November 16th Benefit Screening in San Francisco, CA

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Stills from 9 Hopes for Haiti

Join  Zaka, Ilona Berger and Jean-Guerly Pétion on November 16th for Fragmentation and Flux in Recent Haitian Film– a fundraiser for Jakmel Ekspresyon at Artist Television Access in San Francisco.

Participating Artists: Maksaens Denis, Guy Regis Jr, Zaka, Romel Jean-Pierre, Alex Art Louis, Jean-Guerly Pétion, Louis Ebby Angel

Audio visual performance following screenings by Jean-Guerly Pétion

Fragmentation and Flux is a program of work by Haitian filmmakers responding to radical shifts  in their physical, political, and social landscapes. These shifts can be characterized as both collisions and collusions, from the disaster capitalism merely accelerated by the earthquake, to the syncretism that has always made up Haitian culture.

Proceeds from the screening will benefit  Jakmel Ekspresyons, a grassroots, volunteer run arts organization that works on a model of solidarity to provide opportunities for training and exhibition in the arts. Jakmel Ekspresyons is welcoming to all and is a vital safe space for  local LGBTQ and disabled artists. They are raising funds to pay their rent, make their building disabled accessible, and build their digital arts lab.

An American volunteer doctor  working in  the sea side town Jacmel, experiences catharsis In “Zaka” Chery Claudel’s genre and gender crossing  9 hopes for Haiti . Romel Jean-Pierre’s Al fé Tet Ou is an experimental requiem created in Port au Prince after the earthquake.Maksaen Denis’s Deville/ Devil  follows a young group of activists in Port au Prince armed with paint, rollers, and tape who take back their city from the relentless branding by the Digicel telecommunications corporation. In Maksaen Denis’s  and  Guy Regis Jr’s M Le President we see a presidential candidate slowly change  from what he appears to be to who he really is. With a hair brush for a mic and a cut out painted bottle  for a camera,  the investigative Teleghetto journalists  roam the streets, tent camps and  and voting booths of Port au Prince.  Zaka’s  La Vie Dwol takes us into  a day in the life of  Sedjo, a load carrier facing challenges from every conceivable  direction. In Ebby Angel Louis’s sly narrative short, Miss Body Plastic, Dezilia who has grand ambitions to win a beauty contest and use the winnings to enact an environmental clean up program much to the consternation of the rest of the town who think she is delusional.   Somewhere in the diaspora, young Anton tries to divine our ecological trajectory with his Russian Tarot Cards In Jean Guerly Pétion’s, A Reading.

• 9 Hopes for Haiti, Zaka, 9.22 min
• Tele Ghetto Kokorat (Street Children) 3.43 min
• Al Fé tét Ou, Romel Jean-Pierre, 10.21 min
• Teleghetto 1 year After 9 min
• M Le President, Maksaens Denis and Guy Regis Jr, 6.00 minutes
• Miss Body Plastik Angel Ebby Louis 19.35 minutes
• Deville/Devil, Maksaens Denis, 6.00 minutes
• Lavie Dwol (A Strange Life), Zaka,  18.28
• A Reading, Jean Guerly Pétion 9.40

Max Tzinman Show at Atlantic Gallery Opening Reception Nov 1st- POSTPONED to Nov 8

UPDATE:

This show is postponed until November 8th because of damage from Hurricane Sandy. Thankfully the Atlantic Gallery is only with out power and the art inside is not damaged. Other galleries in the neighborhood were not so lucky.

Join  Max Tzinman  for the opening of his show “Adrift”  on Thursday at Atlantic Gallery  in New York City. Max has donated the title piece of his show “Adrift” to a silent auction, with the benefits going to Jakmel Ekspresyon.

Join him and many others on November 1st from 4-8pm at 548 W 28th Street, Suite 540, New York, NY (weather permitting). Please check the website for   Atlantic Gallery for updated information.

If you can’t be there in person, check out the show here in a 360 degree panorama. Check out the full press release for more info: Adrift Press Release

Max Tzinman Show at Atlantic Gallery 10/30-11/24 NYC

We are happy to announce that Max Tzinman  will be showing his paintings at Atlantic Gallery  in New York City. Max has donated the title piece of his show “Adrift” to a silent auction, with the benefits going to Jakmel Ekspresyon.

Join him and many others on November 1st from 4-8pm at 548 W 28th Street, Suite 540, New York, NY.

Max explains his work in this way:

 I am not a photographer or a conventional painter but an image storyteller. I am not trying to freeze the moment with a beautiful image, but to transform it to reveal the complex and deep emotions that lie buried beneath the surface.

Come and bid on “Adrift (Sunday Afternoon)” and send some money our way!

Check out the full press release for more info: Adrift Press Release

Hurricane Issac Aftermath

The path of Hurricane Issac lay directly across Hispaniola and the town of Jacmel was hit by major rains. You can look at the official accounts about all of Haiti in the Seattle Times and Reuters. According to those sources, only four people were killed as a result of the storm in Haiti, but major flooding is present across the island.

Jakmel Ekspresyon Administrator Aaron Funk is on the ground in Jacmel. His Facebook updates are collected below for a look at the impact on Jacmel directly:

 

SitRep+town is pretty mashed up. Down trees all over. very major flooding today,but it has gone down now,but the land is saturated,any more rain and it willflood again.Beach wrecked,all locals near flooded out bigtime(rue St.Anne,rue commerce,rue comedy).

cont= power is out in the entire country. Only road to Port au prince covered in a landslide, we are cut off from the rest of the country, no gas or comodities for the next several days. Very few fatalities. Many peoples tin roofs damaged or ripped off.

We have safe water for now. Many people asking for food,you can buy any today. People are in good spirits,go figure,they have already seen the worst the world has to offer. Saw some folks dancing and playing pots and pans in the flood waters.

here are a couple of shelters at schools but they provide no water or food. As usual the poorest spots got hit the hardest. We will get thru it,no problem. BIG CONCERN= Cholera will most certainly be on the rise in a big way.

Got word that Port au Prince also got hit very very hard,down trees flooding. Issace pretty much just drop kicked the entire country in the family jewels. Spent the day checking on people and assesment. Everybody is Ok more or less. But we are still in the honeymoon period, Tomorrow it should set in on how long its gonna take to get things rolling again.”

 

We’ll keep you updated with more information. The Jakmel Ekspresyon building made it safely through the storm with almost no damage. If you have any information, please comment or visit our Facebook page.

Dance Action at Lia’s Funeral

Dancers perform at Lia Van De Donk’s funeral.

Lia Van De Donk

Some sad news from our friends at Kay Angel orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS in Jacmel, Haiti. Lia Van de Donk, house mother and great ally of Jakmel Ekspresyon has passed away suddenly. Her courage, perseverance and kind gentle heart will be missed by all. For more details click here to go to the Kay Angel site.

The Children of Kay Angel

Reblogged from Conversations with the Living: The Haitian AIDS Crisis:

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If you missed the previous post, Conversations With Kay Angel, please take a moment to read Conversations With the Living’s introductory piece on Kay Angel, which talks about the work Kay Angel is doing for children in need and infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in Haiti.

We are getting to know a little about the children at Kay Angel…

Read more… 1,910 more words

Great intro to our friends at Kay Angel.

Kay Angel Suffers a Tragic Loss

Reblogged from Conversations with the Living: The Haitian AIDS Crisis:

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Our hearts go out to the children of Kay Angel Orphanage, and the family and friends of Lia van de Donk who passed away last Wednesday evening June 27th from unknown causes. Her funeral will be tomorrow, Wednesday, July 4th.

We are deeply saddened by the news. Lia was an incredible woman whose work to provide a home and education for children in need and those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in Jacmel, Haiti is that of an angel on earth.

Read more… 183 more words

A well written farewell to our friend Lia Van De Donk. We will miss you.

A Year in Review: How You Helped Jakmel Ekspresyon

 

The supporters and Administration of Jakmel Ekspresyon have raised $5,800 towards rent. We have $700 to go in order to meet our goal of $6,500 by June 1st. Help us today so that we can continue to provide resources where they are needed.

The past six months have been monumental for Jakmel Ekspresyon. Let’s look back at all of the amazing events that have taken place at or for Jakmel Ekspresyon since December of 2011.

December 2011

• Jakmel Ekspresyon Rented a New Building
• Jakmel Ekspresyon Started an IndieGoGo Campaign and raised $3000 from 44 funders
• Kwochè Ayiti Workshops at Jakmel Ekspresyon
• Caroline Paquita Sold Art to Benefit JE

January 2012

• JE Hosted Knitting Workshops
• JE Finished A Successful IndieGoGo Fundraiser
• Had Classes at JE 6 Days a Week
• Spare Change Theater (Resident Theater Program at JE) Website is Live

February 2012

• Hosted Kaleidoscope at Phyllis’ Musical Inn With Amazing Performances 
• Held Even More Classes Six Days a Week at Jakmel Ekspresyon

March 2012

• Saw the Amazing Film Makers For a Cause Video of JE
• Hosted Classes at JE 7 Days a Week!
• Spare Change Graduated A Class of Actors and Actresses

April 2012 

• Held Ra Ra Yo! A Fundraiser at Martyr’s 
• Got Invited to Verge Art Fair in NYC

May 2012

• Held Our First Concert at JE 
• Exhibited at Verge Art Fair NYC

On June 2nd, Jakmel Ekspresyon along with our neighbors – the dance troupe Explosion, will shut down our block for an epic dance party. We’re happy to be a part of our community and are glad to open our doors to the world!

Tomorrow and Saturday — Konbit Mizik Concert at Jakmel Ekspresyon May 4th and 5th

We are very excited to host Konbit Mizik at Jakmel Ekspresyon on May 4th and 5th for a concert by Amos Dolce, Rebel Layonn, Daddy X and Triniti. Konbit Mizik is a non-profit organization dedicated to recording and sharing music in Port Au Prince.  The Haitian music scene is richer because of their efforts. If you can’t come to our concert in Jacmel, take a listen to the artist that will be performing next Friday and Saturday.