From my backlist--some things I did, on race and identity, from 2007.

March 13 through Saturday, April 7, 2007 Exhibit titled "Mostly Burmese Mugs" featuring “mostly anonymous, ethnically ambiguous” portraits and ceramics by artist and poet Kyi May Kaung. Provocative captions written by historian Bijan Bayne accompany the artwork explore those questions about race that decorum forbids we ask strangers on the street. March 16, 6:30 to 8:30pm Reception for Kyi May Kaung March 30, 6:30 to 8:30pm Trunk show of wearable art jackets handmade with Asian fabrics by Kyi May Kaung and modeled by café neighbors and regulars. April 6, 6:30 to 8:30pm Dr. Kaung’s Salon: Who is it? Art as a Mirror of Pre-Judgment With writer and historian Bijan C. Bayne In our "rush" to judgment, and desire to have a "place" for everything, and for everything a place, we race to identify people. Definitions based on complexion, context, and conception fall apart before the reality that the myriad genes swimming in our respective pools express themselves in more ways than we ever could. Please join us for this discussion, in which our guesses answer as much about our perspectives as they do about the portraits in question. April 10 through May 5, 2007 Exhibit of collages and mixed media paintings by award-winning artist and beloved local teacher Patricia Zannie April 27, 6:30 to 8:30pm Modern Dance and Live Music: 'placeDISplace' choreographed and danced by Gretchen Dunn, with music by contemporary Hungarian composer Balázs Temesvári. Kit Mason, cello. Gretchen Dunn has been dancing intermittently all her life and wishes to thank Nancy Havlik, Naoko Maeshiba, Ed Tyler, Helen Rea, the Fieldwork, Rudolf Laban, Tzveta Kassabova and Zoltán Nagy. May 8 through June 4, 2007 Exhibit of photographs of families and children by Emily Desiroth. “I don’t find photographing the situation nearly as interesting as photographing the edges.” May 18, 6:30 to 8:30pm Dr. Kaung’s Salon: Novelist and playwright Leon Levenson to give a talk on the early music of Tin Pan Alley May 25, 6:30 to 8:30pm Reception for Emily Deisroth Posted by Space 7:10 Community Art Spaces at 1:05 PM Links to this post Thursday, January 18, 2007 Tom Block Exhibit at Heliport " Convergences: Towards a Jewish/Muslim Renewal," Featuring the art and thought of Tunisian Muslim artist Karim Chaibi and American artist (and founder of Space 7:10) Tom Block. Heliport Gallery 8001 Kennett St, Suite 3 Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-562-1400 Gallery hours: Tues.-Fri., 4-7 PM Other events in conjunction with the exhibit: "An Evening with the Diplomats" February 15, Thursday, 6:30-8:30 pm State department officers who have served in and thought about the Middle East over the past 50 years will hold a panel discussion. "An Evening with the Artists" March 8, Thursday, 6:30-8:30 pm "An Evening of Cultural Convergence" March 22, Thursday, 6:30-8:30 pm Jewish and Muslim storytelling, dancing and music. Note: these are Thursday night events at Heliport Gallery, not at Space 7:10 Posted by Space 7:10 Community Art Spaces at 12:46 PM Links to this post Poets Against War at Busboys and Poets Date: January 27th Time: 7-9 pm Place: Busboys and Poets DC Poets Against the War will host a reading in the Langston Room at Busboys and Poets with poets Reginald Dwayne Betts, Sarah Browning (who spoke recently at Space 7:10), Esther Iverem, Christi Kramer, Mike Maggio, and more. Join poets from across the country who are speaking out on this day of protest (melissa.dcpaw@gmail.com). Posted by Space 7:10 Community Art Spaces at 12:03 PM Links to this post Thursday, January 11, 2007 Kefa Cafe Cover Story in Voice The current issue of Silver Spring Voice features beautiful photos of Lene and Abeba and the cafe in articles on "third spaces" in communities that help create cool places to live and work. Other local cool town places mentioned include the new Tiramisu Cafe, Mayorga, Tastee Diner, Quarry House Tavern. Space 7:10 is mentioned, too, as a way the owners "give back." Posted by Space 7:10 Community Art Spaces at 4:16 PM Links to this post Hurricane Howie Events and Reflection Tonight: Thurs. 1/11, 9:00 pm: Solo Keyboards @ KRAMERBOOKS CAFÉ And then: Thurs. 1/18, 9:00 pm: Solo Keyboards @ KRAMERBOOKS CAFÉ From "Mardi Gras Year Round" Howie Feinstein's year end-beginning letter: Each year at this time, I like to take stock of how things are going in this rather crazy music business, and pay my respects to all of you, whom I am so dependent on in my quest to make a go of it... The local music community, and many friends and fans, came through very generously with donations of time and funds to aid those victimized by two devastating Louisiana hurricanes and neglected by government. My trip to Louisiana shortly afterward confirmed how desperately your help was needed... Locally, it continues to be a tough time for live music...I am personally quite fortunate in this regard, because I play solo instruments, and have scrambled to add alternative outlets in place of the old club circuit...On the business side, much appreciation to friends like Dave Eisner (House of Musical Traditions), Amy Kincaid (Kefa Café),everyone at Kramerbooks and Afterwords, the various Sala Thai locations, and others who have supported live music and treated musicians fairly (believe me, the latter is not always the case!)...