Swingin' Notes~Buttonwood artSpace to Host

Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney "visual poetry" art  has been invited to be seen in the February/March 2011exhibition: "The Note Illustrated~ A Swingin' Visual of all Things Music"

Hosted by the Buttonwood Art Space in partnership with the American Jazz Museum

www.buttonwoodartspace.com  www.americanjazzmuseum.org 

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According to their website: "We the Buttonwood artSpace – an art & artist display and sale gallery complete with custom framing service!  Located In Kansas City Missouri, atop historic Union Hill, our space is provided to us through the philanthropic dedication of Jon & Wendy McGraw and Buttonwood Financial Group, LLC. Though the tireless efforts of the staff of BFG, and the leadership of a voluntary artSpace board of directors, Buttonwood artSpace has come to symbolize a quality community display space.  We routinely host four to five “First Friday” Opening nights per year, are a member of the Crossroads Art District, and offer the artSpace free of charge as an event space to non profit organizations".

Buttonwood artSpace located on the historic Union Hill area of Kansas City, Mo. www.buttowoodartspace.com

Don't Go There!

When things go wrong don't go with them~ Elvis Presley

Lifting yourself up and continuing forward

Does it ever feel like trouble follows you around and won't cut you any slack? Sometimes it feels like you can't buy a break and everything you try just makes things worse. Who could blame you for feeling sorry for yourself or not forgive a little self-destructive behavior? Bad idea. The new, healthy way to spend down times is to lift yourself up and operate at a higher level. Remember that what happens to you is not who you are. It's history. It's past. Your true self takes that history and decides how to make the best possible future out of it. You have the power to keep your attitude and values from driving into the ditch along with the events in your life. From defeat, you can still emerge victorious.

Way to Slay~Arriba arriba, Andalay! Andalay.(Rise up let's go!)

"Arriba arriba, Andalay! Andalay! 


Arriba means Up or Above used loosely as in,"Rise up let's go". 

Andalay is a sort of slang term for, "Lets go,or lets get going". So basically he is saying, roughly, "Rise up, lets get going!" in a very motivational way...

I, despite my intentions to the contrary, ended up encouraging myself despite the fact that I had wanted to indulge in my own misery today .  All it took  to change that plan was a blast from the past, two  of my favorite cartoon characters from my childhood Speedy Gonzales & Underdog...


I had a long conversation with a  very dear friend of mine who was struggling releasing some of her own struggles and avoiding what I thought were intentional  holding on to circumstances that wasn't worthy of her attention  rather then let them stand or fall where they may.  


Now what on earth has either scenario have to do with lifting myself up, you may wonder?


Well I'll tell you...


The whole time I was talking to her, I was reflecting on my own circumstances and trials not unlike what many others are experiencing or will come to experience, wondering why people seem to be uncaring, unconcerned or blaming with skewed misinformation.
I've been so terribly disappointed over decades of seeing how I did not matter to many folks who had been in and out of my life. No it was not a perception, but a sad reality starting in my childhood from ones failing to advocate for me through most of my adult life.


For the record, no it is not a "Woe is me" tale... It is an acknowledgement giving a dignity and a respect to the facts of my life then & to some degree now. However, in  the final anlysis before the end of the day, no matter what others may say, perceive or do, I have "rise up & let's go".  I have the vested interest in how my life turns out no matter what.  So I can agonize as my friend was doing or  I can do what I have done kept getting up, somehow getting up, despite, sniggles,smirks, "how dare she" and a host of other snide put-downs, some ugly real downs and some will snatch the very air from your throat times... 


I get up.


 I knew, I knew that there was much more to me that these folks did not want to see or perhaps they  ignored or even maybe feared.  They were astute enough to see the moxie in me even when I doubted my own self.  Or question the veracity, my willingness to speak truth, even when it was a whisper in my heart, that I was way better then the decree they wanted to put on me.


So today as I was encouraging my friend, I realized that I was indeed also talking to myself too as in: 
"Areeba areeba...Undalay undalay!(Rise Up!! Get going!)"


It don't matter at the end of the day (not completely true) what other people think!  You have to do what is right for you, what will work for you & by George before the day end you will have exactly what you need, what you want despite all the evidence that may seem contrary to that truth.


So in the words of my other favorite cartoon character Underdog:

"There's no need to fear, Underdog is here"!

 It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a frog! A FROG? It's not bird, nor plane, nor even frog...it's just little old me, Underdog!

Way to Pray~Pass it Forward Day

12-1-10

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, tolerant of the weak & strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these"~George Washington Carver

Dear My Community of Friends & Associates, 


As many of you know, I returned to my beloved hometown of New Orleans about a year and a half ago in the hopes of rebuilding and revitalizing my career in fabric art and writing Just as the city of New Orleans goes about its revitalization, I have been able to take many positive steps in the hope of accomplishing my dreams; while at the same time, we both have had serious negative reversals that have stalled our attempts at revitalization.  Although it is difficult for me to take this step, I am writing to you in an appeal for financial help.


Shortly after my return, I lost a large amount of critical funding when a patron suffered some economic setbacks. Like so many of us during these hard economic times, our ability to rebound from these setbacks has been extremely difficult.  My own ability to rebound has been hampered by health problems that necessitated two abdominal surgeries within three weeks of each other late summer/early fall.


I have already been helped through the generosity of several supportive, generous friends and organizations who practiced wonderful acts of kindness by providing transportation to appointments, bringing food during my postoperative recovery and helping me keep my utilities turned on & sanity going.  As I proceed down the road toward recovery and wellness, I have tried to repay my community by becoming involved in some volunteer opportunities and to reconnect with fellow artists and clients who have supported my work in the past {mention any seminars, workshops, gallery exhibits, networking events, etc}; as well as to actively seek commissions and pursue job opportunities.


I have also been very fortunate to have a patient and benevolent landlord who have allowed me to stay in my apartment as I attempt to generate my own income.  Although it pains him to have to do this, my landlord has given me notice that I must pay him at least half of my rent arrearages or vacate my apartment by January 1, 2011.  I realize this is a business decision he must make and hold no ill will toward him. He has been more than kind and helpful toward me; in fact, all most unheard of in these critical times we are facing as a nation...


Today, December 1, 2010, is Pay It Forward Day. In honor of this day, could you find it in your heart to help me remain in New Orleans and continue to pursue my dreams by sending a call out?  I am not asking for any of you that I would not do for someone else & have done in the past...


I do although understand the power of a ripple effect that can occur on the Internet & more then that the power of humaneness & even more so the power of prayer..


When one is thinking out of the box creatively to find real, constructive, in real time ways to make the necessary adjustments in order to thrive, well sometimes you simply have to reach out...  


This Wandering Moon has made her way back home and would prefer not to wander anywhere else for the time being!  


 I do not take any of this lightly.  


This is not an easy task to do to put my pride & dignity forward in such a public way, but I am determined to turn things around with all I have in me to do thus.


I will keep getting up and doing all I can do my part, this I can assure you...


 With sincere thanks to all of you, 
Moon

"If you planted hope in a heart today in any hopeless heart, If someone's burden was lighter because you did your part, If you caused a laugh that chased a tear away, If tonight your name is mentioned when someone kneels to pray, Then your day was well spent." ~Unknown

Revised for a new Year,new Decade New Time

 I originally wrote this 3 years ago when a whole segment of my life was upside down, crawling sideways and going where I did not know.  


I know now.

Windows~JHM photo©07

New Tomorrows

By Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney ©07

Revised11-10

Do you need to set eyes on what no longer sighed?

But chose now to prance across the tango waves?

My private audience for the new tomorrows...

Began yesterday.

It first started when the moon blared a not so tender farewell...

To what beckoned it there before the nigh?

The disclosure began before I knew what was happening

Nor could I stop it even if I had known how to

 I did not know how prepared I was for …

New Tomorrows

(At first)…

I grasp although tired

Tried

Tired

I could not see but I held on anyway

Though I did not know where I was going…

At that moment,

 I tap danced in a first light of new activation

No longer in a blissful ignorance

Or a sedentary agitation

But a luscious filled solitude

That no longer needed to be alone

So were my prayerful thoughts...

I pranced in a roundabout in an air of my delights

Blissfully bothered with what I have the sense to hear.

It did not matter if it seemed foolish to others

Or if I embarrassed anyone who was not invited to this promenade…

All those things…

All those things

All those things

Swollen in my belly that I wore for three long years…

Three long years…

Have been banished to the land of nevermore.

With no passport to return

For a time and a time and a time no more

All rights reservedJHM11-27-10©

Arrival Still photo~Isabel Wilkerson

If the Mountain won't come to Muhammed...

Mustard Greens photoJHM ©10

I read in our local paper that the Lower 9th Ward's Sankofa Community Development Corporation announced the opening on November 20th,2011 of their Sankofa Farmers Market!  I strongly encourage people to support their effort since in the Lower 9th ward Community there is no supermarket & the pioneers who have come back to re-establish their homes in this community have to travel great distances for simple things we take for granted.

I see an irony for me as I am fortunate in the sense that I can leave my home & in 5-7 minutes can access 5 supermarkets and in 10 minutes the local Wal-Mart and yet 20 minutes away the residents of this community have to travel great distances for the aforementioned markets.

So as the adage goes: "If the mountain won't come to Muhammed, then Muhammed must go to the mountain".  I say way to go to this group in still yet another venture forth by creating this farmers market so the Lower Ninth Ward + their neighbors, Bywater, Arabi,Upper 9th Ward, St. Bernard Parish,Fabourg Marigny, & Treme + others could access fresh produce and other products locally grown.

I personally plan to support them with my dollars and volunteer in whatever way I can,some of which will mean traveling past the supermarkets I have easy access to and going downtown to do my part.

Kohl Rabi photo JHM ©10

About Sankofa Farmers Market: 

www.sankofafarmersmarket.org 

The Sankofa Farmers Market was developed in response to the requests of community members for access to fresh vegetables and fruits for sale at the market. You have asked for a farmers market where you can have direct access to home grown produce. The farmers market will operate every Saturday and will offer seasonal, nutritious produce and locally caught seafood. We will accept the EBT/SNAP benefit card, credit cards, debit cards, and cash. We hope to build a viable market for both vending and shopping to thrive with healthy nutritious food. 

This farmers market will be a year round outlet for local farmers and fishermen to vend their goods in accordance with state and national goals, as well as to provide a social outlet and neighborhood meeting place for families and seniors. We are working in peer partnership with marketumbrella.orgfor consultation with technical information, regular evaluation, and the appropriate market management trainings. We believe that adding EBT access, along with a strong marketing campaign and weekly retail outlet presence, will accomplish the following: increase fresh food accessibility to low-income customers, increase sales for our farmers and fishermen, increase economic and community development in the Lower Ninth Ward. 

The Sankofa Farmers Market will be the 2nd farmers market in the city to have EBT access. This market will also be the only farmers market, not only in the Lower Ninth Ward, but also in communities adjacent  to the neighborhoods, including the Upper Ninth Ward, Gentilly, Arabi and St. Bernard Parish.

Swingin' Notes: American Jazz Museum to Present...

The Note Illustrated ~ A Swingin’ visual of All Things Music”

 Charlie Parker Monument

Photograph of Parker Monument~ JHM All rights reserved©10 

I delighted to announce that The American Jazz Museum has invited me to participate in their February/March 2011exhibition: "The Note Illustrated~ A Swingin' Visual of all Things Music"

Hosted by the Buttonwood Art Space.

According to their website: "We the Buttonwood artSpace – an art & artist display and sale gallery complete with custom framing service!  Located In Kansas City Missouri, atop historic Union Hill, our space is provided to us through the philanthropic dedication of Jon & Wendy McGraw and Buttonwood Financial Group, LLC. Though the tireless efforts of the staff of BFG, and the leadership of a voluntary artSpace board of directors, Buttonwood artSpace has come to symbolize a quality community display space.  We routinely host four to five “First Friday” Opening nights per year, are a member of the Crossroads Art District, and offer the artSpace free of charge as an event space to non profit organizations".

Buttonwood artSpace located on the historic Union Hill area of Kansas City, Mo. www.buttowoodartspace.com

My last tie with the American Jazz Museum was in 2007 when I had a solo show called "If Jazz was a Color?" 

The Sounds of the Men

©98 Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney art

So I am delighted to kick off or re-emerge after my medical "Sabbatical" with the Museum.  If you have never been you should go!  This is the home of Charlie Parker & Count Basie...  Although they like to claim that "while New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, jazz grew up in Kansas City"... 

Well we like to say we sent it up the river to 'em!

See images below of the Museum

 Greg Carrol,Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum perfoming.

If Jazz was a Color?

By Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney 

©97

I f jazz was a color, what color would it be?

Blue as in 'mo better?

Cobalt, azure teal,

Sapphired, indigoed midnight sky?

If jazz was a color..it'll fire up red hot!

Cinnamon salsa.

Mustard tinged lavender lace.

Improvising multiple patterned hues & blues.

RHYTHMS!

Effortless blacks & whites!

Shading with elegant brocades, smokey velvet

(Coltraned)...

Billie, Sarah, Duke.
Fly a way Bird!

Groove on Wash- ing- ton!

No Kenny G here!

Miles awake, 

Miles high!

Miles wide

Colors erupting like a Cannonball!
 If jazz was a color....
The color would be what the eyes see...
Blue!
Mo betta, yeah

All rights reserved ©97JHM