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Silent Auction: DIWANG PINAY

Please stay tuned for details on the amazing work we'll have up for auction on April 19. Artists from around the nation have donated work to Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment. This event is a great opportunity for you to purchase original art work (all made by Pinays) at very low prices! All money from the Silent Auction will go toward FiRE's programming, so save your allowance and payday splurges, folks, as it's cash only to some great causes! :)

ps: and yes, we WILL have the piece pictured above. More details later. Yet ANOTHER slow reveal for you!

Binky*Bianca all up in here!

DIWANG PINAY just can't wait for this band to handle the night! A fantastic performance and an incredible set of musicians, yet another lovely addition to the line-up on April 19th at Judson Memorial Church:

Binky*Bianca has rocked, shocked, and amused audiences all over the nation; from New York City, Chicago, to becoming the next internet phenomenon! In the last year, the band has pushed their tasty lyrical madness resulting in features at Five Points NYC, Jammin Asian, CBGBs, and the Rock In The Box 2 Fil-Am Compilation Album. The band evolved from singer songwriter Binky Veloria's solo artist career, but has since taken the New York City scene by storm with foot stomping fun refrains, and witty sharp-edged lyrics. Binky*Bianca is known for their brand of musical heartbreak often described as "Cute-with-Spunk Rock," winning their audiences over in perfect irregular time and tempo! Catch Binky*Bianca at their next gig, because they are an experience!

Don't forget to look for their free album to be given out at gigs and also to be available for free download in late 2008! For more information, please visit, www.myspace.com/binkybianca!

Next up: live art at Diwang Pinay!

Fly Lady Di has got to be the most enthusiastic Pinay FiRE's come across in the call for artists! As soon as she offered to do some live art for Diwang Pinay, how could we refuse?! She's an amazing woman, and this one time Miss Manila Runner-up (TRUE STORY!) can be described best via this FAQ, answered by the artist herself:

How would you describe your style?
A cross between cubism, graffiti, art nouveau, and art deco. A sort of Brooklyn Renaissance.

What inspires your work?
Sometimes painting is all I have to express myself (beside dance.) My paintings are songs I can't sing and poems I can't write down. A lot of times, pain drives one to create. Many of my pieces were created out of this. New work inspirer me a lot.

How long does it take you to finish a painting?
It all depends. Some of them have taken weeks, some several months to complete. The journey within the painting is as fascinating as the painting itself, in my opinion. I try to stay patient, because I am a meticulous painter and it takes me a while sometimes to "perfect" and render the way I want (with clean and bold lines.)

Did you go to art school?
I like to say I'm "self-taught," but my Father taught me everything I know about art before I learned it in school. He used to discourage me from art, because he gave up as an artist. But he is probably my biggest supporter now because he sees what I am doing with it.

What are your goals as an artist?
I just really want to perpetuate the tradition of painting. I want to be the next answer to female painters in art history. I want to be a rock-star painter, kind of like a kat von d, but with painting. It is through my live painting performances and art shows that I want to fuse my gift of painting with entertainment as well.

our postcards have arrived!

Thank you to Samantha Smith for doing an incredible job with ALL the DIWANG PINAY logos! :)

and another one!

Our soundwoman extraordinaire for the night! VettieVette has been a fantastic friend to FiRE, from DJing our "Stop the Killings" show in March 2007 to hosting a Pinay Brunch this past winter, we are so happy that this woman's got FiRE's back!

DJ Vettie Vette!

DJ Vettie Vette aka Yvette Cuenco is a Bay Area native Brooklynite with Kapampangan and Mindanao roots. She has been involved with the Pilipino community since she was a kid - from her family's church activities through her days as an undergrad at UCLA. She moved to Brooklyn in 2004 to attend NYU's School of Social Work and has been working full-time as a licensed master social worker at a children's day treatment program in Brooklyn since 2006. Outside of the office, Vettie Vette has been involved in the arts & culture scene for many years - as a writer, events volunteer, and performer. On her spare time DJ Vettie Vette can be seen with her DJ crew - Sistamatik, record shopping, cooking, or enjoying the sights and sounds of her adopted city. She is honored to be a part of the first annual Diwang Pinay. For more information on Vettie Vette's events or to download her mixes, please hit up http://vettievette.wordpress.com.

be our friend everywhere!

Amidst these turbulent times, we're still pushing forth with plans for DIWANG PINAY!

Make sure you let us know you're showing up with this lovely SAVE THE DATE! on facebook. Or! Join our FiRE FACEBOOK GROUP!

191 folks, and counting! :)
Thanks for your support, friends.

Announcing our fiiiiirst confirmed performer!!!!

Diwang Pinay is going to be amazing. You should be there to see it yourself. Without further ado, here she is, the lovely and talented M. Josephine!




Influenced by artists such as Amel Larriuex, A Tribe Called Quest and Jill Scott, new-comer M. Josephine brings her own brand of R&B-Hip Hop-Soul to the stage! This Jersey City native stays true to her passion to uplift the heavy hearts....using musical, artistic abilities to share the struggles she's seen through her eyes and the eyes she's crossed paths with. From Filipino senior citizen parties until the age of 10, open mic's and featuring at showcases in our present time, her drive, passion, and humbleness never cease to grow. Sharing the stage with underground heavy weights such as M1, Silent Knight and Hassan Salaam, MJ proves she is a singer-songwriter worth knowing about!

Please check her out via myspace at http://www.myspace.com/maryjosephinemusic

STAY TUNED FOR THE SLOOOOOOOOW REVEAL! :)

4/19: DIWANG PINAY: Rise, Woman, RISE!

SAVE THE DATE!

Diwang Pinay 2008: Rise, Woman, RISE!
Saturday, April 19, 2008 @ 7 pm to 10 pm
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
NYC, NY 10012
***Take the subway to West 4thm then, walk east along West 4th Street, toward Washington Square Park.

ALL AGES WELCOME!



FEATURING THE WORK OF:
Pinay performers and artist you know and love!
Line up announcement soon! :)



Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment will celebrate its first anniversary! Please join the women of FiRE for a showcase and silent auction of Pinay artists!

Diwang Pinay ("Spirit of the Filipina") is an annual performance and silent auction in New York City showcasing Filipina/ Filipina-American performers, writers, and visual artists. Diwang Pinay promotes the work of Pinay artists everywhere AND represent the expanding cultural backbone of the Filipina diaspora. This FiRE event is one of the few venues solely dedicated to providing Filipinas and Filipina-Americans a platform to display their triumphs and struggles through art, linking history to the narrative of today's Filipina.

April 19, 2008 will mark the first of the annual Diwang Pinay series, and in 2008, calls attention to the human rights violations that run rampant in the Philippines. The toll of women community leaders who are murdered or disappear continue to rise, which has prompted FiRE to create this artistic venue featuring singer/songwriters, performers, and visual artists in order to draw attention to the hostile climate which women organizers face today, and the culture of resistance that triumphantly surfaces during these times.


Performance slots and artist auction submissions are still open until March 15! Please contact Melanie or Hanalei at diwangpinay@gmail.com . For more information, please visit us at www.firenyc.org !

**Many thanks to Sammi Smith who donated her time and talent for the Diwang Pinay logo and flyer!

Are you an artist?!

Hello folks! Thank you so much for your support in the last year! This April, FiRE will be celebrating our one year anniversary at Judson Memorial Church. WE WANT YOU to join our all Pinay line up!

What's below is just for the Silent Auction portion, BUT, we are also looking for bands, performers, singers...anything! :)

email us! diwangpinay@gmail.com

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DIWANG PINAY 2008: Rise, Women, Rise
A Call for Donations for Our Silent Auction

Saturday, April 19, 2008, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE), a volunteer-run, mass-based women's organization serving the New York City area, will celebrate its one year anniversary by hosting the first-ever all Filipina and Filipina-American artists' showcase, DIWANG PINAY ("Spirit of the Filipina"): "Rise, Women, Rise" and is currently accepting donations or art work created by and books authored by Filipina and Filipina-American artist.

Diwang Pinay ("Spirit of the Filipina") is an annual performance and silent auction in New York City showcasing Filipina/ Filipina-American performers, writers, and visual artists. Diwang Pinay hopes to promote the work of Pinay artists everywhere AND represent the expanding cultural backbone of the Filipina diaspora. This FiRE event is one of the few venues solely dedicated to providing Filipinas and Filipina-Americans a platform to display their triumphs and struggles through art, linking history to the narrative of today’s overseas Filipina.

April 19, 2008 will mark the first of the annual Diwang Pinay series, and in 2008, calls attention to the human rights violations that run rampant in the Philippines. The toll of women community leaders who are murdered or disappear continue to rise, which has prompted FiRE to create this artistic venue featuring singer/songwriters, performers, and visual artists in order to draw attention to the hostile climate which women organizers face today, and the culture of resistance that triumphantly surfaces during these times.

Filipina artists of various artistic disciplines from the New York City area and beyond are invited to donate their work to the Diwang Pinay: Rise, Women, Rise Silent Auction. By doing so, you will be entitled to free admission for you and a guest to Diwang Pinay 2008, and recognition in the Diwang Pinay program and website. All proceeds in the sale of your work will go toward sustaining FiRE's community education projects and its future programming.



Submission guidelines:

1) Thank you for your interest in donating your work! This means a lot to us, so please email Melanie Dulfo at diwangpinay@gmail.com with the following information:

Your Name

Your Phone

Your Mailing address

Your email

Artist bio

Description of submitted work

Estimated value of your piece

2) You will then be sent a mailing address where you can send in or drop off your work.

3) Should you need more information, have questions about your specific medium, or anything else, please feel free to email us at diwangpinay@gmail.com. Or visit www.firenyc.org to learn more about Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE.)