Vision and Sound Symposium 2024

The Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD), in partnership with the Sedona Arts Center, is hosting the second annual Vision and Sound symposium. This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Chip Thomas, an accomplished Arizona physician, photographer, public artist, and activist. Dr. Thomas has practiced medicine and created art in the Navajo Nation since 1987. Join us for an enriching experience featuring a dynamic keynote lecture and interactive workshops, all offering opportunities for professional development certification.

 

The symposium includes a two-part interactive Critical Response Process workshop led by world-renowned choreographer and 2023 Guggenheim Fellow Liz Lerman that will showcase ASU faculty member Edson “House” Magana and his film “Outcast.”

 

Conversations with the artists, facilitated by Sedona Arts Center CEO Julie Richard and CSRD Director Lois Brown, PhD will complement the Symposium workshops and keynote address.

 

Vision & Sound, created by Norma and Michael Cunningham of Goodyear, Arizona, provides a rich educational experience and environment that broadens the understanding and appreciation of African American art, music, film, and literary works for multigenerational and multicultural audiences. 

Vision and Sound strives to build supportive relationships and  to encourage cultural equity throughout Arizona and beyond to call attention to  American artists of African descent who often are overlooked. As of 2022, Vision and Sound is presented by the Sedona Arts Center. The Vision and Sound Symposium, inaugurated in February 2023, is a collaboration between the ASU Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and the Sedona Arts Center.  

Sunday, February 25  1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Monday, February 26  9:00 am - 5:15 pm

The 2024 Vision and Sound Symposium features a keynote address with artist and physician Dr. Chip Thomas and includes a two-part interactive Critical Response Process workshop led by world-renowned choreographer and 2023 Guggenheim Fellow Liz Lerman that will showcase ASU faculty member Edson “House” Magana and his film “Outcast.” 

VISION & SOUND SYMPOSIUM 2024 

RACE, ARTS + UNDERSTANDING

 

FEBRUARY 25 + 26, 2024

Sedona Arts Center in partnership with Arizona State University Center for the Study of Race & Democracy

Location: Sedona Arts Center, 15 Art Barn Road, Sedona, AZ 86336

 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:

 

Sunday, February 25, 2024

 

PRE-SYMPOSIUM CONCERT

 

1:00 PM – 3:00PM               The Tommy Dukes Band

 

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4:00 PM                       Registration & Certification Check-In

 

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM              Welcome Remarks

 

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM              Vision + Sound Artists

Panel Discussion

Facilitator: Dr. Lois Brown + Julie Richard

Participating Artists:  Amber Doe, Chip Thomas, Debra Edgerton, Dorrell Bradford, George Welch, Isse Maloi, Jacqueline Chanda, Jerome Fleming

 

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM                 Reflection and Reception

 

 

Monday, February 26, 2024

                        

9:00 AM –9:15 AM               Registration

 

9:15 AM – 9:30 AM             Welcome and Setting the Stage

                                     Listening Palette Introduction 

                                    Julie Richard, Dr. Lois Brown and Liz Lerman

 

9:30 AM – 10:45 AM           Keynote Presentation

                                    The Intersection of Art + Medicine

                                    Presenter: Dr. Chip Thomas aka jetsonorama

 

10:45 AM - 11:00 AM          Break

 

11:00 AM – 12:15PM     Workshop – Part 1

                                    Film: Outcast (House)

                                    Critical Response with Liz Lerman

                                    Presenters: Liz Lerman + House

 

12:15 PM  – 1:30PM             Lunch - Provided with live music by Jonathan Levingston

 

1:30 PM – 2:30PM               Interactive Workshop – Part 2

                                    Critical Response for Vision and Sound Art

                                    Discussion with Chip Thomas, Liz Lerman, +      House 

                                    Moderated by Dr. Lois. Brown

                                    

2:30 PM -2:45PM                Break

 

2:45 PM -3:45PM                Art Journaling

                                    Interactive Experience 

                                    Led by Julie Richard

 

3:45-4:15PM                Reflection  

 

4:15-5:15PM                Reception

 

Vision and Sound Founders
 

The Cunninghams – Norma as curator and noted chef Michael as artist – are the co-founders of Vision and Sound. Now in it’s eighth year, Vision and Sound features annual February  programming across Arizona that  includes symposia, multiple exhibits, artist roundtables, lectures and musical performances.  Vision and Sound has enabled diverse audiences across Arizona, the nation and the world to see, support and learn more about established and emerging African American artists. It is a multi-site event that underscores the powerful connections that the art makes possible between individuals and in communities. 

Sedona Arts Center

 

Vision and Sound 2024 is presented by the Sedona Arts Center in partnership with the ASU Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and is supported by generous grants and sponsorships.  Chief Executive Office Julie Richard oversees the organization that became the Sedona Arts Center in 1961 after an official renaming.  1994 was the year of expansion with the addition of a new building to house an art gallery, classroom space, and the community theatre, which was founded in 1970. In 2001 the mission was redefined to focus primarily on education through the School of the Arts and gallery exhibitions of the visual arts. The School of the Arts has become a catalyst for creative development for students of all ages, from the very young through the golden years of life.

Today the Sedona Arts Center is a rich legacy of the founders’ vision. As one of Northern Arizona’s oldest 501(c) 3 nonprofit organizations it continues to be a gathering place where artists and those who love art can explore, teach and exhibit. The Arts Center has grown into an educational institution dedicated to nurturing creative discovery, learning and sharing through arts education and artistic development with an international presence.

Keynote Speaker 

Dr. Chip Thomas, aka “jetsonorama” is a photographer, public artist, activist and physician who has been working between Monument Valley and The Grand Canyon on the Navajo nation since 1987. There, he coordinates the Painted Desert Project – a community building project which manifests as a constellation of murals across the Navajo Nation painted by artists from all over the rez + the world. These murals aim to reflect love and appreciation of the rich history shared by the Navajo people back to Navajo people. 

As a member of the Justseeds Artists Co-operative he appreciates the opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded, socially engaged artists. His large scale photographs are pasted on the roadside, on the sides of houses in the northern Arizona desert, on the graphics of the Peoples Climate March and on Justseeds and 350.org carbon emissions campaign material. 

Thomas was a 2018 recipient of a Kindle Project gift and in 2020 was one of a handful of artists chosen by the UN to recognize the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding. Artists were chosen to generate work that "contributes to the envisioning and shaping of a more resilient and sustainable future. It is hoped that this work will amplify and accelerate implementation of the UN Global Sustainability Goals with a focus on communities and climate action."

 

Presenters 

Liz Lerman

Liz Lerman is a choreographer, performer, writer, teacher, and speaker. She has spent the past four decades making her artistic research personal, funny, intellectually vivid, and up to the minute. A key aspect of her artistry is opening her process to everyone from shipbuilders to physicists, construction workers to ballerinas, resulting in both research and experiences that are participatory, relevant, urgent, and usable by others.  A key aspect of her artistry is opening her process to everyone from shipbuilders to physicists, construction workers to ballerinas, resulting in both research and experiences that are participatory, relevant, urgent, and usable by others.  She founded Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in 1976 and cultivated the company’s unique multi-generational ensemble into a leading force in contemporary dance until 2011, when she handed the artistic leadership of the company over to the next generation of Dance Exchange artists.

Lerman is regularly invited as a keynote speaker to diverse gatherings – from arts presenters to ceramicists, research universities to arts-military convenings.  Lerman’s collection of essays, Hiking the Horizontal: Field Notes from a Choreographer, was published in 2011 and released in paperback in 2014. Critique is Creative, a collection of essays from Critical Response practitioners from around the world, was published in 2022 by Wesleyan University Press.

Jorge Edson “House” Magaña

Jorge Edson “Bboy House” Magaña is a trailblazing first-generation college graduate, holding a B.A. in Psychology/Sociology and an M.F.A from ASU. With over 29 years as a dedicated practitioner of Hip Hop dance, specializing in breakin', Magaña has made substantial contributions to Arizona's art communities. He co-founded the Furious Styles Crew and has played a pivotal role in creating collaborations and socially engaged work. His remarkable stage career spans international tours in Japan, representing Team USA in prestigious events like Red Bull's London “Beat Battle," New Zealand’s X-Air games, and Germany's "Battle of the Year." Magaña has been part of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns fast Breaker, Wnba’s Hip Hop Squad, and featured in notable music videos.

 

Magaña actively nurtures Hip Hop dance, teaching, competing, and judging across Europe to develop Furious Styles Crew's global presence. As a Clinical Assistant Professor at Arizona State University, he has helped shape the Hip Hop program and curricula. In 2024, Magaña will also supervise his team through the Next Level program, having previously been selected by the U.S. Department of State for two residencies in the 2017-2018 Next Level program. During this program, he led art workshops inspiring local artists and young people in Morocco, promoting entrepreneurship and conflict resolution.  Magaña received the Mayor's Award in Phoenix, AZ in recognition for his achievements and is acknowledged on the national platform breakkonnect.com for organizing the most exceptional events in the U.S. His journey exemplifies resilience, artistic excellence, and a commitment to education and community development.

 

Moderator

Dr. Lois Brown

As director of the ASU Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, Lois Brown oversees the only entity at ASU and in the state of Arizona that positions race and democracy in direct relation with each other. The Center, which is based in the Office of the University Provost, advances and creates initiatives that intensify the intellectual, pedagogical and programmatic efforts of the university. Brown, who also is ASU Foundation Professor of English, is committed to programming, partnerships and outreach that enable the center to focus on race and democracy in the context of education, social justice, public history, poverty and economic opportunity, the arts, law, government, the sciences and the environment. Brown's public speaking and presentations on equity, leadership, justice and inclusion complement the Center's efforts to support and achieve positive systemic change and justice.

 

Julie Richard 

 

Sedona Arts Center is proud to partner with the Arizona State University Center for the Study of Race and Democracy on this year’s Vision & Sound: An African American Experience. Now in its ninth year – Vision & Sound focuses on creating connection between African American arts and culture and communities.

We hope you share this catalogue with others who are interested in finding out more about the African American artists in Arizona who contribute so much to our lives through their work. We are very excited about this year’s artists – bringing back some who participated previously and adding several new artists. They are highlighted here for a deeper examination of who they are, why they create and what moves them.

For 2024, we will once again, hold a Symposium to allow a deeper dive into the work on exhibit. Last year’s Symposium was extraodinary and through our ongoing partnership with CSRD, we know this Symposium series will continue to grow with Vision & Sound for many years to come.

We continue our wonderful partnerships with the City of Goodyear and we’ve added the City of Peoria with an array of events and an exhibit. We will open Vision & Sound at Celebrate Sedona – sponsored by the City of Sedona.

Vision & Sound is supported the City of Goodyear, the City of Peoria, the ASU Center for the Study of Race & Democracy and the AZ Community Foundation. We also want to acknowledge in kind support from the Best Western Arroyo Roble Hotel and Creekside Villas. We offer special thanks to the staff of the CSRD and Sedona Arts Center for all their work on this program.

Click here for special rates with our friends at Best Western Arroyo Roble Hotel & Creekside Vistas