First Friday at Global Fayre

First Friday is almost upon us. We’re excited to have another showing for Brad Brasser. Brad will be showing a brand new collection of his work – so new that we haven’t actually see it for ourselves yet!

When: Friday Jan 2nd, 6pm to 10pm

Where: Global Fayre, 324 S Campbell

Still Life

Self Portrait

Nude

Yellow Man

Boy

Brad Brasser – self portrait

Free Parking at College Station

Great news!
We got this press release recently from the Urban District Alliance (UDA)….

Parking Decks Update:

Dec. 18, 2008

News Release

For Immediate Release

The new downtown College Station and Heer’s parking decks will offer
free parking seven days a week for all downtown patrons effective
immediately.

This creates more free weekend parking for visitors to all downtown
businesses in addition to the validated parking that had already been
offered by Hollywood Theaters. Under this full-time free parking, no
validation will be needed at the theaters.

The City is able to offer the free parking at least until the
additional build out of the College Station project is completed. The
capacity in the parking decks and the two surface lots on the northeast and
northwest corners of Campbell Avenue and Olive Street was designed to handle
both the theater traffic and the eventual build out of College Station. A
total of 975 spaces are available, with about 800 of them covered parking
adjacent to the project.

The current capacity of the parking decks and surface lots is proving
to be sufficient to guarantee enough parking for theater patrons, so the
City is able to add free parking on weekends as well as during the week.

For more information, contact: Louise Whall, Director of Public Information,
864-1010.

Cholera in Zimbabwe

Today we heard from President Mugabe that the cholera outbreak is contained – so that’s alright then, right?

Global Fayre hosts photographic exhibition from the World Food Program

We’re excited to be hosting an exhibition of photos from around the world, courtesy of the Springfield Branch of the Friends of the World Food Program.

When: Friday December 12th

Where: Global Fayre

Time: 7pm to 9pm

Join us anytime between 7 and 9 to view photographs from the world, and to hear more about the World Food Program. Find out more here.

Meltdown in Zimbabwe

It’s really sad to hear and read what’s happening in Zimbabwe. What makes it worse is that the ‘popular’ media seems to have too many other distractions to give anything like comprehensive coverage to the situation there. And even though we do hear from many politicians expressing disquiet and concern, it still seems like we are going to have to wait TOO long before anything is done to remedy the situation.

How bad do things have to get before something is done? Here’s how a few leaders have described things:

Three members of The Elders, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former United States President Jimmy Carter and international advocate for women and children’s rights Mrs Graça Machel tried to visit Zimbabwe on 22 and 23 November but were unable to enter the country. Instead they met Zimbabwean political leaders, civil society and business representatives, donors, aid workers and UN agency heads over three days in Johannesburg. They have released a detailed report on the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe, calling on SADC (South African Development Community) leaders to acknowledge the seriousness of the refugee crisis in the region, stop deportations to Zimbabwe and establish a regional coordination mechanism to address and contain Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic.

Speaking in Denmark during her farewell ‘world tour’ Condoleezza Rice, said on December 5th “Robert Mugabe should have gone a good while ago”, and leave the power he’s held in Zimbabwe for 28 years consecutively. “If this is not the moment that it is obvious to the international community that it is time to demand what is right, I don’t know when that moment will ever come. The people of Zimbabwe have already suffered too much”

Britain’s Gordon Brown has described the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, which has claimed almost 600 lives as an “international emergency“. The Prime Minister said conditions in the African state had deteriorated to such an extent that the international community must stand together and tell Robery Mugabe “enough is enough”. The disease epidemic has so far killed 575 people and left another 13,000 sick since an outbreak in August. In a statement Mr Brown said there was a duty to give the Zimbabwean people a “better future”.

Disturbingly, a search for comments from either President Bush or President-elect Obama shows nothing of substance in recent times. Whilst current events in the United States are obviously of paramount importance for both of them, it would be an abdication of their responsibility for them not to take a lead regarding Zimbabwe.

For Global Fayre, the cholera epidemic was made all the more real and personal this week. We received an email from Liv, of Originals from Africa. Liv is our source for the wonderful beaded creatures, made by Bernard,  that so many customers of the store have appreciated.  Bernard is currently in the United States seeking political asylum, meaning a period of enforced separation from his wife and family. Liv wrote to tell us that Bernard’s son had just died of cholera.

It is clear that what was once one of the leading economies in Africa is now deteriorating at an alarming rate. Of course we here in the United States are going through a crisis of our own, but it is nothing compared to the suffering that has been and will be experienced in Zimbabwe if nothing is done to remove the current leadership and reverse the current spiral of decline.

First Friday at Global Fayre

Just one day to go before December’s First Friday Art Walk in downtown Springfield.

Global Fayre is excited to have live music again, this time from Stringfield.

Stringfield is a hammered dulcimer duo that has been playing together for over 10 years. Gail Morrissey and Victoria Johnson are both 1^st place winners of the Southern Regional Dulcimer Championships, Gail placed at the Nationals and Victoria placed 1^st as Oklahoma State Champ. They have traveled to Japan to participate in the Sister City exchange and have played many other events and festivals. Stringfield comes in many variations from duos, trios and a full Old Time string band with fiddle, guitar and bass added. Their sound ranges from World Music to Old Time American or whatever has captured their imagination, and for the December Art Walk they will feature a Christmas set.