gaza Freedom March. He is a writer and commentator on Middle East and Arab-American affairs. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, the Financial Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Jordan Times, Lebanon's Daily Star and Ha'aretz, among others. He is frequent guest on local, national and international radio and television, including public radio and television, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, the BBC and many others.

Chris Turner was also there selling Palestine Fair Trade items. For more information on these crafts including olive oil soap and decorative embroidery contact him at palfairtrade@gmail.com


For more information on how you can take part in the peace and justice process go to: The Gaza Freedom March. Many of the organization in the activist links section are devoted to the peace process, so please visit them all.

Here is a video clip of WESPAC executive director Nada Khader discussing the conflict between Israel and Palestine:

Video from this event will be available soon.

Folk Fest 4

This Sunday, January 24th from 5-10pm at the Wespac Space will be... Folk Fest 4!

Old Table
(featuring Alan Alda and his cock ring)

God Tiny
www.myspace.com/godtinyband

Young Napoleon
http://www.myspace.com/youngnapoleonmusic

Greg Baldwin
www.myspace.com/gregbaldwinandtheaesthetics


EL Gato and the genuses
www.myspace.com/elgatoandthegeniuses

Acoustic Microphone
http://www.myspace.com/acousticmicrophone

Mike Pennacchio

Gi Jason Yankoo and the burning sensations
www.areosmith.com

914: The Westchester Music Scene pt.1

A Pleasantville resident named Tymon made a doc about the Westchester music scene. This is part one of a multi part series on Westchester music

This one Features Noats and Aaron Maine among others

Food Glorious Food

Last weekend was the opening for Food, Glorious Food. It is the first curated art show at the Wespac Space, which is a space operated by the Wespac foundation. Wespac is a humanistic grassroots political organization. They support local projects like our art and music shows so please visit their site and get involved in thinking locally and acting globally!

The Wespac Space is an alternative space in Westchester, New York (located at 255 Dr. Martin Luther King BLVD in White Plains). Our mission is to give local and under represented artists (of all mediums and styles!) the chance to show in a gallery. Many suburban artists don't have the resources or connections to make it in the cut throat scene in NYC. Many of the artists in the show are recent graduates of art schools like SUNY Purchase or SVA, and others are self taught. There is also an established artist named Beverly Shipko,who shows with OK Harris. This is the first of many curatorial efforts at this location. We envision local curators being able to submit proposals and work as a collective with me in the near future. So please come on down to the space and see the exhibition which will run until the 14th of February (with a closing reception on the 13th). The opening was intimate because we hadn't gotten the press release out in time. But nonetheless it was an amazing time had by all! You can relive the amazing night through pictures (click on the image to make larger):

(from L to R) Visitors check out the installation. The desserts (Christine Camacho's Conehead, Owl Sundae, Cinnamon Bun, and Cupcake; Beverly Shipko's Oreo in Three Pieces; Jessica Emerson's Sugar Rush). Next we have a red velvet palette cake by Christine Camacho. Alex Miritello's Strawberries, Kristen Goehringer's Untitled and Untitled. Where is the beef you ask? It is in Alana Integlio's United States of America. Next are some photographs: Alex Miritello's Sheep, Tomatoes, Poultry Women, Fish Bones; Anonymous's Nugget Farm USA; and Adam Zucker's Fish Fry. Finally we get to the end of the wall and: Brian Galderisi's Food Series; Adam Zucker's Vegatable Supreme Pizza Pie; Deana Camacho's Divine Sausage; Yancey Guthrie Winch's GMO1; Carissa Baldino's Oranges. The next image is of the middle of the wall and: Adam Zucker's Burger Monsters sitting above Carissa Baldino's Oranges.

Then came the bands at around 8pm. First was the prog-rock indie group 1974 from CT.
Next was the high octane art-punk duo in Easter Vomit from all over NYC. And then came Westchester's punk/dance/funk gods,the Genuine Imitations.

At the end of the night we ate the art!