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We mourn the passing of CIIS alum Ophelia Williams, a luminous being, warrior for justice, and bold writer. Ophelia's novel Thug Girl, written under her pen name, O Lorr William, is an unflinching coming of age story about five friends born and raised in San Francisco, navigating a world of racism, drugs, s*x, and poverty—and dreaming of greatness: https://www.direct2author.com/featured-books-2/thug-girl%3A-butterflies-with-concrete-wings-still-fly?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwY2xjawKT_2dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFTc2IwSmN0RzlSMUVDYlJmAR70TfKCZwR4b5wnIZWHu25MFqBACwWtRWJRrXzzGKwvio9Bh1s6-uxmfLSprQ_aem_ad8hynAKr-ktJhd1TMTb0g

See also: https://youngwomenfree.org/a-letter-to-ophelia/

THUG GIRL: Butterflies With Concrete Wings Still Fly 6e275029-fe44-4ac0-a5dd-17e3d21a1afa

https://www.artrewards.net/in-the-studio/quin-de-la-mer-ecology-abstraction-and-the-art-of-connection

Check out this article on the singular and visionary art of CIIS MFA alum Quin de la Mer:

ArtRewards - Art Gallery | Quin de la Mer: Ecology, Abstraction, and the Art of Connection Aritst Discover Quin de la Mer’s art, blending synesthetic perception, eco-conscious practices, and spiritual abstraction to reflect resilience and interconnection.

https://www.facebook.com/ciishsx/posts/pfbid07mMDcgxkpJCtuCancGDA4mydEDkAaTfk3LmCntfQiXQd6MRAd1TDQzTr6g5Ujawbl

Join Leora Fridman, author of Bound Up: On Power, Kink, and Belonging, for a reading, conversation, and mini-workshop on intergenerational trauma and s*xuality—and creative writing as research. February 10th, 2-4 p.m. Sponsored by the MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and the Human Sexuality Department. Event is free. Register here!

Bound Up: On Kink, Power, and Belonging | CIIS Don’t miss this unique opportunity to engage with Leora Fridman’s work, explore the intersections of creativity, kink, and healing, and connect with a like-minded community.

FLACC 2024: EL GRITO POR THAWRA الثورة (A CRY FOR REVOLUCIÓN)​

Solidaridad Internacionál con Palestina | Arte y Resisténcia | Comunidad, Cultura y Academia

In its 11th revolution around the sun, the Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers (FLACC) is calling for “Revolution” (the only solution), with a transnational solidarity approach to art and resistance. El Grito por Thawra الثورة showcases eleven performances throughout the weekend of Nov. 8, 9, & 10, representing social justice issues that center local immigrant, q***r, feminist and indigenous perspectives that extend to Palestine.

​Its curatorial theme, El Grito Por Thawra الثورة (A Cry for Revolution) reflects the purpose of the festival and who is involved. “El Grito” (meaning "the scream, or cry" in Spanish) is referencing both a vocal call, commonly expressed by Mexican Ranchero singers, as well as the Historic speech given in 1810 by Miguel Hidalgo, a priest from Dolores, Guanajuato who sparked an indigenous-led Mexican revolution against the Spanish colonizers shouting “¡Viva Mexico!”. FLACC is reviving its 2020 El Grito curatorial theme which was also held during the previous U.S. election season four years ago.

The word “Thawra” translated in Arabic as “Revolution,” is a term and concept which gained momentum during the protests of the Arab Spring throughout the Middle East in the 2010’s. It was generated in a curatorial meeting with our Palestinian comrades at a local cafe last June.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, where diasporic communities live together and find solidarity in similar political struggles, the artists in FLACC 2024: El Grito por Thawra الثورة are sharing their stories, sorrows, dreams and hopes for communities impacted by the oppression of border walls, militarism, ecocide, loss of homelands, settler colonial agendas. With media censorship and police violence silencing victims of genocide and their supporters, it’s important for artists, academics and cultural workers from all backgrounds to come together for Palestine right now. Let your voice be heard with El grito por justicia, libertad y revolución! ¡Viva Palestina! ¡Viva Democracia! ¡Viva Los Bellas Artes!

FLACCDANZA.ORG

SAN FRANCISCO SCREENING OF “HERE SHE COMES”
with writer-director-executive producer Jessica Habie (CIIS MFA '17) and surprise guests

Friday, September 27, 2024
5-7 p.m. at California Institute of Integral Studies
1453 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94103
Namaste Hall, 3rd floor

"Here She Comes" tells the story of two experiential s*x coaches* who lead America into the next s*xual revolution and the army of religious fundamentalists, misogynist loners and terrified spouses who try to stop them.

Following the screening Jessica will be in conversation with Professor Carolyn Cooke from the Department of Interdisciplinary Arts (MFA) and answer Q & A about the project, the process, and the story of the show.

*Co-producers Danielle Harel and Celeste Hirschman are founders of the Somatica Method – a revolutionary approach to s*x and relationship coaching, developed over the last 15 years. Through the Somatica Method, thousands of people have transformed their s*xual and relationship lives.

RSVP:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/san-francisco-screening-here-she-comes-tickets-1012994402527?aff=oddtdtcreator

MFA@CIIS Alums Discuss the Craft of Filmmaking Recent MFA program alumni Kary Hess and Lucy Mathews Heegaard sat down together for Hess to interview Mathews Heegaard about her latest…