James, Karan Present NOMAD TWO WORLDS, 2/22-3/2

NOMAD TWO WORLDS, to be held at Pier 59 Studios West (2415 Michigan Ave, Santa Monica at Bergamot Station), is a sweeping, multi-media collaborative art project conceived by acclaimed fashion photographer and director Russell James.  Incorporating James' incredible photography of Australia's most breathtaking landscapes, some of the world's most beautiful women and interesting people, and the cultural backdrop of Australia and America's ancient, Indigenous music and art scenes, the NOMAD TWO WORLDS exhibition takes us on a modern day journey of political importance as the embodiment of an emerging, positive message of Reconciliation that is currently unfolding from the ashes of a tragic collision of cultures. 
 
As conceptualized and created by Western Australia born Russell James, the exhibition focuses on three global themes: Innocence - our indigenous past; Inhibition - our conflicted present; and Discovery - our collaborative future.   Indigenous artists from Australia, including key Nomad artist Clifton Bieundurry, have collaborated with James to create a set of unique, hybrid art pieces, many new pieces of which will be premiered at the Los Angeles exhibition as well as the first collaborations between NOMAD TWO WORLDS and the Native American artisan community.  Additionally, a special project between NOMAD TWO WORLDS and the artisans of Haiti will be announced. Brought together by President Clinton's Global Initiative (www.clintonglobalinitiative.org), ONEXONE Foundation (www.onexone.org) and Urban Zen (www.Urbanzen.com), several Haitian pieces will be previewed and the full details of the special project and its supporters unveiled.
 
The exhibition will also feature a powerful music and video collaboration between Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas (a Shoshone Native American) and a young Indigenous Australian music artist Corey Webster whom Nomad met at Sydney's Redfern Community Center during an education outreach program surrounding their Melbourne Exhibit in October of 2009 (which may be viewed at www.NomadTwoWorlds.com).  Additional music and audio-visual presentations will run on several large screens in the gallery, and integrate the Indigenous sounds, songs and stories of the collaborative artists with the visual experience of the art itself, creating an immersive, emotional, and insightful environment for the collection and it's viewers.
 
Vital to NOMAD TWO WORLDS is its outreach to schools and community organizations to assist them in visits to the gallery to experience first hand indigenous art, music and culture directly from the indigenous community, artists and educators.  On designated Family Days, which will be held on Saturday, February 26th and Sunday, February 27th, the gallery becomes a space for children to have fun and learn through 'hands on' lessons in indigenous music, dance and art directly from Nomad artists. An additional adult education program and symposium will be run out of the exhibition space by NOMAD TWO WORLDScharitable partner in Australia Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (www.tichr.com.au), LA community partner LACE (www.welcometolace.org), a publicly supported 501(c)(3) organization, and that has brought socially responsible art and messaging to the greater Los Angeles community, and Donna Karan's URBAN ZEN (www.urbanzen.org), a charitable organization dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Indigenous cultures worldwide.