BCGW organizes Tiburon ferry multi-media art event!
A huge thanks to Pro Arts of Oakland and Shaping San Francisco for inviting Blue Collar Green Water to participate in their Imagining Post-Capitalism week-long festival/summit! And a huge thanks to Blue & Gold Fleet for making it possible!!!!
The Blue Collar Green Water Art & Culture Collective program took place during the evening ferry ride from PIER 41 to Sausalito & Tiburon and back:
On the 2nd deck:
1. Samantha Levens
A short presentation on ways in which maritime workers have historically responded to job loss, automation and workplace destabilization using creative expression and political action. Utilizing images, literature, photography and video, primarily created by maritime workers themselves, Samantha presented a nonlinear overview of SF waterfront history focusing on how we as blue collar workers have both successfully and unsuccessfully resisted and/or collaborated with automation, globalization and mechanization of our jobs and worksites. The presentation set the stage for a collaborative question and answer period during which we discussed and debated how automation, mechanization and attacks on unions (right to work etc) is currently affecting our work as mariners and ways we can respond both creatively and through political action in the the present and future.
2. April Sinclair & Sasha Wright
Sasha read a couple of selections including one from her novel in progress. April read an original, short piece related to the working life. Their readings were followed by a great discussion and question and answer period.
3. Erick Pari
Erick's documentary, “Behind the Line,” was shown. The documentary raises the question: is the American Dream achievable for immigrants living and working in San Francisco? Grecia Castaneda, a good friend of Erick's, followed the video with a lively discussion on immigration. We are grateful for Grecia helping out, since Erick was unable to attend.
On the 1st deck during the entire 1-hour voyage:
4. Eideyosy de la Vega Lezca
Eide DJ'd a mix of Latino music with US music to show the fusion of Latinos in the Bay Area. His set helped show how Latino culture moves across borders and is multinational and can be a symbol of our unity as a workforce.
5. Walter Cruz
A looping animated video gave the history of Waterfront Labor in San Francisco.
6. Vincent Atos
Vincent's photographs of BCGW ferry workers were displayed.