Call for Artwork: NYC Benefit Gallery Show for Daniel McGowan
June 23, 2006 at ABC No Rio
156 Rivington Street, between Clinton and Suffolk Street in the Lower East Side
Co-sponsored by Visual Resistance and Family and Friends of Daniel McGowan
Deadline: June 1, 2006
Contact: visual.resistance (at) gmail.com

On December 7th, my friend was arrested at his workplace by federal marshals. The
friend I know as a tireless activist and a funny, generous, caring person was ripped
from his friends and family without warning and held without bail in federal prison,
facing multiple felony charges and life in prison.

I met Daniel McGowan during the buildup to the protests against the Republican
National Convention in New York. The Visual Resistance crew was organizing the No
RNC Poster Project and Daniel was our first ally. In the time since, Daniel has
been a personal friend to all of us in VR and to many more in the larger New York
activist community. His constant smile and good humor belied his selfless devotion
to making this world a better place.

And on December 9th, he was disappeared. Daniel was extradited to Oregon and held
without bail for two months on charges whose statute of limitations were close to
expiring. His arrest came as part of a massive government crackdown on the radical
environmental movement which many are referring to as the �Green Scare.� His
arrest left the community in shock.

Daniel has pled not guilt to all charges. Although he is currently out on bail, he
faces a lengthy and extremely expensive trial. His family and friends have been
scrambling to raise funds and organize a defense team.

Simply put, he needs our help, and we need yours.

We are planning a one-night gallery show and silent art auction on June 23rd at ABC
No Rio to help pay for Daniel�s legal defense. We are asking artists who are
committed to social justice and political activism to contribute artwork. Some art
will also be sold through our website. All proceeds will go to help pay Daniel�s
legal costs.

Any artwork you can contribute will be a huge help, and we appreciate your
generosity in advance. The work in the show will encompass a myriad of themes,
styles, and techniques. Work that deals with the issues involved in the Green Scare
are appreciated, but not required.

Please contact us if you are interested in donating artwork! We are more than happy
to work with you on your terms and can cover incidental costs such as shipping. We
can pick up artwork in the New York City area � email visual.resistance (at) gmail.com
for a mailing address.

For more information on Daniel�s case and the Green Scare, see:

www.supportdaniel.org
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Scare
www.truthout.org/issues_06/030706EA.shtml
eugeneweekly.com/2006/03/09/coverstory.html

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Below is an official statement about the case released by Family and Friends of
Daniel McGowan:

Daniel McGowan is an environmental and social justice activist, unjustly arrested
and charged in federal court on multiple counts of arson, property destruction, and
conspiracy, relating to two incidents that occurred in Oregon in 2001. Daniel has
asserted his innocence by pleading not guilty to all charges. He is facing a minimum
of life in prison if convicted.

Daniel is from New York, and has been an active member of the community, working on
diverse projects such as military counter-recruitment, demonstrations against the
Republican National Convention, Really Really Free Markets, and supporting political
prisoners such as Jeff "Free" Luers and others. Daniel was a graduate student
earning a Master's degree in acupuncture and was working at WomensLaw.org, a
nonprofit group that helps women in domestic abuse situations navigate the legal
system, which is where he was arrested by federal marshals on December 7, 2005.

Daniel had originally been indicted separately, but his arrest comes in the context
of a well-coordinated, multi-state sweep of numerous activists by the federal
government, who has charged the individuals with practically every earth and animal
liberation case left unsolved in the Northwest. Many of the charges, including
Daniel's, are for cases whose statute of limitations were about to expire.

In order to help Daniel, his family and friends have created a support network
(Family and Friends of Daniel McGowan) to assist in raising funds for Daniel's legal
representation, which is expected to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. We are
asking friends and supporters to donate what they can to help Daniel's family with
the legal bills.

Family & Friends of Daniel McGowan
PO Box 106, NY, NY 10156
friendsofdanielmcg (at) Yahoo.com
www.supportdaniel.org