Giving Back with Music for the City- Art Classes..

Here is the latest Music for the City blog post copied from their page....To see the original article you can click the link below!

Austin Artists Give Back // Ty Clark

For the last several Monday afternoons, I’ve had the pleasure of watching some of my favorite Austin artists give back to the community that makes them great.  Music For The City is partnering with a CISAustin after-school program on the Eastside to bring the arts to some kids who might not otherwise get to experience what Austin does best.

Last week I told you about the beat-boxing/moon-walking/folk-singing Miranda Dodson’s encounter with these kids.  Now it’s time to talk abstract art.  You see, Music For The City is not just a collection of local musicians…it’s a movement of ARTISTS of any medium.  So I asked local painter/designer/entrepreneur Ty Clark (a.k.a. SAMO4PREZ) to come and share his time and unique talent with the kids.  Ty arrived at the door with six huge paintings…a dozen jaws immediately dropped, followed by “whooooa” and “cooool” and “what is thaaaat?!?!?”  After he set up his paintings, Ty led an interactive and enthusiastic discussion about abstract vs. realist art, color, emotion, technique, etc.  I couldn’t believe the responses that these kids were coming up with…I wished I had pen and paper, ‘cause I was gettin’ schooled.  Ty asked each child which painting was their favorite and why…”how does that painting make you feel?”  It was incredible to witness the kids making the connection between art and emotion…those paintings were a creative outpouring of the artist’s emotions.

After this unexpectedly deep exchange, Ty had all the kids sit down with paper and crayons and express themselves.  The results were rather impressive.  I didn’t notice any artistic prodigies, but I did see a room full of kids laughing and having fun.  I did see a room full of kids applying what they had just learned, and perhaps expressing themselves in a brand new way.  I saw eyes full of LIGHT and smiles full of HOPE.  I saw an artist who cares and caught a glimpse of a better Austin.

See Tywork at samo4prez.com.

By the way, in addition to being a great artist, Ty Clark runs a humanitarian fashion company called Veritas.  Check it out online at liveveritas.com.

until next time…

Lamar Stockton

TOMS shoes...Style your Soul..Dallas

Last weekend I did an event with TOMS shoes in Dallas, thanks to my boy and fellow Veritas Artist Collective member Zach Saucedo. We custom painted TOMS for a ton of customers along with some of DFW's top artists; Shane Pennington, Joshua Stone, Frankie Garcia, J Taylor, Brandon Mike and others. DJ Sober was rockin old school beats the whole afternoon on an incredible day. I always enjoy any time I get to spend with Zach Saucedo. Zach, Sean Ellis and I along with HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) artists recently created designs for CTC Internationals L.I.F.E bags that debuted at Summit Series DC this week. Some of the top Business, Political, Entrepreneurial, Philanthropic minds will be in attendance with the bags hanging from their shoulders including Bill Clinton, Russell Simmons, Yosi Sergeant, Mark Cuban, Scott Harrison, Ann Veneman, Kristen Bell, Blake Mycoskie etc etc, you get the point. Anyways heres a cool link to whats happening there POLITICO and here are some pictures from the TOMS event and the LIFE bags....

Can't get enough of these two..

So..my brove-n-law introduced this little crew to me..and I can't stop listening to them and their solo projects..here you go..for your eyes and ears.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vEStDd6HVY] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meT2eqgDjiM] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hFT853OYfg] Solo [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhDGdT33K0k] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Reb5IwMHzoE]

Sex Trafficking Campaign

I am currently working on a project for a friend who is starting a campaign to raise awareness to the major epidemic of sex trafficking in India and Nepal. The campaign will be run primarily through media/TV in India with some pretty powerful support from celebrities and activists. I am absolutely honored to be helping and assisting where my skills and gifts can be utilized to bring this horrific human action, sex trafficking. Here are a few of the statistics that were presented to me from the group I am assisting, they are overwhelming and heartbreaking. Every year, 10,000 Nepali girls* are deceitfully trafficked into India (by false marriages and false job offers) and forced into sexual slavery in Indian brothels. The average age of these girls is 15 years old. Some are as young as seven.

An estimated 400,000 children are victims of sexual exploitation and commodification within India every year.*

200,000 women working within India as prostitutes were originally trafficked from Nepal, even if now "compliant" prostitutes.

An estimated 10 million women are working as prostitutes within India, at least half of which were trafficked or forced into this line of work when they started.

The trafficking of women to and around India alone is estimated to be a multi-billion dollar a year industry.*

*according to UNICEF

Once trapped, the girls are told that they have to pay back the price that the brothel-owner paid to have them trafficked, and that they cannot leave until this is paid. They are literally prisoners of the brothel, unable to leave or contact anyone, or in some cases, speak to anyone. In some cases, trafficked girls are kept in cages, sometimes packed together with a number of other girls, forced to defecate in the same area which they eat.

When these innocent girls try to protest or refuse, they are severely beaten and tortured. Cigarettes are put out on their bodies, belts are used to beat them, broken bottles to cut them. The methods of torture go on. They are often locked in a windowless room for days, and gang-raped repeatedly until they are "broken," and consent to work as prostitutes. They are powerless to refuse.

They are forced to have sex with several men every day. They are violated in almost every way imaginable. They end up with HIV and are abandoned. Socially ostracized and unable to return to their villages, many become traffickers themselves.

Sex trafficking involves the following crimes:

• Kidnapping • Deception • Imprisonment • Torture • Rape • Murder

It is the greatest injustice in the world.

A big part of the reason that this injustice is able to continue is because it is kept in the dark. Society's ignorance of the true face of trafficking leads to indifference toward its victims. Their cries are unheard in the dark chambers of Indian brothels.

Societal indifference makes trafficking easy. In Nepal and India, there is little public outcry or protest against the corruption, bribery, and ignoring of the law that must occur to make such a horrible crime against such innocent victims possible.

Society's ignorance and indifference makes trafficking easy in the following ways: • Laws are not strong enough • Existing laws are enforced loosely • Corrupt officials take bribes to avoid enforcing the laws • It is easy, and relatively risk-free to traffic young girls • There is much trafficking

One of the activists that will be supporting this campaign is Sunitha Krishnan, who is one of the most influential activists in the fight against human trafficking. You can find more information about Dr. Krishnan by watching her Ted Talks youtube video at [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeOumyTMCI8]

As more information and the ideas/projects begin to take more shape I will continue to update. SAMO4PREZ