ManeStar

     My birthday always reminds me of 1996.  It is one of my favorite years.  I was a teenager on the verge of independence.  I would express myself without holding back. 

      That year I received the greatest gift of all.  A map that would lay out my future. 

     I was under the wing of Mane whom I had adopted as my big brother.  He was teaching me how to master and extract my artist abilities.

     Mane is one of the greatest graffiti writers I know.  Years later when he died I was crushed to see that our city, Chicago showed him no respect.  There weren’t tags of his name all over the city like you saw when other graff writers died. 

     Mane was a travel painter.  He traveled to different cities to paint.  He also hosted graffiti writers from different cities or countries, when they came here to paint.

     Mane also painted thousands of freight trains.  Talk about a way for your art to travel.  On top of that he published a graffiti magazine and exchanged graff pictures with graff writers from around the world.

     On my birthday I always reflect upon what my life has taught me.  I also like to thank those who have made a significant impact on me.  Here is my homage to my big bro Mane, his life lives through his artwork. 

MANESTAR

What calls you to the streets

and makes your heart beat

faster than a train passing by

while you wait ready

to tag, bomb, spray

spraypaint

walls, rooftops, stickers, freights, tunnels, floors, windows, doors

rails, bridges, billboards, highways

etch  sketch  drop  flow

visit me again we’ll paint the sky

road trip    fr8 painting    CinCity

Shore  Devo  Bize  Happy Bday Mama  Free Drane  BSA FS TFD

Everyone Loves Da Art wildstyled

CTA Mega Mall Walls greeting to you

trying to meet all the female writers

you put me on first graffmag

Repping for Da Ladies

checking them girlies frontin’

only down for groupieing

I rocked the town hardcore 90s

rats in tunnels ran from me

all-nighter blackbook sessions wrecking

Wake me up I’m done studying

Take me there:

Minneapolis : Randolph

Cleveland : Tripping

Dallas : White Street

Toronto, St. Louis, Oklahoma , Detroit , Indianapolis

Boston, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, Miami

MANESTAR chillin rocking it Coast to Coast

San Diego, San Francisco Coronado Bay Bridge

Los Angeles Skyline at Dusk

Oakland Bay Bridge from Treasure Island

Big Apple Rock Steady Crew anniversary

Travel Painting Lord

Master freeing Congress

dismissing my case

missing one bday but you got me on the next

I’m keeping it right

I’m keeping it write

While you were

playing cupid daylight

wallpainting without permission

off Montrose cemetery

clever racking profiling

color schemes

designing mapped layouts

transiting your art

Chicago’s Crazy Artists

Blue line meetings freeze forward

He took life with stride

stenciled outlines

fat caps, snowballs, thins

our words exchanged

pencil-marked fingerprints

sparks of paint specs

sharpies  magnums  SG7s

meanstreaks  griffin scents

aromas drove us

ominous disasters

I dualcrated stepped fr8 heights

you topped off my work

fenced fingerblood stained

I climbed

to get away

PR, French, European, National, Local writers

getting me home

saved

big brother, my big brotha

watching over me

Manestar glistening

By: Elda Alanis

Chicago Immigrants CROSSED

On Sunday, December 11, 2011, I saw Teatro Luna's eighth original play, CROSSED (How Going South Flipped Our Script) at The Viaduct Theater in Chicago. In an ensemble setting, CROSSED examines what it means to be an immigrant in a "post-racial" United States, through autobiographical stories, accounts collected from interviews, news reports, and the Lunaticas own experiences while traveling South this past Spring.

As a daughter of Mexican immigrants and native Chicagoan, I know all too well that immigrant has become synonymous with Mexican here in this Windy City I call home. I am also very familiar with the border crossing stories by un coyote, or walking, or hopping a bus or train. How the scars of these borderland trips cross generations. Seeing CROSSED brought this to life.

Teatro Luna, Chicago's All Latina Theater company, kicked off its 11th Season and first season that is entirely dedicated to issues surrounding a single focus: Immigration, Race, & Borders, with CROSSED. Directed by Founding Ensemble Member and Luna’s Director of Artistic Development, Miranda Gonzalez, CROSSED explores what it means for an immigrant to play their part so they can enjoy their freedom.

Do you have a problem with following directions? Well then you fit in with the immigrant’s plight. Luggaged in this production are the emotions of an “enemy” or “double agent of America” playing their part to exist or coexist in a home to call their own. CROSSED asks who decides who can and will divide those that are exposed yet placed within the same land. It deconstructs stereotypes of mixed identities.

Also, through a humorously scientific viewpoint CROSSED questions, "What do the gringos really know?" Since they care more about phones roaming free than people, and create slogans that remind immigrants that, "[their] tongue was cut in half so [they] could speak the language of power." Or that they can report back to their country of origin if they need a translation.

CROSSED uses the sounds, tastes and essence of multiple cultures to create an ambiance of hope for immigrants. Clap your hands or dance along to the Lunaticas cabaret of La Cucaracha, share in the flavorful tincture of CROSSED. Enjoy your holiday month by attending the latest installment, for the year, of this play, with a special treat; Miranda Gonzalez will be performing in it this weekend.

By: Elda Alanis

For more information or to donate please visit:
http://teatroluna.org/
http://www.indiegogo.com/bringteatrolunahome

To purchase tickets visit:

https://teatroluna.secure.force.com/ticket#details_a0SU0000000LW1jMAG

ALL CITY Mayor for Chicago

"We have dared to be free; let us dare to be so by ourselves and for ourselves."
-- Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Proclamation, January 1, 1804

In the spirit of the Egyptians. IN THE SPIRIT of UNITED NATIONS. In the spirit of community building, transparent governance, educational and economical regrowth, and safe and healthy living. CHICAGO seeks freedom, equality and stability from its new Mayor. NO MORE CORRUPTION!!! No more endorsements from pocketed relationships. No more fake public displays of affection towards the citizens who pay off your debts. No more only the high survive. Chicago deserves an ALL CITY Mayor like Miguel del Valle who while campaigning has walked through our neighborhoods, spoken to our people, visited our local businesses and rode with us on bicycles or public transportation. A Mayor who speaks our language, understands our struggles, is proud of our diversity and believes in us a whole. Let us not forget our FREEDOM of CHOICE.

for more information on Miguel del Valle visit www.delvalleformayor.com

Chicago's All Dissing

On Friday September 10, 2010 William Upski Wimsatt made a long awaited appearance for a reading of his third book, "Please Don't Bomb The Suburbs," at the Chicago Urban Art Society. When I walked in there was a group of people sitting in a circle in the middle of a Chicago AD discussion. In attendance were several teachers, some of who were recently unemployed or should we say let go, other professionals, artists, and of course HipHoppas. It seemed like I missed the book reading aspect of this cultural affair. Instead I witnessed a featful attempt to gather the masses to unite for improvement in Chicago After Daley. No Graff War stories for me to hear or share I guess. But Chicago is in the midst of a war one which continues to separate classes dividing the lines of growth amongst it's economy, education, health care reform and its own immigrant borders. So I as a city native and dweller ask myself why shouldn't we "Bomb The Suburbs." I guess I will have to read Upski's latest installment and interview him. Let's see what happens next in our great "Stormy, husky, brawling/City of The Big Shoulders," because I'm tired of the, "Building, breaking, rebuilding," are you?

Sometimes

Sometimes

Sometimes you wake up on the wrong side of bed and you trip on your way to the bathroom and you look at yourself in the mirror and you realize that the cracks that you see means that you are destined to have seven years of bad luck and you wash your face and the water is not warm and you release yesterday's garbage and you find out that there is no toilet paper and you walk out the door without your keys and you start to walk even though you forgot the directions and you get ready to cross the street and you see your bus pass you buy and your empty wrist tells you that you're late and you get on your train and you can't see where you're at because the windows aren't clear and you get out at the first station and you say to yourself "shit happens" and the voice that you hear makes you smile.


inspired by Pablo

written by Elda Alanis

Why Chicago will host 2016 Olympics

On Tuesday I was inside the Aon Center at 200 E. Randolph Street and got a glimpse of the view from the 80th floor. I used to work for Aon but in the uptown location so this was the first time I was inside the Aon Center. Chicago's landscape is incredible. Talk about a breathless view of downtown. Take a look at some of the pictures I took with my cell phone. Here is the view of Lake Michigan and Millennium Park on a gorgeous day. Many boats were out at bay. Let's not forget the skyline. Look at all those skyrises includinig the Sears Tower (I will always call it that) and the green Chicago river. Chicago is more than ready for more development and its friendly diverse people are eager to entertain and enlighten new business. This is why I believe Chicago will host the 2016 Olympics. What do you think?

School Lesson: My Can Is To Tag The...

My oldest son's teacher gave me this picture to show me what he was learning in school. She took a great picture. Here Raed is posing in his classroom next to a bulletin board. He was being taught a spelling or reading lesson in school. As is typical in grade school in second grade the children were being taught high frequency words. Notice that the words on the board say, "my can is to tag the." I am glad he recognizes these words. These words are used quite often in books. Obviously, this sentence is incomplete. How would you finish this sentence? I would say, "My can is to tag the wall with my spraypaint creating beautiful graffiti." CHETA