How Art And Music Can Change The World

In the player:
Jean Smith and David Lester in an interview with Emily Miller for her program YOU’RE HERE on Valley Free Radio, Northampton, Massachusetts -- May, 2006.
"How Art & Music Can Change the World"
In 2003 Jean Smith and David Lester, of the literary rock duo Mecca Normal, launched a lecture, art and performance event called "How Art & Music Can Change the World" intending to inspire creative self-expression. Referring to their motivations, work methods and philosophies to illustrate their 20 year collaboration, the event reveals the reality of being long term working artists and cultural activists.
The lecture is flexible in content (music, art and small press publishing) and length (typically 60 - 90 minutes). The event includes a music performance and artwork (power point or touring exhibit). Suitable for high school and university classrooms, art galleries, community and youth centers and performance spaces.
2006
World Peace Forum, Vancouver
2005
Richmond Art Gallery -- Arts For Life keynote speakers addressing 200 high school students
2004
CBC Radio Interview -- 12/06/04
Mecca Normal celebrates 20 years of working in music and art and writing as activists with an art show and lecture titled How Art and Music Can Change the World. CBC radio interview with Sheryl MacKay -- near the bottom of the page.
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC (400 Foundation students)
Burnaby Central High School, Burnaby, BC (400 students)
Grand Forks Public Art Gallery, Grand Forks, BC
Vernon Public Art Gallery, Vernon, BC
David Thompson Cultural Centre, Nelson, BC
Denman Island Community Hall, Denman Island, BC
Bean Scene Coffee House, Kelowna, BC
2002 - 2003
Chatham College, Pittsburgh, PA -- sound art class
St Vincent's College, Latrobe, PA -- poetry class,
The GAFC Church, Bellingham, WA
Capitol Theater, Olympia, WA
Pacific Switchboard Collective Gallery, Portland, OR
Youth Drop-in Center, Garden Grove, Orange County, CA
Western Front, Vancouver, artist-run space -- 5 nights
Lucy Parsons Center, Boston
The Bakery Art Collective, Providence, RI
Bottle Top, Empty Bottle, Chicago -- 6 nights
University of Chicago Art Gallery, Normal, IL
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Underground culture, creative partnership, cultural activism, inspiring self-expression, political art, underground music, small press publishing
EXPERIENCE:
20+ years in underground music, twelve CDs on important US indie labels. Smith is the author of two published novels. Lester is a small press publisher and a well-respected graphic artist
EVENTS
1. Lecture & Classroom Presentation:
"How Art & Music Can Change the World"
2. Mecca Normal (guitar and voice) performance with extended song introductions and commentary
3. "Inspired Agitators" Art Show with Artist Talk
4. Flexible combination of the events above specific to environment, age and focus.
BIO: Mecca Normal has a twenty-year history of coordinating and promoting cultural events by artists determined to create positive social change.
Since 1986, Mecca Normal, the well-respected and internationally known guitar and voice duo, has released 12 CDs on highly influential record labels Matador, K Records, and Kill Rock Stars. The band has toured extensively in the US, Canada and Europe. Jean and David have been interviewed hundreds of times for radio, TV and print media under the general headings of underground music and publishing, social injustice, and visionary cultural activism.
In the mid and late 90s, Jean and Mecca Normal were frequently cited as an inspiration in underground culture to Riot Grrrl and DIY movements.
David Lester is the author of a book of statistics on poverty -- Gruesome Acts of Capitalism (Arbeiter Ring Publishing) -- the profits from which go to the Centre For Victims of Torture (Toronto) -- $1000 has already been raised. Updated second edition forthcoming.
REFERENCES:
"Arguably the greatest rock band without a rhythm section ever, the duo of acid-voiced singer Jean Smith and guitar hero David Lester must be seen to be believed." -- Douglas Wolk
"Jean Smith is a major writer of our generation." -- Ronnie Pontiac, senior editor at Newtopia Magazine
"An unbending advocate of thoughtful indie culture for two decades now, the Vancouver guitar-and-voice twosome doesn't just make demanding music, they also make books, paintings, photos, cartoons, among other things." -- San Francisco Chronicle
Artist Talk
Mecca Normal on MySpace (music and live video, reviews, links):
Art Images
David Lester's paintings
Jean Smith's paintings
Mecca Normal Newsletter
Vanunu poster by David Lester from the ongoing series: Inspired Agitators
"We're Here Now. Everything Is Ours. Too Bad For You." by Jean Smith from her series of paintings We Live on Indian Land