Tonight's the night for the benefit art show.
The show will run from 8-10pm at The Luggage Store Gallery, 1007 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Many international and Bay Area cutting edge artist will have works for sale with proceeds to benefit the Lil' Bobby Hutton Memorial in DeFremery Park in West Oakland.
Artist included will be:
Joe Brook
Jon Brumit
Monica Canilao
Cuba
Date Farmers
Emory Douglas
John Dwyer
Eve Ekman
Jana Flynn
Ilka Hermann
Matt Gonzalez
Barry McGee
Jessie Michaels
Julio Cesar Morales
Shay Nowick
Sean O'Dell
Nicole Okumu
Trevor Paglen
Kottie Paloma
Kamau Amu Patton
Hilary Pecis
Ricardo Richey
Rigo 23
Sham Saenz
Andrew Schoultz
Lucien Shapiro
Swoon
Ana Teresa Fernandez
Tracy Timmins
Billy X
Black Panther Blvd was started with a very simple notion, to get a major street in Oakland, CA renamed, Black Panther Blvd, to honor the Black Panther Party. The Panthers are the worlds most internationally recognized, grassroots, Black Organization founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. They were key in the black liberation struggle, and to this day, have been unmatched in their reach and scope of community service and political education projects.
It only seems natural, that now, over 40 years since their inception, they deserve to be recognized in their own hometown.
The Bobby Hutton Memorial is championed by his niece, Joyce Hutton. For years she has worked to keep this issue alive and try to put together the Memorial for her Uncle, Bobby Hutton. It only seemed natural. that blackapantherblvd and The Bobby Hutton Memorial should pull together to help one another.
Bobby, as a youth, had a key role in the party. He represented the openess of the party to anyone that wanted to contribute. and for a change, the value of a young black youth. and the positive possibility that should be nurtured, he represented making the right choice, a move for independence, and a desire for political consciousness, as well as the power of the Panther's to mentor, inspire and move black youth and black communities across the U.S. to protect themselves from abuse, empower themselves to solve their own problems, and to determine their own destiny. In essence, the ten point plan was an affirmation of a new type of peoples Bill of Rights for oppressed groups and black people the world over.
The 10-point plan is as relevant now as it was then. Housing, Justice, Food, Clothing, Shelter, Political Power, Access, Opportunity, Education, Self-Control, The Abolishment of the Prison system, and end to Brutality...
Once we have a Bobby Hutton Memorial, people will be inspired and empowered to change their lives and follow his example.. and also, they will begin to ask, "Where is the Bobby Seale memorial?" "Where is the Huey Newton memorial?" and "Can you point me the way to Black Panther Blvd.?"
This effort tonight, is a black panther event. It has the blessings of Emory Douglas, Alan Laird, Bobby Seale, Joyce Hutton and David Hilliard. The artist represented and whose works hang on the wall, represent the people and the community, coming forward to do what they can to make this thing happen. The people that have come here tonight, represent the people, coming forward to see their creations and to open their wallets and checkbooks, to put some grease behind the cause. If there is a Bobby Hutton memorial, it will be because that's not only what people want, but because the people made it happen. and when it's up, every at the event will be able to say that they helped make it happen.
So whatever reason people are going to come/came to the show, they are/were definitely there for the right reason.
black panther blvd would like to thank all the artist, the luggage store gallery, juxtapose magazine, emory douglas, Rigo 23 and most importantly Bobby Hutton and Joyce Hutton, who are the reason we are all here.
The way this will come together, is as the word spreads.
