iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Melissa West, Printmaker

Indivisible Pajaro Valley ❌ 👑 @indpajarovalley.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

MELT ICE! The Pajaro Valley chapter will join the Santa Cruz chapter of Indivisible at the ICE Out for Good demonstration on Sunday, January 11, 1 – 3pm, corner of Ocean & Water. Hope you can make it. www.mobilize.us/indivisible/...

mobilize.us

ICE Out For Good - SANTA CRUZ CA · Indivisible

On Wednesday, January 7th, an American citizen - Renee Nicole Good -was killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This killing is part of a broader pattern of unch...

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

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 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

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Molly Knight @mollyknight.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

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.

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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 16/06/2025

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

trvr.org

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

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JD Random - RandomWhiteGuy @thereelrandom.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

When you order your military parade on Temu.

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

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

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

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

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

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.

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.

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

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 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/

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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

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

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.

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Anodyne @anodynesix.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

"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."

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Rick @rickylongthread.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

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

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.

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Satan @thedevil.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

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

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.

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

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.

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!

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Michael Jay McClure @mjmimages.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

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.

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Marco Foster @marcofoster.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

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!!!

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@Peg33 @peg33.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Some flowers from our garden for Earth Day.

Two maroon and yellow irises in front of a rosebush full of deep red flowers.

An iris photographed in mid bloom -- no longer a bud, not yet a full flower. It is a soft maroon color.

A rose, in color peach blending towards a yellow (ish) center.

A lavender iris, sprinkled with raindrops.

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

I'll be at the Bay Area Printers' Fair & Wayzgoose this Saturday, 10am - 3pm. It's an extravaganza of printmaking, letterpress, book arts, ephemera and anything else related to ink and paper. At the San Jose Printers Guild, History Park, San Jose.

Melissa smiles as she holds three small prints. Behind her is a drying rack full of recently pulled prints.

A letterpress poster that reads:
Tenth Annual Bay Area Printers' Fair & Wayzgoose; April 26 2025; 635 Phelan Ave, San Jose, 10am-3pm; Read more: sjprintersguild.com; Sponsored by the San Jose Printers' Guild and History San Jose; Visit dozens of exhibitors & demos; Find handcrafted goods & supplies.

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Charlie and Salty hoping to catch the wicked blade of grass.

Two cats sitting in a garden look up. One is an orange tabby, the other is a tuxedo cat.

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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

This is a very good point. About a very feeble excuse.

Steve Inskeep
@NPRinskeep
·
12h
If I understand this correctly, the US president has launched a trade war against the world, believes he can force the EU and China to meet his terms, is determined to annex Canada and Greenland, but is powerless before the sovereign might of El Salvador. Is that it?

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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

AOC: How can anyone possibly make an objective vote on healthcare, energy, or war when their personal wealth is tied up in pharmaceutical, oil and gas, or defense company stock?

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Hooray, I've finished my three Beautiful Souls portraits of people killed by anti-LGBTQ+ violence. They will make their public debut at "Hers, His, Theirs, Ours: Queer Expression!" at the Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery in Watsonville, May 28 - July 13.

A young person in a black Hoodia, cuddling a kitten to their neck. They wear eyeglasses, and their hair is falling over their face. Flames rise up from the bottom, full of hateful words. Their name, Nex Benedict, is inscribed at the bottom.

A person looks at the viewer with a faint smile. There is a halo behind her head, made to look like a hand woven basket. Her body is made of a shooting range target, and the bullet holes that appear across her body appear in gold, and the background is also gold, like an icon. The name inscribed is Kassim Omar, who was a Black trans woman.

A man wears a white ringer t-shirt, with the phrase " I ❤️ SF" One hand points at this saying, and his other hand is raised in a peace sign, or benediction. His halo is the flash pan of a camera, or perhaps a disco ball. The bullet holes that span his body, painted on a shooting range target, shine gold. This is Harvey Milk, the San Francisco Supervisor who was murdered.

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Franktheshank88 @franktheshank88.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

👏👏👏👏👏👏

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Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett @crockett.house.gov · 11/04/2025

Tariffs? Out of control. Prices? Skyrocketing. Emergency powers? He’s abusing them. And yet… not a single question about whether he’s even fit to serve. The math ain’t mathing.

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Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

you know things are going well when they break out the turnip photos

photo of a red shopping basket filled with turnips, under the headline:
If you’re worried about food tariffs, adopt a frugal mindset and cook smarter
Learn to shop for groceries like a thrifter and work on eliminating waste
By Sheryl Julian Globe Correspondent,Updated April 7, 2025, 7:21 a.m.

caption: The big question is, writes Sheryl Julian, are we expected to remove all the pleasures from the table and turn the nightly dinner into a feast of locally grown turnips (above) and leafy greens?Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

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Melissa West, Printmaker @mswest-art.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Charlie and Salty say it's a good day for napping.

Two cats lying down together on a sleeping pad. The orange tabby is yawning hugely. The black and white tuxedo cat looks skeptically at the camera.

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Helen 🏳️‍⚧️✊🏻💕 @mimmymum.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

🚨 ALERT: US TRANS FOLX 🚨 Keshet is offering loans of up to $10,000 for trans folks looking to escape their State to a safer (blue) State. You don't have to be Jewish to apply. 👉🏻 www.keshetonline.org/movetothrive/