Labor Art/Photography Theater Presentation-Expressions Gallery Berkeley

June 26 Labor Art/Photography Theater Presentation-Expressions Gallery Berkeley

June 26, 2010 Expressions Gallery In Conjunction With LaborFest
http://www.expressionsgallery.org
http://www.LaborFest.net

2035 Ashby St/Shattuck Ave, Berkeley

PRESENTATION 1:Saturday, June 26, 1-3 PM:
“Art from Labor Fest/On The Streets” presented
by David Duckworth and Steve Zeltzer.
PRESENTATION 2:Saturday June 26, 3-5 PM
A Reading, discussion led by the writers and
director, and musical excerpts from The Mothers of
Ludlow, a musical drama about the 1914 Coal
Miners Strike "Presented by YMTC (Youth Musi-
cal Theater Company) from their upcoming July
production. Go to ymtcberkeley.org for details.
Refreshments served.

ART AND LABOR EXHIBITION AT EXPRESSIONS GALLERY, BERKELEY, OPENS JUNE 12TH. LABORFEST RECEPTION ON JULY 10TH WITH HISTORIANS GRAY BRECHIN AND HARVEY SMITH.

Expressions Gallery, in cooperation with LaborFest, explores the intersection of labor and culture today in an exhibition that opens Saturday, June 12th. 50 artists from the United States and 2 artists from France will contribute a diverse array of contemporary work, including painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture and photography. In this exhibition, both the celebratory and the politically incendiary will find its place as the state of labor today is examined.

Located in the Ashby Arts District only a half block from the Ashby Bart Station at 2035 Ashby Avenue, Expressions Gallery opened its doors July 8th, 2006. The gallery functions as a community arts center, exhibiting the work of established and untried artists, and offering classes and other programs for the public. San Francisco-based LaborFest, now in its 17th year of organizing and presenting events on labor and culture, reaches out to a broad spectrum of community organizations, venues, and cultural workers to present book readings, panel discussions, film screenings, historic walking tours, a book fair, and other events during the month of July.

A reception for Art and Labor will be held Saturday, June 12th, from 6-8 PM, with live music provided by Freedom Song Network Musicians. On Saturday, June 26th 1-3 PM, cultural historian and LaborFest organizer David Duckworth will present a slide show, Art from LaborFest, and Steve Zeltzer, on the LaborFest organizing committee will present, On the Streets, a slide show of photographs that Zeltzer has created documenting the labor movement worldwide. From 3-5 PM, the musical drama, The Mothers of Ludlow, will be read and discussed by the writers and director with participation from the Youth Musical Theater Company, whose production goes up in July (see ymtcberkeley.org for further details).

On Saturday, July 10th 2-5 PM, a LaborFest reception for the exhibition will include commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), with a presentation of vintage slides and the documentary film, The New Deal Art Project. Historian Gray Brechin will present on the WPA in the Bay Area, while Harvey Smith will complement the overall presentation with additional historical analysis, focusing in particular on WPA artist Harry Gottlieb. Labor musician Carol Denney will perform.

Art classes for children and adults will be offered; check the Expressions Gallery website for schedule or contact coordinator Zwanda Cook at (415) 456-1530.

The exhibition will close August 6th.

Expressions Gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday 12-5 PM and Sunday from 12-3 PM, and by appointment.

For further information, please contact Expressions Gallery at (510) 644-4930 or visit the website at http://www.expressionsgallery.org. For the full calendar of LaborFest events visit http://www.laborfest.net.

Expressions Gallery: (510) 644-4930. LaborFest: 415-642-8066.