Kenan Institute for the Arts

In this episode of Art Restart, Bill Rauch, inaugural Artistic Director of PAC NYC, tells how he has adapted his community-centered artistic vision to the demands of leading New York’s newest cultural landmark.

The Art Restart podcast is hosted by Pier Carlo Talenti and is produced by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

Bill Rauch In this episode of Art Restart, Bill Rauch, inaugural Artistic Director of PAC NYC, tells how he has adapted his community-centered artistic vision to the demands of leading New York's newest cultural landmark.

In this episode of Art Restart, documentary photographer and filmmaker Tariq Tarey describes how he launched his career using his deep knowledge of the refugee experience and explains why his work remains crucial as history keeps repeating itself.

The Art Restart podcast is hosted by Pier Carlo Talenti and is produced by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

Tariq Tarey In this episode of Art Restart, documentary photographer and filmmaker Tariq Tarey describes how he launched his career using his deep knowledge of the refugee experience and explains why his work remains crucial as history keeps repeating itself.

In this episode of Art Restart, multimedia artist Antonia Wright explains how she’s continued her work as sociopolitical winds have shifted and how she remains committed to the curiosity and fearlessness that initially launched her from poetry into performance and installation art.

The Art Restart podcast is hosted by Pier Carlo Talenti and is produced by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

Antonia Wright In this episode of Art Restart, multimedia artist Antonia Wright explains how she's continued her work as sociopolitical winds have shifted and how she remains committed to the curiosity and fearlessness that initially launched her from poetry into performance and installation art.

In this episode of Art Restart, choreographer, director and ballet scholar Phil Chan describes how he developed the mission and methods of Final Bow for Yellowface and explains how reexamining the standard ballet repertoire through a multicultural contemporary lens honors and benefits the artform as a whole.

The Art Restart podcast is hosted by Pier Carlo Talenti and is produced by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

Phil Chan In this episode of Art Restart, choreographer, director and ballet scholar Phil Chan describes how he developed the mission and methods of Final Bow for Yellowface and explains how reexamining the standard ballet repertoire through a multicultural contemporary lens honors and benefits the artform as...

In this episode of Art Restart, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, a classical composer and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, describes how he developed his distinctive multi-traditional composition style as well as his hyper-local and collaborative ethos. Tate is also a 2024 United States Artists Fellow sponsored by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

The Art Restart podcast is hosted by Pier Carlo Talenti and is produced by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

Jerod Tate In this episode of Art Restart, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, a classical composer and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, describes how he developed his distinctive multi-traditional composition style as well as his hyper-local and collaborative ethos.

In this episode of Art Restart, Griff Braun, national organizing director for the American Guild of Musical Artists and a former American Ballet Theatre company member, speaks about the nuts and bolts of how and why dancers unionize and describes the challenges and opportunities of organizing as an artist in 2024 America.

Griff Braun In this episode of Art Restart, Griff Braun, national organizing director for the American Guild of Musical Artists and a former American Ballet Theatre company member, speaks about the nuts and bolts of how and why dancers unionize and describes the challenges and opportunities of organizing as an....

For painter Ka'ila Farrell-Smith, the land on which she lives and works is the raw material for her art, both metaphorically and literally. In this episode of Art Restart, Ka’ila explains why she left the artistic hub of Portland to live in rural southern Oregon and describes how her activism and artistry have evolved hand in hand.

The Art Restart podcast is hosted by Pier Carlo Talenti and is produced by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

Ka'ila Farrell-Smith For painter Ka'ila Farrell-Smith, the land on which she lives and works is the raw material for her art, both metaphorically and literally. In this episode of Art Restart, Ka'ila explains why she left the artistic hub of Portland to live in rural southern Oregon and describes how her activism and ar...

Since early on in their careers, Leah and Chloe of Rising Appalachia have been advocates for and practitioners of the slow music movement, an ethos of touring and music-making that places sustainability, local engagement and creative control at the heart of their business. In this episode of Art Restart, the sisters discuss why this was the right time for a yearlong break, how they prepared for it and the ways in which they and their bandmates keep the slow music ethos at the heart of their artistic practice.

Rising Appalachia Since early on in their careers, Leah and Chloe of Rising Appalachia have been advocates for and practitioners of the slow music movement, an ethos of touring and music-making that places sustainability, local engagement and creative control at the heart of their business. In this episode of Art Res...

Through her wildly multicolored and multitextured interdisciplinary work, April Bey loves to explore speculative realms. In this episode of Art Restart, April explains why and how she created her Equity in Collecting Program, and describes how her radical invitation to new collectors is changing not only the art-collecting culture but also her relationship with her fans as well as with her own art.

April Bey Through her wildly multicolored and multitextured interdisciplinary work, April Bey loves to explore speculative realms. In this episode of Art Restart, April explains why and how she created her Equity in Collecting Program, and explains how her radical invitation to new collectors is changing not....

For New Orleans-based film composer Sultana Isham, plunging into research on her subject matter is as important as creating her score. In this episode of Art Restart, Sultana explains how she developed her musical skills hand-in-hand with her research practice and why heeding her heart and feeding her curiosity continue to open incredible new doors for her.

Sultana Isham For New Orleans-based film composer Sultana Isham, plunging into research on her subject matter is as important as creating her score. In this episode of Art Restart, Sultana explains how she developed her musical skills hand-in-hand with her research practice and why heeding her heart and feeding h...

Zeke Peña is a Xicano cartoonist and illustrator who, for most of his professional life, has focused on the lives and stories of El Paso, TX, where he grew up and lived for decades. A self-taught artist with an undergraduate degree in art history from UT Austin, he has built a rich portfolio of varied works that, as he describes them, are “a mash-up of political cartoons, border rasquache and hip-hop culture.”

In this episode of Art Restart, he describes the evolution of his ambitious journalistic endeavor, “The River Project,” how he’s adapted to the latest moral book-banning crusade, and how he wishes for publishers to honor their writers’ and illustrators’ collaborative spirits.

Zeke Peña Zeke Peña is a Xicano cartoonist and illustrator who, for most of his professional life, has focused on the lives and stories of El Paso, TX, where he grew up and lived for decades. A self-taught artist with an undergraduate degree in art history from UT Austin, he has built a rich portfolio of var...

This weekend, the Kenan Institute for the Arts and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts are hosting the 17th Black Sacred Music Symposium — its first lift from its home at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign!

Join us tonight and tomorrow for Symposium and Choir Rehearsals in Watson Hall or on Sunday at 4pm for the culminating Black Sacred Music Symposium XVII HAVEN Concert in the Gerald Freedman Theatre at UNCSA!

More info at https://www.uncsa.edu/kenan/current-programs/creative-community/black-sacred-music-symposium.aspx

https://www.wxii12.com/article/black-sacred-music-symposium-kicks-off-on-thursday/46769403

The Black Sacred Music Symposium kicks off on Thursday The Black Sacred Music Symposium is coming to Winston-Salem for the first time ever.

One of the bona fide theatrical hits of 2023 was a play titled “Public Obscenities” by director-turned-playwright Shayok Misha Chowdhury. It opened at Soho Rep in Manhattan in January of 2023 to the kind of glowing reviews and audience responses a playwright can only dream of. In this episode, Misha details how he hewed to his vision for the play no matter its evolving demands and hints at a road map for struggling theaters and the artists who wish to create work for their stages.

Shayok Misha Chowdhury One of the bona fide theatrical hits of 2023 was a play titled "Public Obscenities" by director-turned-playwright Shayok Misha Chowdhury. It opened at Soho Rep in Manhattan in January of 2023 to the kind of glowing reviews and audience responses a playwright can only dream of. In this episode, Misha...

Today was a magical day for the 2024 United States Artists Fellows! These artists and changemakers represent a range of backgrounds but share a commitment to helping us heal, connect, and thrive in community.

The Kenan Institute for the Arts proudly supports the program and awards for Chickasaw classical composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate and sweetgrass basket weaver Corey Alston. May all 50 of the Fellows continue to inspire the next generation of artists and creative leaders!

Visit unitedstatesartists.org to learn more!

In 2009, while expecting their first child, visual artists and life partners Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova and Frances Trombly co-founded a new artist space in their hometown of Miami. They named it Dimensions Variable after their short-lived visuals-only blog that had showcased the kind of challenging art they rarely saw supported or valued in their city. In this interview, Frances and Leyden discuss the lessons they’ve learned in the last 14 years in how to make Dimensions Variable sustainable while remaining as welcoming and enriching as possible to the art and artists they are passionate about supporting.

Dimensions Variable In 2009, while expecting their first child, visual artists and life partners Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova and Frances Trombly co-founded a new artist space in their hometown of Miami. They named it Dimensions Variable after their short-lived visuals-only blog that had showcased the kind of challenging....

Architect Andrew Schachman and multidisciplinary artist and educator Faheem Majeed are two of four artists who, along with poet avery r. young and sculptor Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, co-lead Chicago’s Floating Museum. In this episode, Faheem and Andrew describe the municipal savvy and community trust they had to cultivate for the Floating Museum and its many projects to move throughout Chicago. They also discuss how as a quartet they manage a growing institution that must remain nimble and responsive enough to continually engage with its home city.

-leadingInTheArts

The Floating Museum Architect Andrew Schachman and multidisciplinary artist and educator Faheem Majeed are two of four artists who, along with poet avery r. young and sculptor Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, co-lead Chicago's Floating Museum. In this episode, Faheem and Andrew describe the municipal savvy and community tru...

Cellist Leo Eguchi has played all over the world from frequent appearances with the Boston Pops and the Portland Symphony to playing for some of pop music’s biggest stars. A career as a performer only, however, did not satisfy his itch to make music that would move an audience, so he co-founded two chamber music ensembles and commissioned work from a broad array of contemporary composers. In this episode, he explains how he developed the ethos that drives his artistry and leadership and details how he continues to put his passion into practice.

Leo Eguchi Cellist Leo Eguchi has played all over the world from frequent appearances with the Boston Pops and the Portland Symphony to playing for some of pop music's biggest stars. A career as a performer only, however, did not satisfy his itch to make music that would move an audience, so he co-founded two....

Frances Po***ck, an opera and musical theater composer, is the CEO of Midnight Oil Collective (MOC) which connects creators with money from private investors. Keith Hamilton Cobb, an actor and playwright, is not only on MOC’s artistic board, he is also in the first artist cohort to fund and develop a new piece through the company. In this episode of Art Restart, Frances and Keith explain why this is the perfect moment for MOC’s brand of disruption in the art world and describe how the company funds and supports the projects under its wing.

Midnight Oil Collective Frances Po***ck, an opera and musical theater composer, is the CEO of Midnight Oil Collective (MOC) which connects creators with money from private investors. Keith Hamilton Cobb, an actor and playwright, is not only on MOC's artistic board, he is also in the first artist cohort to fund and develop....

The raw materials of Philippa Pham Hughes’ art are human bodies and minds. Since 2007, when she hosted her first gathering of strangers, Philippa has worked as a social sculptor and cultural strategist. What this means is that, through methods drawn from the arts and the humanities, she curates what she calls creative activations. In this interview, she describes how she refined the work of others to create her own practice of social sculpting and explains how she maintains her optimism and vigor when it seems like all Americans want to do is scream past one another from vast distance.

Philippa Pham Hughes The raw materials of Philippa Pham Hughes' art are human bodies and minds. Since 2007, when she hosted her first gathering of strangers, Philippa has worked as a social sculptor and cultural strategist. What this means is that, through methods drawn from the arts and the humanities, she curates what...

In 2022, Steven Melendez was named artistic director of New York Theatre Ballet, becoming only the second person to lead the institution. In several ways, he was destined to become its next leader since his relationship with the company started when he was only seven years old. In this episode, Steven candidly describes the barriers he is having to overcome in his new role as a cultural leader and envisions how to make ballet a thrilling and relevant art form for all audiences across cultures and backgrounds.

Steven Melendez In 2022, Steven Melendez was named artistic director of New York Theatre Ballet, becoming only the second person to lead the institution. In several ways, he was destined to become its next leader since his relationship with the company started when he was only seven years old. In this episode, Stev...

Precious Perez is a singer, songwriter, educator and disability activist who has recently been performing and recording under the moniker “La Reggaetonera Ciega,” the Blind Reggaeton Singer. A graduate of the Berklee School of Music, she has already released one album, 2 EPs, one cover and eight singles, with a ninth on the way. Her single “Sin Preguntar” won Best Latin Song just last month at the Latin Music Awards KY.

In this interview, Precious describes how from a very young age she learned to be adamantly her fullest self in private and in public so as to advocate for her needs and those of the blind musicians who will follow in her footsteps.

Precious Perez Precious Perez is a singer, songwriter, educator and disability activist who has recently been performing and recording under the moniker "La Reggaetonera Ciega," the Blind Reggaeton Singer. In this interview, Precious describes how from a very young age she learned to be adamantly her fullest self....

The Kenan Institute for the Arts is pleased to support the University of North Carolina School of the Arts' musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy “As You Like It” by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery, Nov. 9-18.

Directed by Drama faculty member Andy Paris, the musical adaptation of “As You Like It” was originally commissioned by The Public Theater. It is an example of the theater company’s Public Works initiative, which invites community members to “join in the creation of ambitious works of participatory theater,” and “deliberately blurs the line between professional artists and community members, creating theater that is not only for the people, but by and of the people as well.”

Executive Director Kevin Bitterman said, "As we move forward from the isolation created by the pandemic, the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts is committed to enhancing campus-community connections through the arts as a vital step in building stronger, more resilient communities across the state of North Carolina, and beyond.”

Performances details:

🗓 Nov. 9-11 and 16-18 at 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.
📍 Freedman Theatre
🎟 $30 for adults, $25 for non-UNCSA students with valid ID

Musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” set in Winston-Salem, will feature community members in cast and crew The School of Drama at UNCSA presents the musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy “As You Like It” by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery. In a first for UNCSA, the production will feature members of several local community groups – including Greater Vision Dance, the Winston-...

The UNCSA School of Filmmaking and the Media + Emerging Technology Lab have partnered with the MUSE Winston-Salem to present a three-day, immersive installation, “The Tree I Carry,” by filmmaking faculty member Shahin Gorgani.

The exhibit will span five spaces fitted with unique imagery, sounds and scents that capture the essence of Gorgani's home country, Iran. “It comprises a treasury of images, dreams and sounds that I bear within,” says Gorgani. “It unveils a journey through the realms of time and space, refusing to be anchored solely to the boundaries of what is deemed real or imagination.”

Don't miss this unique experience, made possible with support from the Kenan Institute for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The free exhibition takes place Oct. 19-21. More details below ⤵️

UNCSA presents “The Tree I Carry,” an immersive experience by Filmmaking faculty member Shahin Gorgani The School of Filmmaking and the Media + Emerging Technology Lab (METL) at UNCSA in partnership with the Museum of Understanding Storytelling and Engagement (MUSE) Winston-Salem will present the immersive installation “The Tree I Carry” by Filmmaking faculty member Shahin Gorgani.

Meow Wolf is artist-run and employs artists both in their headquarters in Santa Fe and also in the locales where they install their new exhibits. In order to understand the extent to which the company’s model of audience engagement and artist support might be a gamechanger nationally, Art Restart interviewed three Texas-based artists - Kwinton Gray, Will Heron and Katie Murray - who contributed their talents to the creation of “The Real Unreal.”

Kwinton Gray, Will Heron and Katie Murray Meow Wolf is artist-run and employs artists both in their headquarters in Santa Fe and also in the locales where they install their new exhibits. In order to understand the extent to which the company's model of audience engagement and artist support might be a gamechanger nationally, Art Restart in...

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, with generous support from the Kenan Institute for the Arts, has launched its first-ever media publishing arm, UNCSA Media!

“Over the years, the Kenan Institute for the Arts has served as a creative incubator and accelerator for UNCSA in areas ranging from arts and cultural research to career development for artists and national programs to advance arts education,” said Executive Director Kevin Bitterman. “At the core of supporting UNCSA Media is the Kenan Institute’s commitment to responding to the current needs of working artists and the evolving arts landscape.”

An initiative conceived of by Chancellor Cole in consultation with Michael Winger, former executive director of the Recording Academy / GRAMMYs and Winston-Salem native, UNCSA Media is an integral part of UNCSA Forward: The 2022-27 Strategic Plan.

The first release, available Sept. 29, is “Windows,” a recording featuring UNCSA faculty members performing works by contemporary composers Valerie Coleman, Jessie Montgomery and Reena Esmail, as well as a world premiere commission by Kamala Sankaram.

Learn more about UNCSA Media and stream "Windows" now!

UNCSA launches independent media publishing arm, UNCSA Media UNCSA with generous support from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, has launched its first-ever media publishing arm, UNCSA Media, a mission-driven recording label that will feature the creative projects of faculty and alumni from UNCSA across all disciplines and offer curricular opportunit...

The Kenan Institute for the Arts, in partnership with the UNCSA School of Filmmaking, presents an evening of conversation with award-winning author and screenwriter Nick Hornby (“High Fidelity”) on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

Advance RSVP Encouraged: https://www.uncsa.edu/news/20230920-nick-hornby-kenan-filmmaking.aspx

The free event will be moderated by UNCSA Drama alumnus and celebrated novelist, screenwriter and director Peter Hedges (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”), who co-wrote the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for the film adaptation of Hornby’s novel, “About a Boy.”

The first 150 attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the book, and local independent seller Bookmarks will host a book signing with Hornby directly following the event.

Nick Hornby to speak at UNCSA in conversation with alumnus Peter Hedges, Oct. 4 The Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, in partnership with the School of Filmmaking at UNCSA presents an evening of conversation with award-winning author and screenwriter Nick Hornby.

In this episode of the Art Restart Podcast, screenwriter, playwright and essayist Dorothy Fortenberry describes how in 15 years streaming channels went from being a writer’s playground to an ever more precarious means to earn a basic living. She also explains why the current strike is crucial not only for Writers Guild members but also any worker whose profession is in danger of ever becoming just another gig.

Dorothy Fortenberry In this episode, screenwriter, playwright and essayist Dorothy Fortenberry describes how in 15 years streaming channels went from being a writer's playground to an ever more precarious means to earn a basic living. She also explains why the current strike is crucial not only for Writers Guild member...

The Kenan Institute for the Arts is a proud partner with the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, United Health Centers-WS, the City of Winston-Salem, NC - and Forsyth County Department of Public Health on the Arts For EveryBody initiative with OneNation/OneProject!

Arts For EveryBody is bringing people together in 18 cities and towns across the U.S. to premiere an array of large-scale, participatory art projects all at the same time next summer. 🇺🇸

From coast to coast, communities are creating local public art projects bringing neighbors together through dance, fine art, festivals, singing and more! We’re happy to announce the 18 sites we are partnering with across the country to produce 18 ambitious artistic projects in July 2024:

🎨 Chicago, IL - IMAN
🎨 Chicago, IL - Chicago Department of Public Health
🎨 Edinburg, TX
🎨 Gainesville, FL
🎨 Harlan County, KY
🎨 Hilo, HI
🎨 Honolulu, HI
🎨 Kansas City, MO
🎨 Oakland, CA
🎨 Phillips County, AR
🎨 Providence, RI
🎨 Rhinelander, WI
🎨 Seattle, WA
🎨 The Bronx, NY
🎨 Tucson, AZ
🎨 Utica, MS
🎨 Washington, D.C.
🎨 Winston-Salem, NC

Echoing Federal Theater Project, 18 Towns Plan Simultaneous Events The theme “No Place Like Home” will drive shows and festivals in both large cities and rural locales of this country on July 27, 2024.

Actor and educator Charles Andrew Gardner is a company member with TimeLine Theater, has acted on several of Chicago’s important stages, and is starting his fourth term as president of the Chicago local branch of the union SAG-AFTRA. In this episode, Charles explains why he chose to remain in his hometown as he set out on his acting career and how a passion for education continues to inform his leadership style as he shepherds his fellow union members through the latest challenges.

Charles Andrew Gardner Actor and educator Charles Andrew Gardner is a company member with TimeLine Theater, has acted on several of Chicago's important stages, and is starting his fourth term as president of the Chicago local branch of the union SAG-AFTRA. In this episode, Charles explains why he chose to remain in his ho...