From the Artist in Residence

"Human in Plural / Plural in Human" is a way in which we identify ourselves. Through this perspective, sizes, colors, religions, social classes, and race are only names, not identities in themselves.

The mirror shows us the shape of our bodies: the outside, the cover, container. When do we start to question what is inside of us? Who is that new person inside of us we should communicate with and learn about?

When we find out, when can we open up to others and tell them how our inside self is helping us to be human?

— Toto Kisaku

Experience "Human in Plural" at the Fair Haven Neighborhood Festival...

Does the acquisition of an identity change our being? Does looking for and discovering our identity strengthen or weaken our capacity for personal and community development?

When I talk about this with other people, some who share my African origin, some of them artists, I often hear them say “I am looking for my identity.”

The question I’m asking myself is what kind of research does that involve? And what identity are we looking for? If we are looking for our own identity, when did we lose it, and how? Or do we accept being simply informed by a regular person or a group of individuals who only...

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is proud to welcome its first official Artist in Residence this January. The Festival looked for an artist who is passionate about the ways arts and culture build and strengthen cities, building and maintaining relationships with the community, and working collaboratively within an organization that values the diversity of our city and state. The Festival’s Artist in Residence works with staff and community members to explore the creative process, demonstrating the ways in which practicing artists can be of relevance and value to other sectors...