from NeverAloneArt.org
The second annual Never Alone online art auction launches today, June 11, the International Day of Solidarity with Marie Mason, Eric McDavid and all Eco-prisoners. Marie and Eric are two environmental and social justice activists who are both serving near 20 year sentences for their involvement in environmental struggle in the United States. All artworks will be exhibited and available for online purchase until June 30. Funds raised will be used to support Marie, Eric and other eco-prisoners’ needs.
There are 24 artists involved this year, including a number of prisoners who have contributed artworks from behind prison walls. All of the artworks focus on themes of wilderness, liberation, state captivity and our relationship with the natural world and other animals.
Marie Mason, a prolific visual artist and musician, has contributed two paintings from a restrictive unit inside Carswell Federal Prison in Texas. Her paintings depict aspects of the natural world that are shared with her by friends from the outside who are continuing the struggle to defend ecological systems. Another prisoner who has contributed artwork is Jose Heladio Villarreal, a hunger striker and long term resident of Pelican Bay prison’s notorious isolation unit.
A great number of artists on the other side of prison walls, including members of the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative and Beehive Design Collective, have contributed a range of stunning prints, paintings and drawings.
The Never Alone exhibition is a beautiful visual representation of people’s dedication for defending the natural world, and the rights of people to stand in defense of it without facing excessive punishment from the State. It’s also a passionate expression of solidarity with those who have fallen prey to the waves of repression we see political activists facing all over the world.
From June 11 – 30 the Never Alone exhibition will be able to be viewed online around the world at neveraloneart.org.
Contributing Artists
Adam Void, Ali Cat Leeds, Alma Sheppard-Matsuo, Amy Wilson, Christina Mrozik, Eric McDavid*, Elektra KB, Eva Hall, Gedden, Jeff Luers, Jose Heladio Villarreal*, Larry Pendleton*, Marie Mason *, Matt Taylor, Mazatl, Nicole Rodrigues, Pat Perry, Sean Swain*, Shannon Willmott, Tiger Killhour, Todd (Hyung-Rae) Tarselli (TR)*, Vulpes Vulpes, witchmoss, Zack Meade. (*denotes current prisoner)
You can find out more about Marie & Eric’s cases at:
supportmariemason.org
supporteric.org
Find out more about the June 11 International Day of Solidarity with Marie Mason, Eric McDavid and all Ecoprisoners
at: earthfirstjournal.org/june11
Contact: [email protected]
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From: neveralone
Curated by the Earth First! Prisoner Support Project
This year on June 11 – the International Day of Solidarity with Marie Mason, Eric McDavid & all Eco-prisoners – we will be running the 2nd annual Never Alone online exhibition. It will serve as an avenue not only for fundraising for these political prisoners, but as a way to reach out informatively to a broad audience on issues of earth & animal liberation and state captivity. We would love to invite you to contribute an artwork to this exhibition.
June 11 started back in 2004 as the International Day of Solidarity with Jeff ‘Free’ Luers, an eco-prisoner sentenced to 22+ years in prison in Oregon (U.S.) for an act of arson against 3 light trucks in an effort to highlight the threat of climate change. This threat is now widely recognised, as was the incredibly unjust sentence that Jeff received. An international campaign of support had a massive impact on the fact that Jeff’s sentence was ultimately reduced to 10 years. By the time he was released in 2009 many other activists in the U.S. had been locked up in prison for standing up for a better world. Two of these prisoners – Eric McDavid and Marie Mason – had been sentenced to 20 and 22 years respectively. Both were sentenced severely for their willingness to fight for a world without oppression – be that of the earth, other animals, or our human communities.
Last year the Never Alone exhibition raised important funds for Marie and Eric’s support campaigns. We want to build on all the amazing support shown by artists and art buyers, and make this year’s exhibition an even bigger and more successful fundraiser. You can still see last year’s online exhibition [here].
Marie and Eric are contributing artworks for the exhibition, as well as a number of other amazing artists already on board. We are inviting a range of incredibly talented artists to contribute, whose art regularly touches on themes of liberation, wilderness and political action. We are very interested in contributions of original work, prints and small sculptures, and any other ideas that artists may have. Please feel free to get in touch and discuss with us any ideas you might have.
The exhibition will be online at www.neveraloneart.org, from June 11-30. It will be promoted heavily through our support networks, social media, and through other June 11 events being organised around the world. Artists involved would need to be able to provide suitable images of their artwork/s, as well as details of the dimensions, medium/s and price (incl. cost of postage within the U.S).
We are hoping that any artists involved will be willing to contribute between 100-70% of the sale of any artworks at the exhibition, with funds raised going directly to the support funds of Marie Mason and Eric McDavid. We would also require artists to be responsible for posting any sold artworks to the purchaser, with those costs being reimbursed to you by our collective.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Expressions of interest close on May 1st, 2014. We really hope to hear from you if you are interested in contributing, and look forward to working with you!
In solidarity,
The Earth First! Prisoner Support Project team
[email protected]
www.supporteric.org
www.supportmariemason.org
Sacramento Prisoner Support have curated an online exhibition of artworks for June 11 – the International Day of Solidarity with Eric McDavid, Marie Mason & Long Term Anarchist Prisoners. The ‘Never Alone’ exhibition will run on this website between June 11-30, 2013.
‘Never Alone’ serves as an avenue not only for fundraising for Marie & Eric, but as a way to reach out creatively and informatively to a broad audience on issues of earth & animal liberation, and state captivity. All funds raised will be split between Marie and Eric’s support funds.
FEATURE ARTWORK
Every few days we will be showcasing a different artist’s work here. Please visit the [Exhibition] page to see all the artworks.
Thanks to the amazing artists who have contributed to this exhibition (click on their name to visit their website) Marie Mason, Eric McDavid, Cristy Road, Josh MacPhee, Eileen McDavid, Jeff Luers, Eva Hall, Corina Dross, Pete Maarseveen, Sofia Yu, Ali Cat Leeds, Matt Guack, Pat Perry, J. Ost, Dee Allen and Yank.
Please support this exhibition by printing out some flyers [for pdf file click here] and sharing them around, particularly if you are hosting a June 11 event!
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