Art and the Pursuit of Social Justice

Starting on October 4th and continuing through the month, Iowa Arts is sponsoring a series of events that bring arts and humanities together to explore a range of timely issues. The initiative, called “Art and the Pursuit of Social Justice,” includes music and theatre productions framed by discussions to place them in a social context. It also features conversations with distinguished faculty and guests about how the arts and humanities can inform medical practice and bring attention to complex social concerns. All events are available online and are free to the public.

“Art and the Pursuit of Social Justice” includes the following events:

• October 4 — Borderless: A reading of a new play, Ghost Limb, by Marisela Trevino Orta, presented by the Theatre Arts Department in collaboration with the Latino, Native American Cultural Center; followed by a discussion. More Info
   
• October 10 — Six by Six: Collected Perspectives on Social Justice: 5 short plays by African American UI alumni presented by the Theatre Arts Department, available online through the fall semester. More Info
   
• October 11 — “Finding Your Place in Conflicted Histories,” sponsored by the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, with a short play by Keith Adkins, A Refugee in Detroit; and a presentation on Black Resilience in Detroit by Jessica Welburn Paige, followed by interactive conversations led by graduate student facilitators. More Info
   
• October 16 — “Power and Bodies of Art”: A Creative Matters lecture in collaboration with The Carver College of Medicine and the Non-Fiction Writing Program; Kiese Laymon in conversation with healthcare practitioners, moderated by Darius Stewart. More Info
   
• October 22 — WorldCanvass, 3-part discussion: Introspection and Action; Music from the Margins; Campus and community engagement on social justice and belonging; led by Joan Kjaer. More Info
   
• October 23 — Music from the Margins: African American Composers Collage Concert, led by Damani Phillips. More Info
   

Iowa Arts is a University of Iowa organization that seeks to bring the riches of artistic experience to students, faculty, and the local community, notably works that address challenging questions.

For further information about the series, contact Alan MacVey (alan-macvey@uiowa.edu) or Christopher Merrill (christopher-merrill@uiowa.edu).