Cyanotype Printing with Cindy Macias Longbeach

For this special rendition of Second Sundays at Place LB teaching artist Cindy Macias and musician Velvet Penny are teaming up to premiere their collaboration on 'Yudith' a music video created to portray the nonlinear path of healing and the pathways of self destruction that present themselves on the path to realizing the power of self love.

This free community event is an intersection between the 'Yudith' screening series and Second Sundays free artworkshops at Place LB. The series offers community care through accessible, all ages, art workshops. Our mission is to share these workshops to help connect attendees with practices that can help them, grow, heal and find empowerment.

ABOUT ‘YUDITH’

Yudith is the second Official Music video release for Velvet Penny’s debut record, ‘All the Flowers.’ The video portrays the nonlinear path of healing and addresses the different avenues of self destruction that present themselves to us when lost. Pictured is doe eyed Yudith, as she finds herself in a desolate environment encroached upon by a group of menacing spirits persuading her from the path of self love and discovery.

ABOUT VELVET PENNY

Velvet Penny, is a musical collective, dedicated group of community organizers and artists led by singer/songwriter Marlena Martinez. For her debut body of work, Marlena spent several years creating ‘All the Flowers,’ which was released as an album, community zine, and award winning music video dedicated to preventing and healing domestic violence. ‘All the Flowers’ can most simply be described as an art rock album that explores the sounds of folk, alt-jazz, and psychedelia unified through the complexities of dissonance and the lightness of healing.

The album was released in the Spring of 2023 and started in the summer of 2021 when Martinez began recording with producer Wolf Kroeger on a collection of songs that were compiled over the course of 10 years. Together they shaped the ideas for the album and completed the single ‘All the Flowers’. While recording both at Kroeger’s home studio and at Echo Bar Studios in Los Angeles, the album received help from the accredited recording and mixing engineer Shachar ‘Shak’ Boussani who has done work with Danny Elfman, Lupe Fiasco and BTS. With his long standing experience, Shak brought the hi fi element to these otherwise abstract songs that make them palatable and akin to acts such as Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, and Fiona Apple. Together they embellished the album with various talented studio musicians who helped shaped this very special release.

As a vocalist and community organizer working at the intersection of activism, wellness, and art, Marlena was awarded an artistic residency at CASA Pitzer in Ontario, California hosted by The Arts Area where her music video for ‘All the Flowers’ was on view from November 2022- February 2023. During the opening, Velvet Penny made their debut as a full band but most critically, Velvet Penny’s residency offered free education, art, and wellness programs designed to create kinder and safer communities. Workshops ranged in topics such as somatic consent, zine making, body and trauma work/healing, and self-defense.

Since the release of the album, Velvet Penny has toured the East Coast, played in the Pacific Northwest and performed consistently in Southern California in varying solo performances, trio sets and 7 piece arrangements. She is now in the process of writing and recording her sophomore album and producing two music videos set to release in 2025.

Bandcamp

Music Video

Live Video

Instagram

Info: During this portion of the event, Velvet Penny Frontwoman, Marlena Martinez, will talk about the making of the ‘Yudith’ Music Video and the mission to portray healing’s nonlinear nature and the desire to cultivate community care as continued care. We’ll also have a chance to talk to Cindy Macias, who plays ‘Yudith’ in the video and her experience making the video and her connection to the project’s mission.

Info: During this portion of the event, Interdisciplinary artist Cindy Macias will equip attendees with tools to create their own Cyanotypes.Attendees will get hands on practice with materials and leave with their own prints!

Host or Publisher Velvet Penny