|
Feb 10
|
The Prince Street House
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 – West Oakland Beat“The Prince Street House,” located on Prince Street in Berkeley’s south end, is filled with messy-hair-sporting, big-glasses-wearing, thrift-store-junkie type kids drinking cheap wine. Milling around the collection of paintings, photographs and other mixed media, Anthony Fonda instructs the crowd to go ahead and listen to that music on the Ipod nailed to the wall. It works and yes, it’s art.
Fonda, an eccentric local artist from West Oakland, was showing at the Prince Street House art show Saturday night along with many other local artists. Fonda, with his piercing black eyes and the wild hand gestures he threw while speaking about just about anything, stood out amongst the other artists by his palpable passion for creating. Desiree Dedolce, who has known Fonda since he moved to Oakland two years ago, gushes of the passion Fonda feels for things in his life. “He goes 100 percent for whatever he wants. He just manifests things, I wish I had that trait,” says Dedolce.
West Oakland Beat
Fonda, 24, originally from Santa Monica, California, moved up to the Bay Area in August 2007 to escape the dead-end road he was traveling on. “I just worked two sh–ty jobs in restaurants, making no money and unable to make art from the hours,” said Fonda. “I just packed up and left trying to find an environment I fit into better.” He could not have found a better place. Fonda lives in the Vulcan Lofts on West Oakland’s San Leandro Street. These lofts and others located in West Oakland’s warehouses are a popular place for young artists to take over.
Although Fonda says there is no “real apex” for the art scene in the East Bay, West Oakland seems to be one of them. The cheap rent and relative freedom an artist has to do what he or she wants with the property keeps the art scene strong in this part of Oakland. Young artists are able to live in the many warehouse lofts for rent hovering around $100 to $200 a person, if they decided to live with others. Artists from West Oakland, and other parts of the Bay Area, will get together and hold events to showcase their budding talents. Interdisciplinary shows are mostly on the bill, which include an assortment of different media, music, painting, collage, performance art, and interactive art.
Fonda’s passion for art crosses many mediums, but his main focus is paint and collage. At the recent art show at “The Prince Street House,” Fonda showcased two huge oil paint portraits of a pelican and a zebra. Both, though dull in color mostly, had such detail and layering it looked as if the animals were alive within the canvas. Swapping is a main factor Fonda focuses on in his interview. He speaks often of the “art world” and those who inhabit it with such distaste. “I’m into swaps because artists don’t have a bunch of money,” says Fonda. “The art world is full of elitists who use money to buy creativity, galleries are full of garbage.”
“People like to buy into that sh-t, the art scene, young people scene. It’s all about appealing to someone,” said Fonda. Where does school fall into place with these kids, and even Fonda? Many of the young artists have been to some form of instruction yet most drop out after a few years. Elise Mahan, an art history major at San Francisco State University, says she can see where the mindset of these kids comes from. “I think they see art as an extension of themselves and not necessarily as a career,” says Mahan, “When they are in school they feel like it is as if they are working towards a career, that takes the passion out of it, makes it mechanical.” It’s not something Fonda has a choice in either. When asked if he ever thought about quitting art he said, “it’s not something you quit, it’s not an occupation.” Fonda’s philosophy on life seems very Marxist in nature. The swapping of goods according to one’s ability, the communal living and the freedom of “chance operations” would suggest this.
Fonda hopes to perpetuate the environment he so craves and to keep the creative spirit alive in his neighborhood of Oakland. A steady art space and “maybe” an art buyer, someone to commission and sell his art for him, are two of his main dreams. “I want a place where kids can come and just create,” says Fonda, “ trade pieces, just keep the flow of creative ideas out there.” Every hello is triumphant, every good bye a heartbreak with Fonda. In his usual dominant manner he exclaims, “Here’s your theme, I’m looking to be successful as an anti-academic, which will probably fail, but I have a lot of fun.”
Posted by Jocie at 2:33 PM
|
Feb 05
|
Gotta be “Fonda” the Tigers
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 – Herb Smith – Democrat Argus
Vohland Fonda running for Caruthersville Tigers
Caruthersville, MO — Something had to give going into Monday night’s second-round playoff game between the Caruthersville Tigers (10-2) and Crystal City (7-5) at Hopke Field. The Hornets came in averaging 46 points per game in its last four contests, while the Tigers’ defense had allowed just six points and pitched three straight shutouts during that same span. The CHS defense bent, but did not break and allowed only a last second score in dominating the visitors 35-6 to advance to the round three Saturday at Brentwood.
Meanwhile, the Tigers got five touchdowns and 278 yards on 30 carries from star running back Vohland Fonda, who continued his impressive run in the playoffs. Fonda has now rushed for 550 yards and eight touchdowns in the two Caruthersville wins. Caruthersville coach Brad Gerling said he challenged the Tigers to be at their best on every play and they delivered. “That is what they stepped up and did. I really think they answered that call this week. They came out and battled on every single snap whether it was nothing to nothing at the beginning of the game or 35 to nothing at the end of the game.” (…)
Middleton hit speedy Peter Lloyd for gains of 15 and 35 yards and after two runs by Antonio Hopkins out of the “Wild Tiger” set netted 18 yards, Fonda took it in from 22 yards out at the 1:11 mark to make it 6-0. Jeffery Massengale, who was a perfect 5-for-5 on the night, added the PAT to make it 7-0. (…)
Middleton found Lloyd for a 29-yard hookup on third-and-12, with Lloyd making a circus catch to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, Fonda made it 14-0 with a nine-yard run with 2:41 left in the half. (…)
The Tigers got a first down and goal from inside the one yard line when Smith hauled in a 28-yard reception from Middleton, but were unable to punch it in on two running plays to Fonda before Middleton was picked off in the end zone. (…)
A late hit by Crystal City on Fonda set up the Tigers’ third score. Fonda then took it from midfield to the house with 5:33 left in the third quarter to make it 21-0. Fonda added a 12-yard TD run with 3:06 left in the third quarter to make it 28-0 and the Tigers invoked the mercy clock on an opponent for the second week in a row when Fonda broke a 94-yard touchdown run with under 30 seconds left in the third quarter. (…)
Vohland Fonda was selected for the 2009 Semo-Central All-Conference Team 1st Team.
Also see article on the Caruthersville Basketball Team.
|
Jan 28
|
Crocodiles move into luxury lagoon
Thursday, January 28, 2010 © The Cairns PostCROCODILES are lurking in the man-made lagoon at a luxury estate at Trinity Beach, posing dangers for pets, children and the area’s wildlife, residents claim. Residents of the gated community within the Blue Lagoon Resort say at least two crocs have been seen in the estate’s 2ha lagoon.
Danger: Chelsea and Lachlan Fonda at the entrance to Trinity Beach’s Blue Water Lagoon where crocodiles have been sighted swimming.
In 2005 developer John Murphy built a croc-proof fence across a spillway at the northern side of the lagoon after reports of sightings. Resident Justin Littlefield yesterday said the fence was failing to stop salties from entering. “The fence until last week had a pipe protruding through into the Coral Sea to pump salt water into the lagoon to control algae growth; now the fence has a hole as the pump and piping has been removed,” he said. “I observed with other residents a crocodile about 1.5m in length cruising the lagoon on Sunday.
“Other residents report the croc ate a duck swimming in the lagoon. I’m waiting for a little dog to get monstered.” Resident Charlie Fonda said he saw a croc’s head, more than 60cm long, peering above the lagoon’s surface while walking through the estate with his son Lachlan last week. “I have to remind the kids to not go too close to the lagoon,” he said.
Speaking to The Cairns Post while on holiday in the Philippines yesterday, Mr Murphy said he had not heard of any recent sightings but didn’t rule out the possibility. “Anywhere in Cairns close to water is prone to crocodiles, it’s quite possible something could get in there,” he said.
“If there have been reports of sightings the EPA will get called to do a search and will relocate the animal but it’s the first I’ve heard about it.” Mr Littlefield said a croc-warning sign had recently been erected at the entry into Trinity Beach.
|
Jan 25
|
BmoreArt
BmoreArt is dedicated to showcasing and reviewing the visual arts in Baltimore.Thursday, January 21, 2010
Recent Works at the John Fonda Gallery Friday, January 29
|
|
|
|
|
Opening Reception: Friday, January 29, 6-8 p.m.
John Fonda Gallery
45 West Preston Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Located at Theatre Project
Hours: M-F Noon-4 p.m. or by appointment
|
Jan 25
|
Faith & Finance: A Boom in Religious Funds
SmartMoney Magazine by Daren Fonda, Published December 22, 2009What if Jesus were a stock picker?
It’s a question more investors seem to be asking these days. At a time when investors’ confidence in the markets has been shaken—even after the big rally of 2009—experts say a growing number of Americans are integrating their faith with their finances. The number of religious mutual funds has tripled over the past decade, to more than 90—with one now available for almost every flock, from evangelical Christians to Mennonites and Muslims.
Religious funds now control more than $27 billion in assets, up from $10 billion in the late 1990s, making it one of the hottest sectors in the broader category of socially responsible funds. “People are waking up and saying, ‘What I do with my money ought to reflect my values,’” says David Miller, a scholar at Princeton University’s Center for the Study of Religion.
Socially responsible funds have been around for years, of course, attracting both diehard followers and critics who see their stock-screening methods as a drag on returns. But the faith-fund boom is part of a growing hunger among religious people for financial guidance. While some financial planners specialize in estate planning and others claim an expertise in taxes, more and more are claiming the label of Christian financial adviser. Churches are also getting into the act, setting up workshops that dispense financial advice. And just this month, five new religion-based exchange traded funds were launched.
While most mutual fund managers place a laser-like focus on financial measures such as earnings per share and balance-sheet debt, managers of faith-based funds first check whether they think a company violates scriptural teachings. But injecting morals into financing is not without its share of controversy. Catholic funds typically draw a line at companies they believe support abortion or contraception; the evangelical Timothy Plan bans stocks of companies deemed supportive of a “gay lifestyle.”
Personal beliefs aside, each fund’s interpretation of scripture is open to criticism. “Why single out companies that provide same-sex benefits when they also provide benefits to employees who are greedy or venal or in other ways immoral according to biblical teaching?” asks Gary Moore, an investment adviser and founder of the nonprofit Financial Seminary in Sarasota, Fla.
Of course, just because a fund claims to have God on its side doesn’t mean investors will be blessed with top returns. Diversified U.S. religious stock funds are up an annual average of 2.27 percent over the past five years, just below the 2.34 percent return for all diversified equity funds, according to Morningstar. Religious funds tend to have expenses above the industry average, and because they often screen out certain sectors, they can be handcuffed when market sentiment shifts to an industry they’ve excluded. To find the best options, we looked for funds with solid long-term records and managers who have been at the helm for at least three years. (more at site)