Melissa West, Printmaker

A linoleum block print depicting a happy tuxedo cat flying in the sky among catnip mice, cat treats, and the Milky Way (made of real milk). The text reads: Melissa West, Kings Mountain Art Fair, Labor Day Weekend, August 30 & 31 and September 1, 2025

Kings Mountain Art Fair takes place all 3 days of Labor Day werkend. I'll be in booth 129 with a ton of prints, both new ones hot off the press and old favorites. 10am - 5pm each day. Come early for breakfast -- the Cook Shack opens at 8am.

a black and white photo of a man flying in the air with his hat in the air . ALT: a black and white photo of a man flying in the air with his hat in the air .

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Two men beat each other with cudgels. The caption reads "Will it ever end?" A blue and black linoleum block print, based on one of Goya's black paintings.

Tariffs.
Stock market down.
Medicaid slashed
Secret police throwing anyone who looks Latino in unmarked vans.
National guard and marines deployed in LA.
No end to the wars in Gaza or Ukraine
Bombing Iran

This is the worst first six months of any presidential term in my lifetime.

Lol

To proceed to the survey, please check off the box and click the button below.

Alright everyone, one last push.

If you or anyone you know is:
- LGBTQ+
- 13-24 years old
- In the US

Trevor Project is recruiting responses for their survey on LGBTQ+ mental health.

It has HUGE impacts on policy, please take it and share widely if you can :)

trvr.org/survey2025

And yes, that is indeed "Fortunate Son."

When you order your military parade on Temu.

Trolling level: expert.

Approximately 1,600 people showed up at the Watsonville plaza for No Kings day. So much energy and love -- and cars honking!

Aargh stupid autocorrect. Let's try again: if they look like gestapo and act like gestapo....

If they act like gestalt and look like gestapo....

Melissa stands on the front porch of Pajaro Valley Arts, holding her hands up to point at a large banner advertising the art show "Hers, His, Theirs, Our: Queer Expression!" The banner features a painting of a bearded man wearing a crown of flowers, by artist Paul Richmond.

The banner is up! Hers, His, Theirs, Ours: Queer Expression! opens on May 28, with a gala reception on June 8. It's at Pajaro Valley Arts, 37 Sudden Street in Watsonville.

A colorful painting of a man wearing a crown of flowers; he has an ambiguous expression, perhaps wistful. It is the front of a postcard, and says "Hers, His, Theirs, Ours: Queer Expression!", May 28- July 13, 2025 Location: PVA Gallery, 37 Sudden Street, Watsonville. Wednesday - Sunday, 11am - 4pm.

The back of the postcard, with a long list of events. It's a lot to type! Here is the link to the html version. https://pvarts.org/queer-expression/

Opening May 28, "Hers, His, Theirs, Ours: Queer Expession!" at Pajaro Valley Arts in Watsonville CA. Xinistra Gl'Amour and I are the curators, and it is a fabulous exhibit. Opening reception is June 8, complete with drag performances.

A lovely pink rosebud.

A little bit of Wednesday beauty.

CORDER LIST: 605 U.S.) TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2025 24A1030 ORDER IN PENDING CASE UNITED STATES, ET AL. V. SHILLING, COMMANDER, ET AL. The application for stay presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is granted. The March 27, 2025 preliminary injunction entered by the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, case No. 2:25-cv- 241, is stayed pending the disposition of the appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and disposition of a petition for a writ of certiorari, if such a writ is timely sought. Should certiorari be denied, this stay shall terminate automatically. In the event certiorari is granted, the stay shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court. Justice Sotomayor, Justice Kagan, and Justice Jackson would deny the application.

BREAKING: The U.S. Supreme Court allows Trump's anti-transgender military ban to go into effect while litigation proceeds.

The stay of the district court's injunction was issued with no reasoning and over the objections of Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson.

More to come: www.lawdork.com

"For years, [the Bureau of Justice Statistics]'s [Prison Rape Elimination Act] studies have been the gold standard for research into sexual abuse in detention ... [T]hat entire body of research is being undermined, simply because the government hates trans people."

Melissa holds a print in front of her face. The image is of cats sailing an old-fashioned sailing ship while sea monsters cavorting among the waves. One of the cats is playing a vihuela.

A hand is holding up an incomplete print of a skull acting as a flowerpot. The colors so far are green and periwinkle. The inked block is in the background.

Ai incomplete print of a rabbit on a suburban street at night, under a full moon. The colors are mostly blues and lavenders.

A stack of papers fitted with plastic tabs atop an L-shaped jig set up with Ternes-Burton pins. A linoleum block with a preparatory drawing sits on top of this pile.

Today was Print Day in May. So I did all sorts of print-y stuff.

Lol

Two large old fashioned roses in the foreground, a soft peach to yellow color, and one bud in the background.

Dozens of red roses on a large rosebush. White snowball flowers on the verbena shrub (tree?) in the background.

Two red rosebuds against a background of green leaves.

Clusters of deep dusty red roses against a wall. There are also two irises in the picture, plus another rosebush.

The irises are still blooming, but now the roses are taking center stage.
#bloomscrolling #flowerreport

A three panel comic strip. Panel 1: Dancin' Donald says "“You know, somebody said, ‘Oh, the shelves are going to be open.'” Panel 2: Donald continues, . “Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. So maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.” Panel 3: Pete Hegseth, with his blow-up girlfriend, says "Say WHAT???"

SOS: Detainees at Texas immigrant detention facility send a message A Reuters drone on Monday (April 28) captured detainees at the Bluebonnet immigrant detention center in Anson, Texas, spelling out a message to the outside world: S-O-S.

www.reuters.com/video/watch/...

Thanks! 💖

A utility box decorated with a colorful image: a rainbow-striped sky over a hand holding a compass leading to a beach with a natural rock arch. The side of the box has a furling banner that reads " Fifty Years of Pride."

The back side of the utility box still has the rainbow striped sky. Centered is a portrait of two women wearing identical Hawaiian shirts, their heads tilted together and one's hand on the other's shoulder. The banner below reads "Jo Kenny & Gloria Nieto." They are long-time local activists.

Melissa and Jo Kenny stand side by side in front of the traffic box with Jo's likeness.

The colorful utility box seen from across the street. It is eye-catching!

Big project finished, installed, and celebrated!
My Santa Cruz Pride utility box wrap was installed this morning, just in time for the unveiling ceremony. There are 10 boxes throughout the city of Santa Cruz, celebrating 50 years of our local LGBTQ+ Pride parade and festival.

Andry José Hernández Romero

Andry José Hernández Romero, I remember you, even if I do not know how to articulate my horror, rage, & sorrow at your treatment by my government.

No one has heard from you in 43 days.

As vigil, I’m posting a photo of you every day until you are returned from El Salvador.

HAPPENING NOW: Senator Cory Booker and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are holding a sit-in on the steps of the US Capitol to protest the Trump administration’s cuts to essential programs. They are encouraging anyone to join them so if you are in the DC area head over there NOW!!!