Mallory Johnson for Amy Parry Projects
The Great Speckled Bird could be depended on for honest reporting and it also served its readers who were able to use the publication to find other like-minded individuals. It gave many people a voice and a place to publish their artwork or poetry. The Bird’s internal structure was even reflective of the Leftist politics their paper was known for; instead of abiding by a traditional hierarchical structure, staff members would switch in and out of editor positions. Articles that went to print were also determined by popular vote, ensuring the paper maintained a fresh perspective and a very high quality of journalism. A collective with a shared interest that fed the community the news they were looking for, the grittier low down on things that actually mattered to 20 and 30-somethings with a propensity to smoke, attend rock concerts and fight for social justice. That it got its start on the Emory University campus and was originally intended to be a multi-campus underground newspaper makes The Bird’s growth all the more impressive.
Counterculture movements don’t often go unnoticed or unchecked by the powers that be and the same held true for The Bird. Reliant on a network of volunteers to distribute the paper in locations such as college campuses, high schools, and street corners - those selling copies of The Great Speckled Bird were met with harassment from authorities. The arrests ranged from charges as weighty as distribution of pornographic material to minor offenses like jaywalking. The Bird was also investigated by Dekalb Police for “obscenity” and their headquarters, the Birdhouse, was even firebombed at one point. It was discomfort that drove these attacks and a distaste for the way this underground movement held sway in the minds of young people; it was also the way they left no-one off limits from the Mayor to a corporation such as Georgia Power. Their Dekalb printer ultimately refused to continue printing their paper, causing the group to move the printing process into Montgomery, Alabama. No one closer was willing to be associated with printing a paper that was getting so much pushback from the police and local government officials.
No need to tell stories when the story finds you.
Happy Thanksgiving from APP!
The winding path to peace is always a worthy one
no matter how many turns it takes.
Amy Parry Projects finds gratitude in the creative ties that bind us; the fact that inspiration and wonder are never cancelled.
Wishing you a wonderful week of peace this Thanksgiving.
simple earth art installation by Andy Goldsworthy
Happy Pride from Amy Parry Projects
Remember, love is transcendent! #PrideMonth2019
Happy Memorial Day!
Memorial Day, Sharon Shapiro, 2019, watercolor and graphite on paper, 57” x 59”
Happy New Year...
Let 2019 be a time of peace, love and the implementation of the most secret dreams!
Women's Work
As we close out March and Women's History Month, we want to give a shout out to some women artists who are still killin' it at basketry, typing, dress-making, porcelain painting, quilting, weaving, floral arranging, stitchery, pottery, etc. even though they don't have to.
Because "women's work" is always FINE ART.
Enjoy!
Honoring MLK / Tim Rollins + KOS
"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider ... We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands ..."
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
April 16, 1963
"Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation."
I Have Seen the Promised Land
April 3, 1968
* Tim Rollins, artist and visionary who used texts to elevate the minds of young at-risk youth in a collaborative practice of art making and activism, died on December 27, 2017. His legacy, like Dr. King's, is essential to our American story.