Mario Jimenez Diaz

POETRY UNDERGOUND

"The process of making Art"

Sickened by the sight of the moon he regurgitated art over the screaming phone melting. A flashing red light like a drum beat echoed in the background as a voice whispered " you owe the world nothing" repeatedly.

"La Pena"

Ya nadien se acuerda de ti, de tu ambre, de tus enfermedades, de tu sufrimiento cuando te trajeron a esta cuidad a la fuerza. Ni un centavo te dan o te prestan los carros que pasan al diario. Solo te abientan las piedras y el humo que te intoxica tus pensamientos. Ni les tocas la concienca de tras de esos lentes oscuros que se ponen para olvidarte mas. No miran que de tras tu vestido roto y sucio esta tu cuerpo viejo cansado y con la pena que te sustiene el corazon.


Send in your poetry to brownsvilleartform@yahoo.com and post on TAOB..

ART IN THE PARK

Museo [i]Menos Anniversary

TAOB Note: To learn more about Museo {i}Menos, please visit their website at www.museoimenos.org.
The Art of Brownsville wishes Museo {i}Menos a very happy 1st Anniversary! Esperamos a celebrar mas! Thanks for your work and advocacy and for keeping your vision and mission alive!

UPDATED: Results of City Commission Meeting on $2 PUB fee

As reported today by the Brownsville Herald in their article "To pay or not to pay; City gives residents option on $2 fee":

"City commissioners in a unanimous vote on Tuesday approved a new ordinance that will give some 44,000 PUB customers a choice to pay the fee. The original ordinance was amended by Commissioner Anthony P. Troiani to give customers the choice to pay the $2. It also requires that those recipients of the money from the fine arts sector apply for grants to fund their projects. There will also be periodic audits to ensure the money is being spent properly. "

At the July 31st meeting, Commissioner Troiani also recommended the creation of an Office of Cultural Affairs that would oversee the distribution of funds to the local arts sector, through which all local arts entities may be able to present proposals to apply for funds, rather than the funds only going to the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art and the Camille Playhouse as proposed in the original ordinance.

So our question is TAOB readers, what are your thoughts on this recent amendment to the ordinance where the fee is optional and for the potential creation of an Office of Cultural Affairs? Do you think it will create obstacles for the local art community as Mayor Pat Ahumada suggested or will it create opportunities?

To see online video coverage of the City Commission meeting visit the Cafe Brownsville blog post. To see the agenda and eventually posted minutes of the Commission meeting visit the City of Brownsville Commission webpage.

***** UPDATE 8/5/2007 ******

As reported by the Herald in their 8/3/2007 article "Changes to commission meeting agenda puts actions in question", the legality of the passing of the $2 PUB fee ordinance is in question and that the proposal will be considered again at this Tuesday's meeting (August 7th). In attendance at last week's meeting, I was happy to see representatives and advocates for the local arts. However, I still think that there is a need for more representation and advocacy from members of our art community and that more people need to practice civic engagement and be aware of what's going on. If you want to see a difference, then make a difference! Get involved and represent! So here's another opportunity for your voice to be heard or just to see arts advocacy in action! The Tuesday, August 7th meeting will be held at 6pm at City Hall (the former federal courthouse in downtown Elizabeth street across the Majestic Mall.) To see the agenda for the meeting, visit the City Commission page.