Day 3 (20 day story) Year 2002
Year 2002 – Art Title: “Blue Print for the American Dream”
DOWNLOAD ART 2002 “Blue Print for the American Dream”
Open Source/Copy Left: Actual size: 44” X 62”
Website: AmericanHistory2000-2012.com
Read the story at: AmericanHistory2000-2012.com – updates and news
Follow Events : Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/21stCenturyHistory
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisunitesus/
Twitter: @GayeLub
#whatdowehaveincommon #thisunitesus #21stcenturyamericanhistory #unumecho #RNC #DNC #activist #politics
01/02/2002 – The Euro became the common currency for twelve countries in the European Union. The biggest money change ever.
01/29/2002 – Four months after President Bush told us that we invaded Afghanistan because the Taliban would not hand over Osama bin Laden, he changed the war justification at his State of the Union address, saying that the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, because the Islamic regime did not respect the human rights of Afghan citizens.
In this speech, Bush introduces the terms “Axis of Evil” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (WMD, he also says that America will not wait to be attacked. “America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation’s security.”
06/17/2002 – Bush unveils his “Blueprint for the American Dream” A Public/Private Partnership to increase Minority Homeownership by 5.5 Million. They target marketed Hispanics, African Americans and faith-based communities. Easy credit became available for everyone. When the Easy Credit dried out 5 years later, our inflated assets deflated, people lost their jobs and their homes.archives.hud.gov/initiatives/blueprint/blueprint.pdf
07/26/2002 – DOMESTIC SPYING/HOMELAND SECURITY PASSED. This new addition to the US Patriot Act was signed into law on 10/26/2001 by George W. Bush without informing the American people.
09/12/2002: President Bush addresses the United Nations and warns members that Iraq presents a grave danger to the world that they must confront, or that the United States and others will act unitarily.
10/02/2002 – A few days before the US Senate voted to authorize the use of Military Force against Iraq, US senators were briefed that the Iraqi government had the means of delivering biological and chemical weapons by drones that could be launched from ships to attack US eastern cities and Colin Powell suggested to the United Nations that drones were transported out of Iraq and could be launched against the United States. Meantime the US Air Force challenged the CIA’s conclusions by denying outright that Iraq possessed any offensive drone capability. In spite of the controversy, US Congress passes a resolution giving authority to the US President to use military forces as he thinks necessary.
Public relations: The U.S. government engaged in an elaborate domestic campaign to market the war to its citizens. The administration declared that Saddam Hussein’s government had sought to purchase yellow cake uranium from Niger. The supporting evidence to this was later proven false.
Leave a comment
Day 2 (20 day story) Year 2001
Year 2001 “9/11”
DOWNLOAD ART 2001 “9/11
Open Source/Copy Left: Actual size: 92” X 44”
Website: AmericanHistory2000-2012.com – updates and news
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/21stCenturyHistory
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisunitesus/
Twitter: @GayeLub
#whatdowehaveincommon #thisunitesus #21stcenturyamericanhistory #unumecho #RNC #DNC #activist #politics 
03/15/2001 – Bush abandons the 1997 Kyoto Climate Change Global Treaty.
06/11/2001 – 178 nations sign the Kyoto Treaty without the United States support.
06/ 2001 – The Bush Tax Cuts will add $2.6 Trillion to our public debt in their first 10 years, plus $400 Billion (interest) servicing the debt created by the cuts.
What do we have in common?
Power in control took advantage of those they controlled.
09/10/2001 – Donald Rumsfeld admits that $2.3 Trillion is missing from the Pentagon.
What do we have in common?
We are all victims of reckless monetary policy.
09/11/2001 – 9/11: America is devastated.
What do we have in common?
We all witnessed this attack on American soil.
What do we have in common?
We will never forget!
09/12/2001 – The day after the attack President George W. Bush announced a War On Terrorism intent on targeting both terrorists and those who harbored them. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced that Osama bin Laden was a suspect.
O9/18/2001 – One week after 9/11 letters containing ANTHRAX were mailed to several news media offices and two Democratic U.S. Senators, killing five people and infecting 17 others. News media spread the fear of biological attacks.
NOTE: On 09/19/2010 CNN announced that the FBI concluded its investigation into the 2001 anthrax mailings, saying that a US biodefense researcher carried out the attacks alone.
What Unites Us:
We were afraid.
09/21/2001 – BUSH: “Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists”
Throughout the next 8 years images of American Flags are broadcasted to show support for American patriotism.
What do we have in common?
You got a second glance if you did not participate.
10/07/2001 – We are at WAR:
The Taliban agreed to hand over Osama bin Laden upon evidence of his connection with 9/11. The US could not present proof implicating Osama but it went to war by starting air strikes in Afghanistan.
NOTE: 2006 FBI says “NO hard evidence connecting Osama Bin Laden to 9/11”.
10/26/2001 – “USA PATRIOT ACT and DOMESTIC SPYING” is signed into law by George W. Bush.
What do we have in common?
We didn’t know about this until later.
We did not know then that the Patriot Act will be used to undermine our hard earned rights.
2001 – US Federal Reserve lowers the federal funds rate 11 times from 6% to 1.74% creating an easy credit environment that fueled the growth of US subprime mortgages.
The economic message to the American people: We are going to give you a lot of credit so you can live the American Dream. Keep on spending money, you’ll feel better. When you’ve used up all of your credit were going to stop the cash flow, too bad if you lose your job, pension and home along the way. Don’t pay attention, you are going to inherit the war debt.
What do we have in common?
We got blamed for the consequences.
Leave a comment
Day 1 (20 day story) American History 2000 – 2012
DAY 1. (20 day story)
This historical visual art collection will debut in Cleveland, OH July 16th and 17th, will be publicly displayed July 18 -21 during the 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC) and July 25-28 in Philadelphia, PA during the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC). It is meant to remind us of the events we lived with during the beginning of this 21st Century, including the role of our public figures and the influence of mainstream media and less known institutions.
Resisting the trends to divide us, this shared historical review is asking Americans to explore specific questions. “What do we have in common?” and “What Unites US?”
“American History 2000–2012” is a collection of 13 collages one per year starting with 2000 and ending with 2012. These collages show images and words that were presented to the American people through newspapers, magazines, Internet, television, billboards and tabloids. We saw these images whether we wanted to or not.
There is a fourteenth panel called the “Grid” which shows statistical information of what happened to the American people during the beginning of our 21st Century.
This historical art collection is a tool to understand our current 21st Century. It reminds us how public opinion was influenced. It tells our story of what we witnessed and how we were collectively entrained.
I have a story tell. In preparation for these exhibits I need to express what “American History represents. I will post once a day for the next 20 days at:
AmericanHistory2000-2012.com. Click updates and news
My goal is to help viewers identify the forces that try to divide us, ask, “What do we have in common and start responding “This Unites Us”.
You can follow the story and journey at: AmericanHistory2000-2012.com – updates and news
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/21stCenturyHistory
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thisunitesus/
#whatdowehaveincommon #thisunitesus #21stcenturyamericanhistory #unumecho
TWITTER @GayeLub
Personal Note: What “American Visual History 2000–2012” has taught me is how our collective behavior has been entrained by mainstream media, focusing on what divides us. I am convinced that we can consciously break the media spell by focusing on what we Americans have in common.
Please share this story and ask yourself “What do we have in common?”
Sincerely, Gaye Lub
Background Information: In 1998, Citibank, the Largest Bank in the United States, illegally merged with Travelers Group Insurance to become Citigroup. This created a huge conglomerate that was specifically prohibited by law. Citigroup got away with it by receiving a temporary waiver from the Federal Reserve and by having Congress pass in 1999 the “Citigroup Relief Act” which changed the rules by allowing commercial banks, investment banks, securities firms and insurance companies to consolidate and becoming “Too Big to Fail”.
Signed: President Bill Clinton
The Year 2000 – “Y2k”
DOWNLOAD ART 2000 “Y2k
Open Source/Copy Left: Actual size: 44” X 62”
Website: AmericanHistory2000-2012.com – updates and news
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/21stCenturyHistory
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisunitesus/
Twitter: @GayeLub
#whatdowehaveincommon #thisunitesus #21stcenturyamericanhistory #unumecho
09/2000: “Project for the New American Century” (PNAC), launched a 90 page report titled: “REBUILDING AMERICA’S DEFENSES – Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century”, which soon became a script for exploitation and expansion of military power throughout the world.
Researching PNAC I found key members were a web of politicians, authors, journalists, publishers and the news media. There was also an alarming interconnection between core members and other Think Tanks with similar agendas, who’s funding also came from family foundations that profited from conflict and war.
2000 Election
11/07/2000 – Presidential Election Day is undefined, it revolves around the votes of one State: Florida. Florida’s governor, Jeb Bush, is the brother of one of the candidates bringing conflict of interest issues.
11/25/2000 – Five Members of the U.S. Supreme Court stunned the Nation when they held that Florida Law allowed NO time to count the remaining 175,000 votes.
12/09/2000 – U.S. Supreme Court orders to halt to manual recount of presidential votes in Florida. As a result, George Bush wins the 2000 Presidential Election by 537 Votes.
To implement PNAC’s plan “Rebuilding Americas Defenses”, Bush had to win the 2000 election. Of the twenty-five people who signed PNAC’s founding statement of principles, ten went on to serve in the George W. Bush administration.
The “GRID” shows relations that were not easily recognized when I started documenting our XXI Century. It also shows statistical data regarding “What Happened To US”. Printed full scale this image is: 92″ wide X 44″ tall.
DOWNLOAD ART The “Grid
Open Source/Copy Left: Actual size: 92” X 44”
Website: AmericanHistory2000-2012.com – updates and news
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/21stCenturyHistory
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisunitesus/
Twitter: @GayeLub
#whatdowehaveincommon #thisunitesus #21stcenturyamericanhistory #unumecho
Leave a comment
Taking It To The Streets
In two days I will begin broadcasting a story segmented over 20 days, identifying what my artwork, “American History 2000 – 2012,” represents.
It is a chronological story showcasing how American society, culture and mass opinion has been sidetracked, blindsided, maneuvered and
Taking It To The Streets
entrained to accept decisions motivated by profit and benefit for a few at the expense of the many.
Forewarned, this narrative stirs up memories and emotions as told to us through the eyes of mainstream media.
With a political election on the horizon our news and collective energy reminds us that we have a voice. It’s important to be informed and to be aware.
My intentions are to bring this historical art collection to the streets, starting a dialogue, coming up with solutions and find ways to unify people that are constantly being separated in the media. We are in this together. We will work together. Let’s begin by asking, “What do we have in common?”
You can follow the story at:
http://AmericanHistory2000-2012.com (Updated and News)
or follow my facebook page “Taking It To The Streets”
http://facebook.com/21stCenturyHistory
To view a 7-minute video go to: http://vimeo.com/50031301
Sincerely, Gaye Lub
Please FOLLOW the story; it is a crash course in 21st Century US History.
Leave a comment
Taking It To The Streets
With sincere gratitude I want to thank Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series, Russell and Danny Simmons from the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, Andre Guichard, Bombay Sapphire National Curator, Chris Davies, Founder of Fabrik Media and Justin Giarla owner of Shooting Gallery in San Francisco, CA, for allowing me the opportunity to be a Semi-Finalist in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Art Competition.
When I received my acceptance notification I was dumbfounded. My first reaction was “Who Were The Judges? I know the art I’ve been trying to promote but I needed to remind myself what they saw and question what did they see that inspired them to choose me as a semi finalist.
Thank you gentlemen for giving me the opportunity to come out of the closet.
After 2 years in storage, my family and I re-surfaced the 14 panels, dusted them off and were able to hang one panel “2012 – Wag the Dog” at the Shooting Gallery in San Francisco. Friday October 30th was the opening reception. I felt delighted to be around so many creative people and appreciate the many friends that came to share the experience.
During this summer (2015) I started researching galleries and museums that would consider showing my work. The time feels right for bringing “American History 2000 – 2012” forward for public viewing.
The obstacles about the series “American History 2000 – 2012” I felt related to size. There are 14 panels that cover over 300 square feet. Side by side they are 70’ wide. I asked Justin Giarla from the Shooting Gallery if he had suggestions on how to move this series forward. His response was honest. “Galleries don’t like to display political work”.
This shocked me. I’ve been told my series is political before. Each time I hear this I have a strong internal reaction. I don’t get it. I feel “American History 2000 – 2012” is a social and cultural interactive art representation of what we (the people) witnessed the first 12 years of this 21st century. If it’s political exposing images and words that were mass projected at us what does this mean?
What I’ve witnessed watching people view the panels is that they remember where they were when key events happened and start remembering and telling their stories. It’s an amazing experience to witness.
“Taking It To The Streets” I’m inspired by words I read about Danny Simmons. With his brother Russell Simmons they established the Rush Philanthropic Arts. Their foundation was born out of a need to secure exhibitions for artists that galleries weren’t supporting.
The morning after the opening I laid in bed looking at my husband. When his eyes opened and he smiled back at me I said “I have to take it to the streets”. His response was “I know”.
My husband taught me at the beginning of our relationship (32 years) that if I want to talk to him about a problem, I needed to also think about a solution first.
The past two years I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. There are so many compounded, interconnecting issues that it feels helpless, but it isn’t. There are solutions.
One of the problems is that we are consistently being told that we are divided.
The terminology needs to be turned around.
Accept the fact that our worlds have broadened and we are becoming more united as a planet and a species. It’s important to honor our social and cultural diversities. It feels critical that we communicate with each other and acknowledge what we have in common, so we can make conscious decisions based on the future of our children.
Why this is important! Look how much the world has changed this century. Where are we headed? Decisions are being made that choreograph our future. American Democracy represents Corporate Globalization. I have questions I want to ask “How did this happen and what does this mean for our future”.
I also want to listen. I want to hear what people are saying as they think about their recent history and question issues that affect their nation and local communities.
This happened recently. I listened to a woman question a key issue and felt OH! but theirs so much more, how do we tackle it all, when I told my self to listen and heard how deep her concerns were. It was real and powerful. Immediately I wanted to document her and start making a data base.
Is it possible, taking “American History 2000 – 2012” on the road, could help be a vehicle to unite people and give them a voice?
With a political election on the horizon people need to remember what happened and look for positive solutions.
Wish me luck! Currently my intention is to take it to the streets in the Bay Area in spring 2016 and head east in the summer!
Leave a comment
