Urban Art Association

Yes I have visited the SANTA'S GHETTO in BETHLEHEM 2007

YES Really It's TRUE

We left London on Saturday evening and arrived in Tel Aviv early hours of Sunday morning not knowing where we were going.
Holly calls and finally emails the details to me
I am to be in Bethlehem's, Manger Square Monday at 7 in the evening.

We arrived early in Bethlehem on Monday and at 4 and they were still putting the stuff up on the walls the place smelt of paint. We had thought we would be later but we were able to avoid the delays at the boareder crossing.
Met Paul Insect and Anthony Micallef who still had wet paint on his hands from producing 2 pieces of work. His pictures had been held up in customs so he had franticly produced 2 new pieces for the show and I think they were still wet when I looked at them on the wall, well he was a bit worried when i said I'd leave my finger print on it.
We hung around talking to the artists and Simon until 7 when the Locals arrived and the Dignatory to open the show along with film camera.

Anyway the Bethlehem Santa's Ghetto is NOT a Stunt nor a PR exercise.

It exists in Palestine just a few minutes away from the true place of Jesus birth which you can visit in the Church of the Nativity just to one side of the square, and a few minutes drive from The Wall

I got back last night Tuesday and could not bring myself to read the long thread about the Ghetto

All I can say is
As some of you who will have met me at one exhibition or another over the past few months will know is I am a VERY SMALL WOMAN and if I can make it with out any help so can ALL you burley chaps and my advice is GO it is a super exhibition and you''ll have amazing experience.

POW and ALL the artists are NOT making any money out of this ALL the money raised will go to helping children in this god forsaken part of the world.
If you go you can buy a Gold Flag print and if your lucky you might get a Trolley print but hurry as there are only 139 flag prints and 22 Trolley prints left. The rest of the exhibition is originals and what you do is put a bid on the piece you want and at the end of the show on Christmas Eve you'll find out if you were the highest bidder and the winner of the piece.

POW and all the artists have done a GREAT job in putting this exhibition together in such a SHORT TIME Well Done to ALL

As I said I am a SMALL WOMAN who OK with my long suffering husband made the trip SO GET OUT THERE AND HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE CHILDREN'S LIVES and at the same time find out what it's all about.

Banksy is such a cleaver man, who wants you to THINK about what he is saying not just blindly by his prints .
All the artists have been great in supporting this cause and they all deserve your support SO go for it. I was able to pick up a last minute flight to Tel Aviv for just over £250 each ticket and I am sure I could have got them cheaper if I had had the time.
OK so i had a free hotel courtesy of my Marriott points but if your only there for a few days I am sure you can find a cheap place to stay.

My advice if you go cross the boarded into Palestine go early in the morning and leave mid afternoon or you'll have trouble getting back to Jerusalem or where ever you stay.

What did i get out of the trip
Well I came away a little poorer in monetary terms
BUT richer in experience.

What did I learn
Life can be short and sometimes unfair
The Wall is inhuman
The Palestinians are living in a Prision
Children brought up in this sort of environment must naturally feel resentment and hopelessness with the situation
What future is there for them
The Palestinian people we met were kind and hospitable.

Well it has been an exhausting few days
I have visited Tel Aviv, Jaffa Jerusalem and Bethlehem!!!

Here are just a few pics I will put more up later when I have had a chance to rest it has been a exhausting few days and I have arrived back to find plies of work to sort out.
I need a rest.

Your welcome
Now GET OUT THERE ;D

Bloody brilliant I can tell you, you don't know what your missing ;D

Yeah man BIG RESPECT to you my friend amazing photos ! wish i had the cash to go what did you buy?

Thanks Harveyn

Well done Vasie ;D +R

great post vazie and absolutely fantastic pictures ++1, much better than reading some of the other drivel being spouted on some of the other threads, good job indeed

PS love the Jesus in a flying saucer image

skills vazie, nice pics!+1 some of those pieces are sheer quality..

FANTASTIC I WOULD LOVE A GOLD FLAG ;D

+1

well done mate! +1 thanks for the pictures!!

YES LOCALS but didn't see them buying
Loads of Locals at the opening
AND a few English and American Voices too.
I think they were just passing through, the Americans that is

I'm very glad you got them two , just for making the trip out there , I'm so jealous !
The insect stuff is amazing liking that a lot

awsome write up, just what a lot of people needed to see to realise not only the magic of it all, but the reality and seriousness of the situation.

just furthering my, and im sure others, respect towards POW, banksy and the others

+1