NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

This month Filamore Palomo Alcon, artist, art teacher and owner of the Guam Gallery of Art at the Chamoru Village and an uncle of my through the Lujan extended clan network, passed away. He had been struggling with health issues for some time and his gallery was closed by some of his friends earlier this year after being open for almost three decades. For this reason, he had become less active in recent years as an artist and promoter of local arts, but it is painful is still painful to imagine that someone who was such a fixture in the Guam art scene and so influential in the movement develop Chamoru artistic consciousness has left us. When my grandfather, Tun Jack Lujan had a blacksmith shop at the Chamoru Village, the Fil’s gallery was a regular stop for me or for grandpa to check in with Fil on art, on Chamoru Village business, on cultural politics on island. Sometimes I would go visit him while grandpa would watch the shop and sometimes, I would go visit him while grandpa stayed...

  Last month, Tun Adriano Baza Pangelinan, a pioneering Chamoru artist and former professor at UOG passed away. I met Tun Adriano many times over the years, primarily when I was an art major at UOG. Tun Adriano was always an intimidating figure. My art professors such as the late Joe Babauta and Ric Castro, were both confident and outspoken, but became very circumspect and respectful when Tun Adriano was around. He wasn't the first Chamoru to paint or draw in a modern sense, but he was one of the first Chamoru artists to blend artistic styles from famous European movements like Fauvism and Impressionism with local culture and life. That blending and refusal to accept binary choices was pioneering. It wasn't too long ago that Chamorus felt that in order to achieve anything in life they need to give up their culture, their heritage, their island. This was part of how the United States entered into Guam, filling the island with demoralizing ideas in that wha...

Commentary from 44 different political leaders, community activists and artists about what Trump has or hasn't accomplished in his first 100 days. Some very insightful remarks. ********************** 44 Leaders, Legislators and Artists Sum Up Trump's First 100 Days by Paige Lavender Huffington Post April 29, 2017 In October 2016, before  Donald Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton , he  outlined a plan  of all the things he hoped to accomplish during his first 100 days in office. But in the wake of failure and unfulfilled promises  as his 100th day approaches, the president has changed his tune. Last week, he criticized “the ridiculous standard” of the first 100 days, slamming the deadline in one sentence. To mark the milestone, HuffPost asked lawmakers, activists, lobbyists and influencers to offer their own (roughly) one-sentence takes on Trump’s first 100 days. Here are the responses, which have been lightly ed...

Science and Art: Convergence in Oceania 38th Annual UOG CLASS Research Conference March 10, 2017 CALL FOR PROPOSALS The theme for the 38th Annual Research Conference is Science and Art: Convergence in Oceania.  The conference will convene on Friday, March 10, 2017 on the campus of the University of Guam-Unibetsedåt Guahan. The organizing committee welcomes proposals related to the multidisciplinary intersections of the Sciences and Arts that converge in Oceania.  Local, regional, and global scholars, scientists, visual and theatrical artists, and students can propose traditional session formats such as the conventional presentation of an academic paper or the informative poster session.  Presenters can also propose innovative sessions to share their research and experiences such as illustrated talks, interactive panels and demonstrations, engaging performances, and Skype presentations. Regardless of the proposed session format, the objective of ...

  I don't paint as much as I used to, but I'm still an artist gi korason-hu. Achokka' ti mamementa yu' kada diha, manhahasso yu' todu tiempo put pinenta yan atte.  I have been inspired by many artists over the years, especially when I was an undergraduate and graduate student at UOG. At that time, I was painting a great deal and displaying and selling my artwork around the island.  One of the biggest influences on me, and something which made me the butt of a great deal of "måtai na pepenta" na jokes, was my looking up to Jean-Michel Basquiat.  He was one of the consummate bohemian artists, who challenged artist norms in his time, was used by the artworld during his short life, and then died.  When I first created an email account for myself in 1998, I was so enamored with Basquiat, that I didn't use my name, but instead blended our names together. Rather than mlbevacqua, I instead entered mlbasquiat. ...