Art as an Agent for Change is shuttin’ it down with another edition of the Shutdown Magazine. In order to make this issue a success, we need your photos, still images of your visual art, poetry, short stories, and testimonies about your efforts to make a difference using your artistic passion.

Submit your unpublished work to us at aacshutdown@gmail.com. The submission deadline is May 31, 2011.

We’ll update you when we receive your work and let you know if you made it into the mag.

The Shutdown is A.A.C.’s arts and activism magazine that exists to:
1. Encourage adolescent and adult literacy.
2. Connect our contributors to the literary wealth of the world.
3. Advocate social uplift through education and the arts.

Your contribution to the magazine will help us tell the story of the collective movement to reshape the world through our artistic collaboration and connections.

You can check out our first issue here: Shutdown Magazine Spring 2011
Like our Facebook page here: Shut it Down!
Subscribe or leave a comment below!

Art as an Agent for Change proudly presents the Shutdown Magazine. The Shutdown is A.A.C.’s literary, arts, and activism magazine that exists to encourage adolescent and adult literacy, connect our contributor’s community to the literary wealth of the world, and promote social uplift in our community and communities abroad.

Our first edition features an eye-opening interview with Alysia Harris. She has been featured on HBO’s hit documentary BNV. We also feature poetry from Belizean Poet Jose V. Guerra and poetry from the youth of Milledgeville, Ga. and college students from Georgia College and State University.

There are also a few articles that showcase the profound effect of connecting activism and the arts to build beneficial outcomes in the world. This edition of The Shutdown is guaranteed to be a provocative read. It will stimulate the parts of your brain that influence inspiration and the drive to make a difference. Check it out and Shut it DOWN!

January 15, 2011, A.A.C. took to the streets of downtown Augusta to participate in the Augusta chapter of the NAACP MLK Parade. This year’s theme was “Stop the Killing.” Recently, there have been a slew of tragic murders in Augusta, and the local chapter of the NAACP thought it was wise to use this parade to promote the message of peace in their community.

A.A.C.’s trip to Augusta was coordinated by the “Amazing” Ayman Fadel of the CSRA Peace Alliance. During our trip we ran into David Matos and Matt Smith who helped out with the parade activities. The parade was filled with bands from local high schools, groups of dancers, churches, car clubs, and local businesses who joined us to share in the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Most of the parade led us down two-lane streets, and as we passed the spectators we handed out boxes of raisins attached to small handbills with the message “Raisin’ our voices for peace and justice!”

As we marched we chanted, “We got that PEACE! (Pause) We got that JUSTICE!” Lots of spectators joined in, and the call for peace and justice was as tangible as the chilly winter air. At one point on the parade route, we even got a few of the sheriff’s deputies involved in the chant, which was a huge triumph for the day considering the stoic image the law enforcement officers were trying to maintain.

Our mission for the day was spreading the message of peace and justice and reinvigorating our world with the drive and inspiration to create the better world that Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed about and worked to create. We are the peace, we are the justice, we are the hands and hearts that will make a difference.

January 15, 2011, A.A.C. took to the streets of downtown Augusta to participate in the Augusta chapter of the NAACP MLK Parade. This year’s theme was “Stop the Killing.” Recently, there have been a slew of tragic murders in Augusta, and the local chapter of the NAACP thought it was wise to use this parade to promote the message of peace in their community.

A.A.C.’s trip to Augusta was coordinated by the “Amazing” Ayman Fadel of the CSRA Peace Alliance. During our trip we ran into David Matos and Matt Smith who helped out with the parade activities. The parade was filled with bands from local high schools, groups of dancers, churches, car clubs, and local businesses who joined us to share in the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Most of the parade led us down two-lane streets, and as we passed the spectators we handed out boxes of raisins attached to small handbills with the message “Raisin’ our voices for peace and justice!”

As we marched we chanted, “We got that PEACE! (Pause) We got that JUSTICE!” Lots of spectators joined in, and the call for peace and justice was as tangible as the chilly winter air. At one point on the parade route, we even got a few of the sheriff’s deputies involved in the chant, which was a huge triumph for the day considering the stoic image the law enforcement officers were trying to maintain.

Our mission for the day was spreading the message of peace and justice and reinvigorating our world with the drive and inspiration to create the better world that Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed about and worked to create. We are the peace, we are the justice, we are the hands and hearts that will make a difference.

A.A.C. loves giving new artist the spotlight and stage-time to take our audiences to new levels of thought, laughter, and love. This January, Cabrik Harrison, GCSU student and Poetry Jamz enthusiast will take the Blackbird Coffee stage Wed. Jan 19th @ 8:30pm to deliver soulful flavors unlike any we’ve seen in Milledgeville.

Cabrik Harrison is a Senior Marketing Major at Georgia College and State University from Moultrie Georgia. Cabrik Always enjoyed writing, but did not fully experiment with poetry until about 8th grade. Poetry became Cabrik’s guide throughout her teenage years and began with a few words in a typical teenagers journal . Cabrik later learned that poetry was not that simple, in fact it could be quite complex, and that sometimes the best poetry is the most complex. After Meeting with some students involved in A.A.C. at GCSU her freshman year, Cabrik decided to write more and try to get into different areas of spoken word. Poetry became a release not only for herself but others , her way to express the feelings of, and give hope to a community of people that she grew up around and interacted with from home and in college, particularly women. Even though to this day she still doesn’t consider herself a “poet”, she has learned that you don’t make yourself a poet, sometimes you just are , and that’s not a bad thing… that is a blessing.

Start the year off right with a healthy dose of good vibes and good people at A.A.C.’s Poetry Jamz @ Blackbird Coffee. Show date/time: Wednesday Jan 19, 8:30 p.m. Blackbird Coffee.
Free Admission
Seating is limited

A.A.C. loves giving new artist the spotlight and stage-time to take our audiences to new levels of thought, laughter, and love. This January, Cabrik Harrison, GCSU student and Poetry Jamz enthusiast will take the Blackbird Coffee stage Wed. Jan 19th @ 8:30pm to deliver soulful flavors unlike any we’ve seen in Milledgeville.

Cabrik Harrison is a Senior Marketing Major at Georgia College and State University from Moultrie Georgia. Cabrik Always enjoyed writing, but did not fully experiment with poetry until about 8th grade. Poetry became Cabrik’s guide throughout her teenage years and began with a few words in a typical teenagers journal . Cabrik later learned that poetry was not that simple, in fact it could be quite complex, and that sometimes the best poetry is the most complex. After Meeting with some students involved in A.A.C. at GCSU her freshman year, Cabrik decided to write more and try to get into different areas of spoken word. Poetry became a release not only for herself but others , her way to express the feelings of, and give hope to a community of people that she grew up around and interacted with from home and in college, particularly women. Even though to this day she still doesn’t consider herself a “poet”, she has learned that you don’t make yourself a poet, sometimes you just are , and that’s not a bad thing… that is a blessing.

Start the year off right with a healthy dose of good vibes and good people at A.A.C.’s Poetry Jamz @ Blackbird Coffee. Show date/time: Wednesday Jan 19, 8:30 p.m. Blackbird Coffee.
Free Admission
Seating is limited

We wanted to take a minute to explain what’s actually in

A.A.C.’s Pepsi Refresh Grant Proposal.

We know you’re out there voting everyday and we wanted to make sure you know what you are voting for. In a nutshell, A.A.C. is planning to expand its operation by building the capacity and sustainability of 5 arts based programs in Milledgeville, Ga.

Milledgeville is a town with a large underserved community and A.A.C. operates in this locale to bridge the gap between the community and the wealth of cultural capital that is said to be present at our institutions of higher learning.

By providing solution based programs through the arts, Milledgeville’s citizens, businesses, students, and most importantly its community gain an exchange of expression that will enrich lives across the spectrum by supporting the local economy and linking a focus on the arts to measurable educational outcomes.

Here is a brief overview of the five programs we are planning to JUMPSTART with the help of those voting daily for our Pepsi Refresh Grant. Our award winning programs utilize the arts to facilitate self-advocacy and civic engagement in underserved communities.

Poetic Notions Poetry Fest:

• Provides a forum of cultural expression to initiate dialogue on community needs and solutions

The Shutdown Magazine:

• Provides a forum to encourage literacy and allow local youth and adults to contribute to the literary history of their community

A.A.C. in the Classroom:

• Performance Poetry workshops for middle/high school students to enhance creative writing and public speaking skills

A.A.C. Media Engineering and Mentorship Program:

• Provides at-risk youth with exposure to higher education opportunities and mentorship/instruction in scriptwriting, film, and music recording

A.A.C. Internship Program:

• Trains arts advocates on community organizing and movement building

We believe that talents, ideas, and aspiration really start to matter when you put thoughts into action and make your ideas your reality. Your daily votes for A.A.C.’s Pepsi Refresh Grant help speed up the day when we will see our collective energies form the better world we all believe is possible when we seek a better world for all people.

To vote for A.A.C.’s Pepsi Refresh Grant text 104540 to 73774 or visit http://pep.si/h2PCwT. You can vote once per day everyday, and daily votes are the best way to ensure success. Every vote counts!

Always,

A.A.C.

For a long time, A.A.C. has been working with its local community and supporters to put together programs on a shoestring budget. We’ve financed multi-city tours, poetry festivals, and provided seminars and workshops throughout the State of Georgia.

To expand our programming, we started thinking of ways to increase our capacity to provide services to our host community and to spread the valuable message that connects Art with Activism.

We could’ve set up a slew of fundraisers, but we really wanted to work together with our friends, folks, and fans to Jumpstart the budget of our Organization in an extremely effective manner. With that said, pending a Dec 1st approval, A.A.C. is proud to announce we’ll be in the running for a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant during the month of December.

Obtaining the grant will be impossible without your support and we’ll need you to vote as often as possible via text message or by logging onto the Pepsi Refresh site and casting your vote. Voting starts December 1, 2010 @ 12am and ends December 31, 2010 at 11:59pm. You should vote once per day for A.A.C. and browse for other ideas on the site you may deem worthy of your vote. We’ll post more details about voting on Facebook, Twitter, and Blogspot as we receive more info from the Pepsi Refresh Site. So stay tuned and get ready to text your votes.

A.A.C. has embarked upon on a state tour called Be the Change. It’s a live spoken word tour sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition. The tour is being featured in five cities around the state of Georgia. So far we’ve stopped at two colleges Dalton State and Kennesaw State and the response has been immaculate.

During the discussions following the performance we’ve had students to commit to programs and reshape their ideas about collaborating and building collective movements.

We’ll be performing in Athens tonight (Wednesday), Milledgeville and Statesboro Thursday. We’re also planning a live broadcast of the performance from Georgia State University.

Also, don’t miss the opportunity to become a part of the discussion on twitter. The key to progression is action #bethechangetour.

A.A.C. takes poetry to new heights with it’s second edition of Poetic Notions. This DVD is jam-packed with the essential elements of life: love, culture, honesty, and expression. This DVD offering is guaranteed to please and it can be yours today.

Proceeds from the DVD help support Art as an Agent for Change, Inc. and its arts education programs. With your help, our mission to create a better world through education and artistic engagement draws ever closer.