UNITY Mural

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

‘UNITY’ Mural to Unveil in October in Flagstaff, Arizona

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

― Maya Angelou

Flagstaff, Arizona. September 14, 2018-- 'UNITY’ represents 5 hands of different skin tones spelling the word unity in American Sign Language with a rainbow starburst background. This mural is a call for people of every race, creed, gender, ability or disability to come together. Artist Karen Fiorito and local artists R.E. Wall and Sky Black executed the piece in early September with the support of Together We Will Northern Arizona, Flagstaff Pride and the Beautification and Public Art Commission. The unveiling will take place at the Orpheum Theater in Historic Downtown Flagstaff on October 6, 2018 at 8pm to coincide with Flagstaff Pride’s annual Coming Out Drag Show.

The original concept for the design was done by Fiorito for a billboard in Phoenix, AZ and was also used in the Phoenix Pride Parade in 2017. The original had the Arizona Flag in the background, but Fiorito redesigned the image for the mural to be more inclusive by replacing the flag with a rainbow starburst. TWWNAZ and Northern Arizona Pride Association, who offered to also fundraise for the project, then proposed the revised design to the Orpheum Theater. The Beatification and Public Art Commission approved Fiorito for a grant, and she also has been fundraising to cover the costs incurred on the project on GoFundMe.

Fiorito worked with Together We Will twice before in Flagstaff. The first time was for Free Speech Week in October 2017 when Fiorito gave a speech about her public art projects. The second time was for the Northern Arizona Nasty Women Art Exhibition in March of this year. Both talks raised funds for the ACLU and Planned Parenthood respectively. This time Fiorito and TWWNAZ have partnered with Flagstaff Pride to bring this message of diversity and inclusivity to Historic Downtown Flagstaff. The 8-foot by 19.5-foot mural can be seen from North Beaver Street approximately 20 feet from the ground on the west wall of the Orpheum Theater’s parking lot at 15 West Aspen Avenue.  This mural not only enhances the current location, but the quality of life for special needs persons and minority communities within the city.

Beats of Burden

Beasts of Burden: An Art Exhibition Curated by Jane O’Hara

In BEASTS OF BURDEN, I join an amazing group of artists working in diverse media and creating artworks that include animals from their 14 perspectives. From spirit to science, entertainment to psychology, metaphorically or allegorically, these artists play with what they find intriguing about animals. As a group, we consider our complicated connections to these creatures and the many ways they are entwined in our lives and psyches.

BEASTS OF BURDEN Pop-up Exhibit:
Oct 20 – 22, 2017
Opening reception: Oct 20, 2017, 5 – 8pm
O’Hara Projects: 208 E 73rd St NYC (3rd Ave. TUF Gallery)


During weekend of Compassion Arts & Culture and Animals Festival in NYC.

For more information: https://www.janeohara.com/projects/beasts-of-burden-exhibit

In Defense of Life: A Benefit Exhibition for the NRDC & SCAR

I am honored to have work in this exhibition, "In Defense of Life", a pop-up fundraising exhibition to benefit the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and Sean Casey Animal Rescue (SCAR) featuring over 75 artworks priced at $200 and under!

Opening Reception: Wednesday, Oct. 4, 6-8pm

On View: Thursday & Friday, Oct. 5 & 6 from 10am-10pm, Saturday, Oct. 7th from 11am-6pm

Closing Reception *with free pizza kindly donated by Sizzle Pie*: Sunday, Oct. 8th from 12pm-4pm

Location:
Blackburn 20|20
323 West 39th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Wheel Chair Accessible

Blackburn 20|20 is a nonprofit exhibition space affiliated with EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.

The Los Angeles Printer's Fair

Billed as a “Celebration of Letterpress, Book Arts & Paper,” the Los Angeles Printers Fair at the International Printing Museum in Carson is the largest letterpress gathering of its kind in the West.

The Los Angeles Printers Fair at the International Printing Museum in Carson, CA, is an annual celebration of book arts, letterpress, printing, and paper. With the backdrop of the world’s largest collection of working antique presses, each year 1,500 visitors and 80 artists/vendors gather to experience the creative world of book arts and artistic printing. Throughout the Printing Museum’s galleries, visitors can print their own keepsakes on antique letterpresses, have their name cast in printers type, make paper by hand, or even screen print their own shirt. The special theme for this year’s Printers Fair is “Printing on the Silver Screen” featuring printing presses and artifacts that the Printing Museum has rented to Hollywood over the last 75 years. These presses have been featured in many movies and Westerns including The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Have Gun Will Travel (1957), even John Boy’s Press on The Waltons (1971). Guests will have a chance to print a special “Newsies Banner” keepsake on the actual press rented for the cult hit Newsies (1992).To view a full list of VENDORS visit: http://www.printmuseum.org/2017-vendor-list/

The 9th Annual Los Angeles Printers Fair is an event and celebration that will leave visitors both impressed and inspired about the creative worlds of paper and printing. 

The Printers Fair is from 10–5 pm, Saturday, October 14th. Admission is $10 per person and $5 for children under 12. The Printing Museum is located at 315 W. Torrance Blvd, Carson, CA. 

For information and tickets: http://www.printmuseum.org/fair or 310-515-7166. 

'Trumpocalypse' Media Mashup

I made this little mashup of some of the media coverage and responses to the 'Trumpocalypse' billboard. I found some new interesting footage which I put at the end.... wait for it! :D

New print: The Animal Resistance by Karen Fiorito

The Animal Resistance

9-color Serigraph on rag paper with hand coloring
14.5" x 26.5", 2017
Edition of 30.
$150 each + S&H

Artist Statement:

We are all connected to this earth and when one of us suffers, we all suffer. One species becoming extinct affects the whole biosphere of our planet. Our land, water and air are under attack from factory farming, fossil fuels and pollution. These damaging effects to the environment put many species at risk, not just humans. We must have biodiversity to sustain our ecosystems and keep them healthy. We must respect every single being, animal or human, for we are all a part of the same ecosphere.

Trumpocalypse and UNITY

Trumpocalypse, Photo by Patrick Allen Traylor

These images were created for a 2-sided billboard in Phoenix, AZ. The larger and more dramatic one, Trumpocalypse, expresses what a large majority of the population feel, as do many people around the globe. That feeling is fear, fear of losing our rights, our freedoms, our environment, our land, our water, our livelihoods, and ultimately our planet.

These fears are expressed by the mushroom clown imagery and also through the use of a very simple and powerful design that I borrowed from a fellow artist and activist, Hugh Gran. This symbol is that of a dollar sign cleverly resembling a swastika. The swasti-dollar symbol is meant to represent how greed and corruption rule our society through multi-million dollar corporations and paid politicians. Hugh made this graphic in response to George Bush, Jr.’s illegal election, and I always admired its creativity and genius.

I choose this symbol because we have a powerful businessman in power who wants total control of our government to suit his and his friends’ (and family’s) business interests. This man is trying to do away with our personal freedoms, including Freedom of the Press and Free Speech. This man does not care about who he hurts. In fact he has done nothing but fuel hate speech. Some of his followers have even taken to violence, and even so, he does not repudiate them. His cabinet is full of white supremacists and extremists. He is trying to ban Muslims and deport Mexicans. He is trying to destroy the environment and all the animals. He attacks the judiciary branch of our government, an integral part of our and any democracy. His ties to Russia are numerous and obvious (This is why he wears a Russian flag lapel pin.) He did not win the popular vote. These are facts, not alternative facts, which are falsehoods.

For all these reasons, I, like many others, feel we are living in dark times, similar to Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia. Thank God we do not, but many fear that this is the direction we are going. I love this country and fear for its future; that is why I created this work. This is a warning to our nation: do not let Fascism win. The second side is another board on which the word UNITY is in both English and American Sign Language. This is the “positive” side of the situation. This man has united many people and groups together in opposition to him. We are always stronger together and I believe if we unite we will defeat this evil. No matter what your color, race, creed or gender may be, there are more of us than there are of them. We can and will overcome!

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UNITY, Photo by Patrick Allen Traylor

Environmental Directions Radio Interview

This interview with Nancy Pearlman​ of the Environmental Directions Radios Series and Karen Fiorito (AKA Buddha Cat press) aired on January 13, 2017 on KBPK, 90.1 FM. In this interview, they talk about Veganism, Got Drought?​, the Art of Compassion Project​ and 

of course, art! 

Here is a video of the interview with graphics:

Environmental Directions Radio Series is the number one and longest running international environmental program of its kind. Inaugurated in 1977, these half-hour interview shows have aired weekly on public (NPR and APR), commercial, listener-sponsored, and college-sponsored stations, as well as on the Internet. Shows are taped on location throughout the world or at facilities in the Los Angeles area. 

www.ecoprojects.org

Golden Buddha Cat

Golden Buddha Cat

6 Color Serigraph with Gold Metallic Ink

18" x 24" on rag paper, 2016

Edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist

Golden Buddha Cat is a hand printed 6-color serigraph on rag paper honoring my orange tabby Buddy. The background is a Tibetan Medicine Prayer Flag. Recently my cat was attacked by a dog and barely survived. This is my prayer for him for long life and prosperity.

Here is a video of the process:

Got Drought at Eagle Rock Music Festival

Making t-shirts or walking billboards as we like to call them! Come get yours at the Center for the Arts Eagle Rock Music Festival this Saturday! Got Drought? will have a booth in the artists tents from 4 - 10pm, across from the Main Stage! We will be selling t-shirts, posters, pins, bumper stickers and recipe books. We will also be giving out brochures for free! The funds from these help support our Got Drought? project!

Printed with Eco-friendly inks on American Apparel tees. So affordable at only $15!

For more info on the festival go to http://eaglerockmusicfestival.org.