January 12, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Bread and Roses garment mill workers strike in Lawrence, MA. And just as today’s Occupy Wall Street movement focuses on the 99% and 1%, the truth of 1912 was that 1% of the richest Americans owned 50% of the country’s wealth. Conducting a difficult eight-week struggle during the dead of winter against “Textile Trust” mill owners, banks, state militia, police, clergy and local government, this strike involved thousands of immigrants, nearly half women, fighting for justice and human rights, a watershed moment in the history of American labor struggles. LaborFest will be commemorating this event with a cultural and arts event at ILWU Local 34 at 801 2nd Street, San Francisco, next to AT&T stadium.
We call for submission of works from the San Francisco Bay Area that honor the Bread and Roses strikers and also connect that historic struggle to immigrants and working people today. Also welcome are works that explore, within the conceptual framework of labor, the disparity of wealth then and now and the paradox of a society still entrenched in the 99% / 1% equation one hundred years later. Artists may submit work in any medium. Please send one to four digital images (.jpg or .pdf file format) to David Duckworth, Curator: duckdiva@yahoo.com. Deadline for submission is Saturday, December 10th. Artists will be notified of inclusion by Friday, December 16th. Please include complete contact information, including mailing address and telephone number, artist’s statement, and brief curriculum vitae. For further information:
dpduckworth 
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