Panel: Addressing Issues of Race and Ethnicity through the Arts

Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House Skyline Terrace In conjunction with Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective’s January 7, 2017 performance, panelists representing a range of artistic disciplines will discuss their specific work in addressing issues of race and ethnicity through artistic practice. Possible talking points include art as social critique, depictions of racial and ethnic identity, and art’s innate ability to unite communities. Panelists include Terence Blanchard, composer and trumpeter; Carlos Donjuan, visual artist and Senior Lecturer at University of Texas at Arlington; Janeil Engelstad, Founding Director, Make Art with Purpose; Curtis King, Founder & Director, The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Inc.; David Lozano, Executive Artistic Director, Cara Mía Theatre Co; and Lily Weiss, Executive Director, Dallas Arts District . The panel will be moderated by Veletta Forsythe Lill, Former Dallas City Council Member and Founding Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District. Free parking will be available for panel attendees at the Winspear Opera House in Lexus Red Parking. Following a poignant E-Collective performance in Staten Island, Terence Blanchard was overwhelmed by the healing impact of his music on the audience. In attendance were many friends and family of Eric Garner — a local man who had been fatally injured in an altercation with police and to whom the E-Collective’s debut album, Breathless, is dedicated. Motivated by this experience, the E-Collective’s next album will be recorded live in cities around the country that have been similarly wounded by racial tensions. Coinciding with these recording sessions, Blanchard will work with local community leaders to host panel discussions to encourage dialogue for positive social change. “Music and art have the power to change hearts and souls,” expresses composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard — a belief brought to life through the music of Blanchard and his E-Collective. This revolutionary ensemble thrives off the perfect mixture of Blanchard’s genius and the innovations of four young musical pioneers: guitarist Charles Altura, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist David “DJ” Ginyard, Jr., and drummer Oscar Seaton. It was while recording the scores for Spike Lee’s Inside Man and Kasi Lemmons’ Talk to Me that Blanchard and Seaton first dreamt of a band that layered grooves teeming with funk, R&B, and blues colors. Years later, that dream came to fruition and formed the foundation for the E-Collective’s signature sound. This panel is presented in partnership with the Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs.