During their stop in San Antonio at Galería EVA, the Beehive Collective presents a true master class on coal power, globalization, and the infinite creative power of human resistance.

Greg Harman

This month started with a banger talk at Galeria EVA when the Beehive Collective, the renowned art and storytelling project currently touring the world, arrived in San Antonio. They unfurled giant hand-illustrated banners telling tall tales. How about, for example, the essential story of coal in under seven minutes? We’re talking about the peat bogs squeezed through geologic time, to the colonization and forced relocation of Native people, to courageous labor organizing in the Appalachians, to mountaintop blasting, to the roots of the opioid epidemic, to the ultimate (future/imminent) recovery and restoration of just relationships with the land and each other. (Phew!) Above, “Dee Bee” and “Saku Bee” deliver a true master class, presented at Galería EVA in San Antonio, Texas, on August 1, 2024.

Next came Mesoamérica Resiste, a mural that began with a six-month research trip through Mexico, Central America, and South America to understand the problems of globalization and the forms of resistance that emerged in response. Here, Saku Bee analyzes the project and explains the key ideas behind the Seven Principles of Zapatismo, including the call to “exercise power, but not take power.” While some advocate a unified revolutionary response to oppressive forces, here Saku reminds:

“In diversity we find strength and in diversity we will find solutions to the problems we face, including climate change. One no, many yeses. That is a Zapatista principle.”

It also showcases the possibilities of alternative economies based on ideas like reciprocity. The 16-foot-long hand-illustrated banner features 70 species of ants and 400 species of animals. Viewers learn about the Zapatistas and their seven organizing principles, as well as concepts like composting, permaculture, papermaking and habitat restoration.

“It’s a beautiful example of what a solidarity economy is all about,” says Saku Bee. “Because these pollinators know that when they create a healthy environment for other pollinators, they are creating a healthier environment for themselves. If only we had that kind of perspective on poverty and homelessness. Knowing that when there is suffering in our community, our whole community suffers.”

Thanks to Brian Gordon’s support, you can watch the entire live stream of the event on my personal Facebook page. See Part One , Part Two , and Part Three.