Call for Submissions (Video) – Neuro Film Festival

Call for Entries: Public Asked to Submit Videos to 2010 Neuro Film Festival

Win up to $1,500 and Attend 2010 Neuro Film Festival in Toronto

People who have compelling
stories to share regarding how they or a loved one has been affected by a
brain disorder are invited to submit a short video to the 2010 Neuro Film
Festival, an event by the American Academy of Neurology Foundation to help
raise awareness about brain disorders and the need to support research into
preventions, treatments, and cures. read more…

Get to the Polls

NY, NJ, VA Elections Day

The polls have been open since 6am for the three closely watched contests — the governorships in New Jersey and Virginia and a vacant Congressional seat in upstate New York — that could offer an early referendum on President Obama’s policies. Off-year races are often have low turnout and this year appears to be no different but there are still crucial decisions to be made at the ballot today.

The Republican party is seeking a come back and they are hoping voter apathy does the work for them but there is still time. New York City, William C. Thompson Jr. is hoping to be your next black mayor. Before you head home tonight head to the polls and make your voice heard.

Be an informed voter: http://www.smartvoter.org/

Locate your polling site: http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm

 

 

A note from the butterfly…

Dear Reader,

I hate spam and I am making every effort not to send any. Due to complaints about double emails and conflicting information regarding Black Butterfly merchandise and offerings I have decided to temporarily pull the plug on  the Facebook and Twitter accounts. We will debut a new grown and sexy, user friendly layout, with more in-depth articles focused on the arts, culture and spirituality in 2010. Until then read this blog,visit www.BBFlyOnline.com and subscribe to our Events RSS for the latest info. I will be updating here more frequently to compensate for the hiatus from the social networking scene.

Call(s) for Submissions – FEB 4

1. Call for art entries - Winston-Salem Journal – Winston-Salem,NC,USA
   1. Creative Arts Festival Competition for Veterans: The Salisbury Veterans Administration Medical Center will accept submissions until 3 p.m. Feb. 6
   2. Dimensions 2009: Associated Artists of Winston-Salem is accepting through Feb. 10 submissions of two- and three-dimensional fine art for its national juried competition and exhibition.

2. Independent Filmmaker Labs for Narrative & Documentary Features (IFP) announces its call for submissions. IFP designed its Independent Filmmaker Labs to assist filmmakers in tackling the creative and technical challenges of completing their projects before they are submitted to festivals. The labs support low-budget, independently produced films by first-time feature directors in the rough assembly stage that can benefit from the mentorship of experienced film professionals. The five-day program challenges filmmakers to realize the full potential of their footage and stories prior to industry exposure, providing a dynamic system of feedback and advice on technical, creative and post-production issues. Visit Independent Filmmaker Labs for more information. Deadline: February 13 for the Documentary Lab and April 17 for Narrative Lab

3. Dance Theater Workshop’s (DTW) Outer/Space Program supports facilities that provide viable and affordable rehearsal space to the greater dance community. Awards ranging from $2,000-$6,000 will be distributed in May 2009 in a continued effort to assist artists who manage public dance studios in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Visit Dance Theater Workshop for more information. Deadline: February 20

4. Theater Methods announces a call for presentations for their International Festival-Fair. Theater Methods is the annual professional festival-fair bringing up the question of the bridge between tradition and contemporaneity in performing arts. Participants: actors, directors, dancers, choreographers, teachers, playwrights, stage designers, script writers, theater critics, journalists, cultural managers. Visit Theater Methods for more information. Deadline: February 20

5. Union Square Award announces its call for nominees. This initiative provides support to innovative and creative arts programs that are engaging youth and families in low-income communities across the city, especially those providing services to populations with limited access to the arts due to geography, language, or economics. Consideration will be given to all artistic disciplines — dance, theater, music, visual arts, media arts and creative writing. Organizations with current operating budgets exceeding $1 million are not eligible to apply. Prospective grantees are identified through a nomination process. Nominations are annually accepted from September through the end of February. Grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 will be distributed once a year in June. Visit Union Square Award for more information. Deadline: February 28

6. TRANS-POSITIONS along the Queensborough Bridge: Contemporary art production bridging the boroughs announces a call for artists. Submissions in all media, including video and installation, are invited for this exhibition that explores the multifaceted notions of traversing, bridging, or spanning through the creative processing of such actions. Some exhibited works may be concerned with the place of the artist and where art can be made to happen. Others may conjure dialectical or reciprocal conditions of seeing and knowing. Whatever their form or format, individual inclination or impulse, the artists in TRANS-POSITIONS will vividly and productively engage the dynamic potential of shifting, even de-stabilized artistic representation. Visit Long Island City Artists for more information. Deadline: March 1

7. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is now soliciting submissions of short films for the 2009 Movies With A View outdoor movie series. Now in its 10th year, Movies With A View is one of New York City’s premiere film series and runs for eight Thursdays in July and August. To be considered, short films should run no longer than ten minutes and be suitable for a wide audience of 2,000-3,000. They cannot accept films with subtitles. Preference is given to local filmmakers and those that involve Brooklyn in some way. Final selections will be made in April 2008. Visit Brooklyn Bridge Park for more information. Deadline: March 1

8. Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy announces a call for entries for their 9th Annual Submerge Art and Environment Festival. The annual festival showcases video, photography and other art media produced by local and international artists that raises public awareness and/or celebrates our fragile aquatic environment. They are specifically interested in spectacular visual artworks and stories about the Hudson River, its tributaries, and the Long Island Sound. Selected entries will tour with UDEC to numerous spring/summer festivals throughout the region. Visit Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy for more information. Deadline: March 15

9. Art in General announces its open call for project proposals. Art in General commissions challenging new work to visual artists. With a yearly open call and a simple online application process, Art in General invites artists in the New York City area to propose projects in any medium or form—from painting to sculpture to performance to video to other, perhaps undefined, type of art or interdisciplinary work. This open call is for artists with studio or post-studio practice. It has no thematic or spatial parameters. Artists can choose to present a project proposal based on long-standing or emerging interests. Visit Art in General for more information. Deadline: March 31, 11:59 p.m.

10. Harpo Foundation announces its call for proposals. The foundation gives grants to nonprofit institutions that support artists who are under recognized by the field. Proposals to the foundation can take the form of installations, public interventions, residencies and exhibitions where the artist is commissioned to create new work. Projects and work that advance and cross the boundaries of media and artistic disciplines will be given first consideration. Grants will usually not exceed $10,000. Visit Harpo Foundation for more information. Deadline: April 1

11. Dumbo Arts Center (DAC) invites artists or curators (individuals or groups) of all levels of experience to submit exhibition proposals for realization in its gallery space in 2010. DAC is particularly interested in proposals that harness and interpret the space’s unique physical, spatial, historical, or psychological potential and which take an innovative, experimental approach to site-specific or site-responsive exhibition making. Proposals must be original and conceived for the DAC space. Visit Dumbo Arts Center for more information. Deadline: April 1

12. Eros 5: Lyndon Street Artworks is asking for submissions of erotic art in any media. Artists may submit an unlimited number of creations for $5 cash. Works selected will be on display from 7 to 10 p.m. Feb. 13. Entries will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 9-11 at Lyndon Street Artworks, 205 S. Lyndon St., Greensboro. For more information, send e-mail to Charlotte and Erik Strom at charlotteart@hotmail.com or Andrew Comstock at andrew@k2production.com.

13. Dayton Literary Peace Prize – Dayton Daily News – Dayton,OH,USA
By Laura Dempsey The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is gearing up for next year’s awards, issuing a call for submissions of fiction and nonfiction books that …

Carlos Andrés Gómez & Jamaal St. John Poetry Showcase

I’ve had the privilege of slamming against him, I’m a fan of his poetry and $10 cant get you much in this crazy city but I’ll bet you my index finger this is the best $10 you’ll spend on NYC poetry this weekend. Head out and support poetry NY!!

Friday, January 23rd

Carlos Andrés Gómez & Jamaal St. John Poetry Showcase

7pm doors, 7:30pm show @ Nuyorican Poets Café
236 E. 3rd Street (bet. Avenues B & C) Manhattan, NYC
www.nuyorican.org

Directions: F Train to 2nd Ave., 6 Train to Astor Place
Tickets: $10 at the door

President Obama’s Inaugural Address

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].“

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Call(s) for Submissions – JAN 4

1. Call for submissions from homegrown artists
Milton Canadian Champion – Milton,ON,Canada
… Brock University and six other downtown organizations, In the Soil: Niagara’s Homegrown Arts Festival call to artists closes on January 30. …

2. Call out for artistic entries in major art gallery fundraiser

The auction always includes a selection of original works of art and fine craft in a wide range of media and styles. Most of these pieces are generously donated by the community’s artists and artisans. The artwork is then selected using a formal juried process.

The deadline for submissions is Saturday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. …

3. Projekt30 is hosting its 4th annual “Sex Issue” exhibition featuring artworks which comment upon gender and sex in our society. They are accepting work ranging from the personal, to the political, to the near-pornographic. Every year or so, almost every culture magazine on the planet releases a “sex issue,” which portends to explore in various ways the roles of gender and sex in contemporary culture. Invariably they are just filled with various “insights” on the dating scene, lists like “10 Ways to Please your Partner Tonight” and advertising designed to increase your insecurities in order to sell beauty products of dubious value. The exhibition will be publicly juried. The final exhibition will consist of work from 30 artists. Visit Projekt30 for more information. Deadline: February 2

4. Sundance Institute invites applications for its creative producing initiative. This program is a year-long creative and strategic fellowship program for emerging American producers working on their next project. Five producers will be selected for a one-year fellowship and will participate in the five-day Sundance Creative Producing Lab, Independent Producers Conference, and Sundance Film Festival. Participants will receive a $5,000 living stipend and $5,000 pre-production grant, as well as year-round mentorship from two industry advisors and support from Sundance staff. Visit Sundance Institute for more information.
Deadline: February 13

5. Tra Gallery is now accepting applications for their 2nd Annual Represent Brooklyn Art Exhibition. Artists must be 18 years or older, must live in Brooklyn, or work in a studio in Brooklyn or be listed as a member of a Brooklyn art association. The artist or artwork must be influenced by or have some connection to Brooklyn. Visit Tra Gallery for more information.
Deadline: February 14

6. The Vermont Studio Center (VSC) announces its international residency program open to all artists and writers. VSC hosts 50 artists and writers per month, each of whom receives an individual studio, private room, and all meals. Residencies last from 2-12 weeks and provide uninterrupted time to work, a community of creative peers, and a beautiful village setting in northern Vermont. In addition, VSC’s program includes a roster of visiting artists and writers who offer slide talks/readings and individual studio visits/conferences. Visit The Vermont Studio Center for more information.
Deadline: February 16

7. Dance Theater Workshop’s (DTW) Outer/Space Program supports facilities that provide viable and affordable rehearsal space to the greater dance community. Awards ranging from $2,000-$6,000 will be distributed in May 2009 in a continued effort to assist artists who manage public dance studios in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Visit Dance Theater Workshop for more information.
Deadline: February 20

All Major New Stations & NYTimes Project Obama Wins Presidency

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 — 11:08 PM ET
—–

Senator Obama Will Win Presidency

The New York Times projects that Barack Hussein Obama will be
elected the 44th president of the United States, sweeping
away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na