Tion's Schedule

Thank you Jessica for your email. It would be much smarter to journal regularly... now you know it's 8:00 pm on Tuesday night and I'm playing catch up.

Thus said, I'm super excited about Tion's visit the weekend of Oct 23. See photo at left - is he not gorgeous ? The schedule is falling into place and he will be offering us much more than just bombing lessons. Here's what we have at this point plus some comments:

Thursday, Oct. 21 - 7:00 pm: We will screen "Bomb It" and have a Panel Discussion @ CreateHere. Through interviews and guerilla footage of graffiti writers in action on five continents, "Bomb It: The Global Graffiti Documentary," tells the story of graffiti from its origins in prehistoric cave paintings through its notorious explosion in New York City during the ‘70s and ‘80s, then follows the flames as they paint the globe. This cutting edge documentary tracks down today’s most innovative and pervasive street artists as they battle for control over the urban visual landscape. The screening will then be followed by a panel discussion answering the question "When does Graffiti serve the Public?" I hope to have distinguished guests as speakers. The evening will be a rare moment in Chattanooga's nightlife of alternative film. I'll pick up Tion at the airport late Thursday night.

Friday, Oct. 22 : I'll show Tion the lay of the land, where we'll be doing what, talk through his workshops, see if I need to dovetail, co-teach or just be around. At 5 pm we'll meet with our participants at CreateHere for the workshop. We'll work on my favorites: line, shape, color, texture....and look at cave paintings, calligraphy, and all things that culminate in today's aesthetic we call graffiti. The participating artists will work on their tags plus the "message" we'll be putting on the wall on Main St. I hate to start talking about that right now...it'll get long. Suffice it to say that this "wall" will be the first of many: we have found a Chattanooga chalkboard!

Saturday, Oct. 23: We'll sketch and paint that day on the wall first and then on 4 x 8 boards. We have been invited to put boards in a too cool place - more later - big and secret topic. After wo rk, we'll have an unveiling/block party. Speeches, awards, DJ, break dancing and any other moves that slide. It will be an A event. Tion will be the star of that show and will do a set of his own compositions. I've heard him rapping about graffiti on MySpace, quel mojo !!

Sunday, Oct. 24: Tion will do a skateboard demo at Chattown Skatepark, next to the First TN Pavillon. Afterward we'll head back to Main for another workshop, "Arts2Empire," and paint more boards. I'd really like us to paint the van too. I can't wait to sling some aerosol, I want to dance with the can :) Tion catches his flight out late afternoon; we then spend 3 days sorting through documentation.

More on "Arts2Empire" later - it's a really important part...