War in Bosnia Continues to Stir People through Film

Imagine having to leave everything you own behind, taking only one backpack of memories, to avoid constant shellings that are attacking your community.  Imagine traveling at night, through tunnels and arriving safely at your grandparents country home just to be attacked attacked and abducted by the same soliders you'd thought you'd escaped. Imagine being taken to a concentration camp where you were raped day after day until your attackers were sure you were pregnant.  All while you were still a teenager.

"Children of Warfare," a Hallmark series abandoned after 911, explored children's plights in various wars around the wold from the genocide in Rawanda to the rape warfare in Bosnia.  Writer and former Syracuse University Professor, Beverly Allen, wrote a screen play for the series after receiving testimonies from Muslim women who had endured rape warfare after the Christians had taken over Bosnia and other surrounding lands.  

Allen first wrote a book with the information she'd received, which helped influence the UN, and later converted the project into a screen play in hopes of bringing more attention to the issue of rape warfare.

The film, which featured native Bosnian actors, was so gripping that its emotional pull distracted viewers from the antiquated footage as the film was created prior to 2002.  It starts off with a young girl and boy running through a war zone, risking their lives, just to get a couple of gallons of clean water for their families.  One is Christian and one is Muslim so although they love each other they could never be together and the war continues to destory their dreams of the future.  After her family is murdered, the young girl has a bleak outlook on life and relies on the encouragement of the other prisoners.  Ultimately, the boy she once loved becomes her prison guard and she the innocent inmate but he still loves her.  He dies in an attempt to protect her from the other guards and she is left to fend for herself. 

Like many other young, pretty, fertile girls, she was able to survive but lives with the horror of her past and the death of her family everyday. This young girl's experience was a mixture of several muslim women's testimonies and tells the story they cannot.

Allen's film bridges the gap between activism and creativity transforming society through art.

Visual Arts Grant Drives CNY Artists to the Finish Line

Written November 14, 2008

Most people find it difficult to get things done without a to do list.  Award winning artists have the same problem. Light Work, a non-profit visual arts organization, serves the community by giving Central New York artists that extra push.  Light Work premiered  its 34th  Light Work Grants Photography exhibit featuring three artists who were awarded $2,000 grants.  The recipients were Kathy Morris, Paul Pearce and Nancy Keefe Rhodes.

"The Light Works Grant is such a wonderful tradition in upstate New York," visual artist Morris said.  "It's the only one of its kind. It's valuable on a lot of levels."

Morris, who also won the award previously in 1986, said the grant encouraged her to complete her most recent project  on pain, surgery and healing.

"I have a very active, creative life so I start something and get interested in something else," Morris said.

Morris works as a wedding photographer, photo journalist and yoga instructor but won the award for her fine arts photography.

"The grant is keeping me focused on this project," Morris said. "And of course when you stay focused you go deeper and then you can realize it more on different levels."

Since completing this exhibit, Morris is now closer to self-publishing a book on her series topic of Spiral Diary she said.  She had been contemplating the idea for three years before she received the grant she said.

"The idea could've gone on for ten years," Morris said.  "Now, I have an obligation to Light Work to finish it."

CFAC Offers Syracuse Caribbean Tour

Written November 5, 2008

The Community Folk Art Center hosted its 5th annual Caribbean Cinematic Film Festival that highlighted islands films and their directors.

CFAC "is committed to the promotion and development of artists of the African Diaspora," according to its Web site.

Quiana Williams, director of education at CFAC, organized the festival, was directed by Andrew Millington. Set in Barbados, the film followed a boy sent to spend the summer in the country with his grandparents.  His grandfather owned a construction company that many islanders despised because of the negative effects commercialization would have on the island.

Although the film ended prematurely due to technical glitches, Williams encouraged viewers to participate in a talk back with the director. The topic of gentrification took center stage.

"It seemed to be a very rich discussion," Williams said.  "One that a lot of people and communities need and engage in."  Especially when you are talking about communities of color that have been displaced , and in this film is the focus of that."

Other films featured during the festival were "Zora's Dream" by Millington, "Sistagood" directed by Yao Ramesar, "! Yo Soy Boriqua, Pa'Que Tu Lo Sepas!" (I'm Boriqua Just So You Know) and several Caribe animated short films.

"It, [the festival], runs the whole gamut of ethnic groups who are not featured in the mainstream media," Williams said, "so that's our focus when we do this." 

MLAB Increases Community Involvement

Written October 22, 2008

An intricately decorated recreational vehicle, the Mobile Literacy Arts Bus, sat in an empty lot next to the Community Folk Art Center on East street with its door wide open to the public.

CFAC invited the MLAB to join them during Syracuse Exposed, 40Below's Summit that is geared toward encouraging the community to visit stops along Syracuse's Connective Corridor.

The MLAB, a Partnership for Better Education project, was renovated by ten Syracuse University students during the fall of 2007 Social Sculpture class taught by Marion WIlson said MLAB coordinator Jessica Posner.

"The space was designed to be a mobile literacy, digital photography, alternative class room but a the same time, also community space and also as sort of a gallery," Posner said.

Although participating in Syracuse Exposed is one of the MLAB's first community engagements, it travels to George W. Fowler High School every week to help creative writing students develop their writing and photography skills Posner said.

The MLAB has been operating since spring of 2008 and plans to expand its program to include other Syracuse high school and increase its community engagements Posner said.

"We're working on building momentum and building connections," Posner said, "and hopefully making this a larger program with larger impact on the community."

Syracuse University Students Attend Free Symphony World Premier Concert

Written October 15, 2008

Syracuse University's Graduate School Associate Dean and renown vocalists Eileen Strempel's face contorted in pain as her angelic soprano voice wrapped itself around the disturbing nocturnal sounds that seeped out of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra's instruments.

The dark and eerily beautiful songs Strempel sang effortlessly were part of framed composer Libby Larsen's world premier of "The Unbearable Stillness: Songs from the Balcony."

Amy Mertz, scheduler in the Setnor School of Music, is in charge of organizing events and ensuring that visiting artists have everything they need.

SSO performs at Syracuse University, at least once a semester, said Mertz.

"It's important form on campus because a lot of the school of music students have teachers in the SSO," Mertz said. "Just as their teachers support them, it's important for them to see their teachers [perform]."

The world premier performance, which was free and open to everyone in the community, was sponsored by Pulse and the Syracuse Symposium this semester, according to Pulse's website.

Senior Maggie O'Hara, a family Psychology major, was one of hundreds of SU students that attended the performance.

"I enjoyed the show," O'Hara said. "I've never been one to attend orchestra symphony before and I ended up really enjoying it. It has really broadened my horizons."

Mertz said it's imperative that cultural experiences be available to all students.

"It's a very important event because SSO is a very large part of the culture center in Syracuse," Mertz said.  "For arts education, it's important that you have the opportunity to be exposed to all different kinds of event."

Partners for Better Education Picks Up Where the SCSD Budget Leaves Off

Written October 8, 2008

Syracuse City School District students are invited to 25 matinee performances at the Syracuse Stage this school year.  How much will the schools have to pay to allow their students to take advantage of these opportunities? Nothing.

A fairly new organizations housed at Syracuse University, Partnership for Better Education creates opportunities and offers Syracuse City School District funding to attend educational events.

 

The Partnership for Better Education coordinates projects between all schools in the SCSD amd the surrounding colleges and universities including SU, LeMoyne College, SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, Onondaga Community College and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

"The real goal is to enhance the college going culture and hopefully through that significantly impact the graduation rate of students to go on and pursue college," said David Morgan, director of Partnership for Better Education.

The organization offers over education related experiences for students, Programs and grants for activities are based on proposals that some of the faculty members bring to the PBE, Morgan said.  The proposals are designed and are usually geared toward SCSD schools and teachers they already have established relationships with.

Although all SCSD schools may not consistently utilize PBE grants, most of the schools in the district are benefiting in some way by programs under the organization's umbrella like the MLab (Moblie Literacy Arts Bus, a rehabbed art gallery R.V. that travels to schools).

In order to measure the success and effectiveness of their programs, the PBE ask SCSD teachers and administrators to complete surveys.  The organization also encourages them to work with the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment to better coordinate the programs and partnerships in the future.

Morgan said the PBE has organized a variety of partnerships that he believes will change students' lives.  "Our hope is that through the variety of programs we offer througoht the district," Morgan said, "that each student will be touched in a way that allows them to see college as a real possibility."