The Art Worker 019
CAL IRL @ ICA LA Thursday, February 22, 5-6:30pm
Join us at our next monthly CAL IRL @ ICA LA gathering: February 22, 5-6:30pm. The CAL volunteer working group decided to shift the focus of our remaining three gatherings at ICA LA from community meet and greet to open monthly working group meetings. We hope you’ll join us for what will be our FIRST EVER in-person working group meeting! Till now, these meetings have always been online, and it’s going to be fantastic to work together in person. February’s formal agenda will include an overview of the current state of the organization from co-founder Corrina Peipon; an update on our newest initiative, in partnership with The Artist’s Contract; an open floor to discuss priorities for 2024; and a teach-in on membership drives as crowdfunding from CAL volunteer, artist, musician, activist, and nonprofit development professional Kelly Marie Martin.
Come early to see the glorious, historic new exhibition Scratching at the Moon—the first focused survey of Asian American artists in a major Los Angeles contemporary art museum. The ICA LA is located at 1717 E 7th Street, LA, CA 90021. The galleries will be open until 7pm, and admission to ICA LA is always free.
P.S. There is a new self-pay parking lot across the street if parking is scarce in the ICA LA lot or on the street :)
About CAL IRL @ ICA LA: For 6 months in 2023, this event was a monthly informal gathering for art workers to get together, talk openly about the opportunities and challenges we face in our life’s work, and build toward CAL’s long term goal of offering professional support, community services, and advocacy opportunities in a cooperatively owned community center. In February, March, and April of 2024, we’ll gather at this time to work through the monthly agenda of our volunteer working group. Join us, and get involved!
Nurses’ Campaign to Win Medicare for All
Cathy Fairbanks
CAL volunteer, artist, and nurse
Dear Readers of The Art Worker and Supporters of Contemporary Art League,
Here is an excerpt from the most recent blast from the Medicare For All campaign.
Did you know that AB2200, our California version of Medicare for All which is backed by the largest California nursing union, the California Nurses Association, was just put forward in the California Assembly?
And it's Black History Month so let's talk about inequality in health outcomes.
Some of the worst disparities in health outcomes between Black and white communities are seen in maternal and infant health. For decades, Black mothers and their infants have faced heightened risks of complications and even death. According to the Tufts Center for Black Maternal Health & Reproductive Justice, “Black mothers are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.”
In our current, profit-driven health care system, inequities in health insurance, family income, and access to care can contribute to this. A major way to eliminate those factors would be through Medicare for All—a single-payer health care system that guarantees the same high quality care for ALL, regardless of a person’s race, ethnicity, income, employment, or location.
We have a lot of work to do to address structural racism and implicit bias within our society and health care system, but a major piece of the puzzle to end racial disparities in maternal and infant health could be solved by passing Medicare for All.
Thanks for everything you do to spread the word and build support for our nationwide campaign to pass Medicare for All and achieve true health care justice.
Members of Contemporary Art League, and Readers of The Art Worker, if you wanna get involved in the movement for equality, then reach out: info@medicare4all.org
Edited in solidarity with Nurses’ Campaign to Win Medicare for All and Contemporary Art League,
Cathy Fairbanks
Note: As we work collectively toward Medicare for All, Covered California and MediCal offer more support than many people know. If you need help navigating these systems, click here for more information about Help with Health Insurance. And get out there this year, and VOTE—locally and nationally! More than ever, your vote MATTERS.
In Solidarity
The Sustainable Economies Law Center is offering a copyright law workshop on February 20 with attorney and friend of CAL Alex Glancy. The event is currently at capacity but has a waiting list. Join their newsletter for updates.
Artists for Democracy, also known as A4D continues its great work. Get involved, and let’s get out the vote, friends and comrades!
Nor Research Studio is organizing a series of workshops and other events via its Working Group Z project over the coming months at Navel. These programs sound thought-provoking, inspiring, and generative—click here for a schedule and to register.
Founded by artist Kathryn Andrews, The Judith Center is advocating for gender equality through interdisciplinary actions.
How can I get involved with Contemporary Art League?
Join us
Come visit, share ideas, and get inspired at CAL IRL @ ICA LA. The next gathering is Thursday, February 22, 5-6:30pm at ICA LA.
Get free, confidential Help with Health Insurance.
Spread the word
Forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues.Volunteer
Working group meetings take place monthly on Thursdays at 5pm at ICA LA. Email us to join the volunteer working group mailing list, and join us at ICA LA.Write for The Art Worker
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