Art Exhibit- Murales Pintados: Documentary Photographs & Cuban art, a unique collaboration with The Muraleando Project, Havana, Cuba & Morgan Alexander & Kate Mack of Ojai California-- August 1 to September 30, 2012--at Philz Coffee, 1600 Shattuck Avenue (at Cedar), Berkeley, California 94709.

Contact: Tom Franco, Curator

Phone: 510.219.8688

Artist Contacts: Morgan Alexander & Kate Mack 805-646-5921 canyonwind1164@gmail.com and http://www.havanastreetart.com

Firehouse Art Collective presents Murales Pintados: painted walls and the painters, a unique collaboration with The Muraleando Project, Havana, Cuba & Morgan Alexander & Kate Mack of Ojai, California, will be on exhibit August 1 to September 30, 2012 at Philz Coffee (www.philzcoffee.com) 1600 Shattuck Avenue (at Cedar), Berkeley, California 94709.

Philz: 510.705.1083.

Hours: Monday-Friday- 6:30am- 8:30pm,Saturday&Sunday- 7am- 8:30pm.

The exhibit will include Around Havana, additional photographs of the community art and the street.

Artist receptions:

• Friday, August 10 and
• Friday, September 14, 2012

Time: 7-9 PM

Where:  Philz, in conjunction with the Berkeley Art Walk.

This “exposicion colectiva” between artists in the United States and Cuba first opened on April 11, 2011 in Lawton, Havana, Cuba in “El Tanque” a 100-year-old water storage tank that was refurbished by the Muraleando Art Collective for a new community center, workshop, office and art gallery.

Each artist was asked to create a piece of art in response to one of the photographs of Havana street art. This exhibit is the result of that collaboration, a creative conversation between the photographs of two American documentary photographers and artwork by Cuban painters. The original project in Havana was sponsored by Council of Municipal Administration, 10th of October District, DMC, the Directorate of Municipal Culture, 10th of October, Paradiso: Turismo Cultural (Cultural Tourism) and Aventura, Havana.

In this world of strife between two neighboring countries, this is an unusual and much-needed collaboration between artists and citizens of Cuba and America.

Coffee houses and local gathering places are a perfect venue for this type of project, made in the spirit of community and speaking directly to people who are part of another local community.

The Mission of Philz Café coincides with the spirit of the exhibition as its goal is to better people's day. They take their mission seriously, giving people a positive impact by serving an amazing cup of coffee and delivering really great customer service. They want customers to leave the Philz experience happier and believe happy people are contagious, and the more happy people in the world, the happier the world is. While they may not be able to make the world happy at once, they are determined to do it one community, one cup at a time.

Morgan Alexander began photographic documentation in Cuba in 2004 with The Cuba AIDS Project. AIDS affects U$ All (www.aidsaffectsusall.com) including work from San Francisco (Hartford Street Zen Center, Maitri Hospice for People with AIDS & The Ambassador Hotel) Cuba (Havana, Cienfuegos & Santiago de Cuba) and Juarez, Mexico and has been shown in more than 25 community centers, college libraries and AIDS conferences. Murales Pintados has been on exhibit in Havana, Cuba and Ventura County, California.

Kate Mack is video consultant for the Muraleando Project, a student of Russian language, and oriental brush painting.

Additional information available

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