neilwaukee: 2011

painting machine

now i hunt used paint cans~

stopped dead in my tracks by the sight of this wonderful painting machine

so gorgous

and the owner of said machine~ Carr Lines.com
http://carrlines.com/

Dear friends it is with heavy heart and tearful eyes that i regretfully have to inform you that Johnny X Banana has passed away, having been snatched from our yard by racoons~ the family will have a service this afternoon
Rest In Peace

the art of the house~ WATER

to shut down seattle steam leathal generators

walking banner

rise and decolonize~ WCPSD

the home occupied by the artists, builders and musicians existed in freedom for twelve days~ things happen fast in this vortex of creation~ the people needed blankets and food first~ beds~ water books second, the art was happening on the streets through outreach to the community~ with whom support was building~ at least five mural projects are on stack

the artist~ Drinkwater

where the history of indigenous people* will be painted

before ~

after~

Olmec head and temple~

this wall was painted with the express encouragement of the building occupants~ surrounded on three sides by churches ~ the people walking passed all say ~ "paint them all !"

locate ~Fir Street between 14 Th and 15 Th ~ Central District

NE!L~ in solidarity

*not the actual name~ i just made that up~ will clarify later

the story behind ~ water

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/12/24/the-story-behind-the-occupy-seattle-artist-house-raided-last-night-by-a-swat-team

The Story Behind the Occupy Seattle Artist House Raided Last Night by a SWAT Team
Posted by Jen Graves on Sat, Dec 24, 2011 at 2:25 PM

Cammi Morgan with the key anonymously given to occupiers

Cammi Morgan with the key anonymously given to occupiers

As Central District News reported, police last night raided a house at 19th and Spruce, arresting three men for charges including "Criminal Trespassing, Property Damage and weapons violations. Other criminal charges may be forthcoming."

According to the SPD's account, the raid was in response to a 911 call that afternoon that alerted them about "multiple male and female subjects who had unlawfully entered and occupied a residence. ...Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspects entered the house and subsequently damaged the interior of the house with graffiti. They also left garbage, open containers of food, and were cooking inside the house on a portable, gas-operated stove."

The house had been bought out of foreclosure in August by Mountaincrest Credit Union, according to CDN. The way the CDN story reads, the house was under renovation and the occupiers were interrupting progress and damaging it—and they'd broken in.

This mural on Fir Street between 14th and 15th was painted yesterday, by Drinkwater, the same Occupy artist who created the Rise & Decolonize banners for the recent port action.

Neil Vandervloed
This mural on Fir Street between 14th and 15th was painted yesterday, by Drinkwater, the same Occupy artist who created the Rise & Decolonize banners for the recent port action.

But that story doesn't match what I learned in a meeting just now with two of the 10 or 12 occupiers who had been in the house for about two weeks.

They held up the house key. An anonymous "elf" had come by the Occupy Seattle encampment at SCCC a few weeks ago and handed them the key and the address, they said. (A different anonymous donor also gave them a sailboat that they'll begin using and painting in the spring.) Inside, they'd begun painting a forest landscape, and planned a waterfall down the staircase; they titled the house "Water." They denied doing damage or being a haven for any kind of destructive activity and said they didn't know of any complaints from neighbors. Instead, they saw the house as a home base for adding art to the immediate neighborhood. To that end, they'd completed a mural nearby yesterday, on Fir Street between 14th and 15th, on a garage wall offered to them by a resident. Also yesterday, another donor gave them furniture: a futon, bookcases.

Two of their fellow occupiers are still in jail, set to be released on bail this afternoon. The third person arrested was not part of the occupation and never had lived in the house, they say. He, along with about 50 other protesters against the raid, had come to show his support, and when he stepped onto the grass, he was arrested, the occupiers say. He is the one charged with weapons violations, they say: He had a pocket knife in his pants pocket, which he then offered to the police, for which they booked him on the weapons charge.

Another painting made by Drinkwater during the occupation at the house at 19th and Spruce.

Neil Vandervloed
Another painting made by Drinkwater during the occupation at the house at 19th and Spruce.

The police did not give the squatters 72 hours eviction notice, and when Cammi Morgan, one of the occupiers, asked whether the police had any contact with the property owner, they said no, she says. It is unclear why the scenario at 19th and Spruce is so different from the other house where Occupy Seattle is squatting, at 23rd and Alder—where anarchist squatters have a court date December 28 and have had plenty of notice of removal.

"This house wasn't about anti-police at all," Morgan says. "Our intention was to show that we could give back to the community. It wasn't about having a roof over our heads—we're all pretty resourceful. We were excited to use the house as a pathway to create art for everyone. We'd offered to touch up the fading murals at the food bank at Saint Mary's. I wanted to offer guitar lessons at the boys and girls club near there."

Neil Vandervloed, creator of the cartoon hand signs that have been the most visible graphic for Occupy Seattle, was bringing community dinners cooked by his wife to the house each night.

"I'm really disappointed," Vandervloed said. "Especially this type of reaction. There were something like 13 cop cars and 30 cops there, with assault rifles, shotguns, and handguns out and drawn—to arrest two artists on Christmas Eve. The neighbors made us hot coffee and stood in solidarity with us as the police raided."

Thanks to Jen Graves and happy holidays to all
NE!L~

seattle police swat team raids artist residence

with overwhelming tactical fire power and well over thirteen squad cars thirty police officers and the SWAT team loaded with hand guns, shotguns and assault rifles~ the much beleaguered Seattle Police Department~ and DOJ reprimanded~ raided the Artist collective named ~
WATER

a group of homeless Artists / musicians and economic refugees~ a group attempting to establish a straightedge environment of creation

peaceful protesters arrested ~ 2
illegally detained citizen ~ 1

artists in handcuffs

Seattle Police Department can't help but give and give this holiday season~ merry Christmas homeless citizens~ get back on the streets~ in the cold and rain~ 'tis the season

the police must have been embarrassed they wouldn't tell anyone their names or divulge their badge numbers~ and then we made one of them cry his eyes out~

we had just furnished this house /brought in more blankets / cooked some french-fries and set up some wicked book shelves for the library w/piranha

then the fire department showed up to board up the doors and lock out our freedom

when i got home~ a friend called to tell me that we had opened the doors again

Thank you so much K & G ! thank you Alder street Turritopsis Nutricula and thank you OS brothers and sisters for support, witness and solidarity

NE!L~ with tears

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU

taking pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures of ~

12D WCPSDWest Coast Port Shut Down

before we arrived there was a lot of trash to pick up and odd juxtaposing

the Port of Seattle's number two trade is human traffic / slave trade / exploitation

the unions asked us to join them on this day of protest~ and then pulled out~ through pressure from above~ at the international level~ the crowd was full of union workers anyway

our people live beneath these super structures

and sleep under concrete clouds

because we wont go home and shut up. . .

because we stopped shopping

because we don't stop when men with guns command

because these are, our streets to peacefully protest upon

to find joy in taking pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures of. . .

just in case we decided to jump into the frozen waters of the sound and start boarding cargo ships

because we wont run home crying in the face of pepper spray, stun grenades and mounted Calvary charges, men in medieval body armor with shields and bright worked batons, against unarmed girls in knit wear and seventy year old priests, who hold their ground, bloodied

because we dare to question the corporations abuse

because they create lines in the street that they stand behind and taunt us from behind helmet sunglasses and hatred~ because we want equality, economic justice and freedom

they have branded us, with the acquiescence of their media the most violent peaceful protesters in the USA

the most dangerous terrorists / anarchist / activists threatening the nation

because we want to be free and brave for you /for us/ for them /who stay home/ and think that they are safe

while we are beaten in the streets ~for talking to each other about the possibilities

NE!L~