La   Mesa

"I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth; I am a citizen of the world.”

 --- Eugene Victor Debs

This is the last Evening of 2011 and our contracts have been renewed for another year folks.  We have all made it this far and it is time to make a new beginning. 2012 is at the door and we must remind ourselves that life is short so let’s break some serious rules and make 2012 the year we regret nothing.

 Canada made stunning headlines in 2011. Monstrous floods and raging wildfires dominated most of the news coverage, proving to be another record breaker for bad weather. We lost some notable Canadians such as Inuit leader Jose Kusugak, community activist Dudley Laws, Betty Fox, and NDP leader Jack Layton. They are just a few of the irreplaceable Canadian heroes who passed away in 2011.
 

“Occupy” became the word of the year but between you and I “Change” should be, above any other word, the word of the year.  2011 was where you and I both formed a collective with millions of others worldwide. We came together to make the world a better place. We witnessed horrific tragedy…An earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude struck, Japan, triggering a tsunami killing thousands of people. Headlines of the year also included widespread hacking, the death of Steve Jobs, region-wide protests and patent wars.  While Moscow was mourning the death of 35 people who perished in a bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, the Arab world was bubbling under the surface, ready to take on their governments in a series of revolutions.    

How did Estudio Luna do in 2011?  We made some mistakes and at times we failed famously but we also triumphed and we learned and then we grew.  The Dream Room Project became La Sala De Los Sueños Inc.  and we launched Guillermos’s Trail right on schedule. We had some memorable art shows and “occupied” Cello fest before “occupying” was cool.  We took to the streets to protest the lack of press for artists. We wrote love letters and posted them all over the Exchange District.

How will I define the next 12 months as we move towards a leap year? Easy, last year’s words belong to the past…and next year’s words await another voice. I have many challenges ahead of me.  2012 will be about getting The Dream Room Project charitable status. I will take on the City Of Winnipeg and join the political platform. I will finally begin plans for the Winter Show thanks to these lovely ladies of The First Fridays in Winnipeg who have joined my quest to make Winnipeg the coolest place on earth.     

Is there such a thing as Global warming? Maybe yes, maybe no, but don’t let that stop you from living a life less wasteful… as Gandhi once said ““What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”.  Use your voice as a force for good and stop living someone else’s ideas. Participate in random acts of kindness and be an everyday hero by refusing to submit to injustice. Call your mother today and tell her you love her.  Most importantly forgive  and love more passionately.

 In conclusion ladies and gentlemen it has been nothing but awesomeness getting to know you all. You have made 2011 another successful year for this vagabond gallery and in return I promise to continue to strive to keep my promise to do my part in making this a better world!   I would like to thank the entire Estudio Luna family, my own family and the Man upstairs. I wish you all a very happy New Year and greater joy and prosperity for all.  ¡Viva la revolución!

That’s all I got. Ciao!