2005 was great year for showing and events - from July 2 until December 31 the painting was on the road and on display throughout the United States (including Albany, Philadelphia, Columbus, Sacramento, Chicago and Ann Arbor). Bookings for 2006 (so far) include:

- A continuing display at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst (Buffalo), NY until Feb 18

- A public display at the Birmingham Unitarian Church in Bloomfield (Detroit), MI (opening reception on Feb 19, ending with a public panel discussion on March 2). NOTE that this is at a CHURCH; we need to be speaking to churches across the US

- A week of events with University of Minnesota students (their "Freethought Week" April 17-21)

You can bring this painting and discussion to your community, but in order to get local and regional media interested, you need to create an EVENT! There are a few ways an event could be organized:

- A week to a month-long display of the painting at a gallery, arts center, university or museum. This gives people time to see it, but more importantly allows for continued publicizing of a speaking event/discussion/panel to be organized at the same location, or at another in the community at the END of the display time. This catches hundreds of people interested in Art but not NECESSARILY political or religious issues, who then find that they have more questions about the piece, the people in it, and the prophetic "event" depicted (the return of Jesus after the Armageddon). For media, scheduling an OPENING/meet the artist/wine & cheese affair at the beginning of the installation of the work creates a traditional Art event (with the added cache of the buzzword "controversial"), and enables publicizing of a more formal discussion at a later date.

- A one time-only display and public lecture/discussion featuring LOCAL professors, authors, activists and researchers. This is where Talk2Ac tion should take advantage - EVERY writer for this site should be involved in live panels about this work in their region! Besides creating an obvious EVENT for media and the public, it includes a local angle, and allows knowledgeable researchers in any of the many areas the painting addresses to add to the discussion - and increase their visibility in the community and media. It also further adverises this site and its contributors.

- A lecture/discussion with a facsimile of the work - because of it's size, display conditions and the limitations of physics (the original painting can only be in one place at a time) I have had two (2) full-sized reproductions of the painting printed on vinyl banner material. This folds up to fit in a suitcase (as opposed to the original, which rolls up into two 9 foot long tubes). This allows me to go to multiple events and speak about the work and the issues, even when the painting is on display elsewhere, or to set up outdoors at events (like fairs, etc.). It is also less expensive to do this (I only need an airplane ticket, and don't have to rent a van to haul the painting around).

These events can and are different things to different people - it's an Art showing, it's a political event, it's a religious discussion... We all know, in the end, that it's ALL of these things (and more). If your community is having an event, your school or university is holding a forum on these issues, your own organization has regularly scheduled meetings or yearly conventions, or you would just like to bring the painting to your church, library, gallery or community, then you can make this happen! The costs to bring this event are fairly low, and are contingent upon previous and future bookings, logistics and schedules. This painting is my contribution to the discussion - booking an event that brings it, myself and some of the researchers also involved on this website can be yours.

Knowledge can be power, but only if you share it - and USE it.

Joel Pelletier is actively looking for display and speaking opportunities throughout the USA (and ESPECIALLY in Washington DC before November 2006). You can reach him through his website, http://www.americanfundamentatlists.com, or directly at joelp@joelp.com for scheduling and cost information.