Live Peace with CONTRA-TIEMPO

CONTRA-TIEMPO, an activist Urban Latin Dance Theatre, is deeply rooted in its surrounding L.A. community providing quality performances, free community dance classes, a summer arts academy program, and summer dance intensive for teens and adults. CONTRA-TIEMPO is dedicated to transforming the world through dance as implied by its name, which means against time or against the times in Spanish. It’s many programs are committed to underserved populations and communities of color by working with local youth and schools to inspire communication through dance. In addition to its community involvement, the non-profit invokes powerful narratives that portray social and political issues through its various pieces. It has a wide ranging repertory that explores Salsa, Afro-Cuban, Contemporary urban and abstract dance theater.

To see the company in action, check out their upcoming summer performances, Big! World! Fun! Family! Series and Son of the Drum presented by Collective Events, on July 14 and July 27 at the Ford Amphitheatre. Children are admitted free and adults are $5 for the July 14th show. July 27th tickets are $12 for children and students and $20 for adults.

For more information or to contribute to the group’s efforts, visit CONTRA-TIEMPO’s website.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Guns Repurposed for Laguna Art Museum Exhibit

The Laguna Art Museum’s February/April exhibit, Victor Hugo Zayas: Mi Obra, featured sculptures built from two tons of destroyed guns. The artist partnered with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Gun Buyback Program, which strives to reduce gun violence by exchanging weapons for pre-paid Mastercard or Ralphs gift cards up to $200 depending on the weapon. Weapons are exchanged at six neutral locations. The program began in 2009 and continues to be a success collecting about 2,000 firearms this year. Zayas’s abstract and striking sculptures represent a transformation from violence to peace.

Photo taken by K.A. Gilligan.

Victor Hugo Zayas has worked to better the L.A. community in the past as founder of the Maestro’s Fine Arts program for underserved youth in 2006. The program works in partnership with Art Center College of Design to give life drawing and figure drawing lessons on scholarship. Zayas vision is that “If you can teach somebody to take an ashtray and see something beautiful, then that person’s life will change.”

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

No coins, just change

Photo courtesy Stencil Revolution.  Stencil by Meek.

Playing for Change is a self-described “multimedia movement” that connects people from all over the world in musical projects, inspiring everyone exposed to feel uplifted and united.

“The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race.” – Read more.

Playing for Change records songs and videos via a mobile recording studio, and supports the musicians who participate as well as their communities.   These musicians also tour and play benefit concerts to share their music and their call to be charitable, aware, and collaborative.

You can see them in Southern California this month!

Oct 27 in Los Angeles at the Wilshire Ebell

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out.