The Blogfest!

Jennifer Newman performs a new work-in-process that explores history, called The Geneva Project - A Work in Progress. The piece explores memory and ancestry through the multiple realities, inspired by FSA photographs of her great aunt Geneva Varner Clark. Newman happened upon these personal photographs while doing research for a graduate school project in the archives of the Library of Congress. Her piece was created in collaboration with director Charlotte Brathwaite and designer Christopher Myers, and features musical accompaniment by composer Justin Hicks and lighting by Laura J. Eckelman. This work was created in part through The Field’s Emerging Artist Residency program, supported by Lambent Foundation Fund of the Tides Foundation

At a launch event held at the foot of the Prudence Crandall Statue in the State Capitol Building in Hartford, International Festival of Arts & Ideas Executive Director Mary Lou Aleskie today announced the events celebrating Freedom’s Journey leading up to and part of Festival 2012. The event at the Capitol was hosted by Senator Toni Harp, and included remarks by Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Cultural Affairs Kip Bergstrom, Senator Martin M. Looney, and Senator Bob Duff, alongside poets Bessy Reyna and Kate Rushin, and presentations by Connecticut school students.

Freedom’s Journey underscores the rich history and cultural resources of the state of Connecticut. Through the incredible network of partner organizations, local artists, and the Festival’s international visitors, Freedom’s Journey highlights the statewide impact and importance of our shared Connecticut history.

Freedom’s Journey will include performances, activities, and walking tours at treasured cultural organizations throughout the state. These events lead up to and include headliners at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in June 2012. Previously announced Festival headliners include SING THE TRUTH! with acclaimed singers Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves, and Lizz Wright, as well as lectures and conversations with civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette and artist Winfred Rembert. The complete listing of Freedom’s Journey events follows.

The initiative also, significantly, includes a Curriculum and Resource Guide for Connecticut schools, and the Sing Your Truth! poetry contest for Connecticut school children, designed to engage students in the study and celebration of shared Connecticut heritage.