Performance: The Langston Hughes Project
| Date/Time: | Thursday, 08 Feb 2024 at 7:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Location: | Stephens Auditorium |
| Cost: | $25-$50 |
| URL: | www.center.iastate.edu |
| Contact: | |
| Phone: | 515-294-2479 |
| Channel: | Iowa State Center |
| Categories: | Arts, performances |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
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The Langston Hughes Project
This multimedia concert performance links the words and music of Hughes' poetry to topical images of Ask Your Mama's people, places, and events, and to the works of the visual artists Langston Hughes admired or collaborated with most closely over the course of his career -- the African-inspired mural designs and cubist geometries of Aaron Douglas, the blues and jazz-inspired collages of Romare Bearden, the macabre grotesques of Meta Warrick Fuller and the rhythmic sculptural figurines and heads and bas reliefs of Richmond Barthe, the color blocked cityscapes and black history series of Palmer Hayden and Jacob Lawrence.
Together the words, sounds, and images recreate a magical moment in our cultural history, which bridges the Harlem Renaissance, the post World War II Beat writers' coffeehouse jazz poetry world, and the looming Black Arts performance explosion of the 1960s.
Stephens Auditorium collaborates with Ames Writers Workshop and poet/producer Caleb "The Negro Artist" Rainey for three free poetry workshops tailored for Central Iowa Youth. Ana McCracken, Founder of Ames Writers Collective, expresses enthusiasm for the partnership with Rainey, an Iowa poet with a #1 Amazon release. The workshops, leading to a contest, provide youth with the opportunity to have their poems read on the Stephens Auditorium stage with an original composition, scored by Dr. Ron McCurdy, the composer of the "Langston Hughes Project."
Following the workshops, a panel of poets will conduct a "blind read" contest, selecting two poems for scoring by Dr. Ron McCurdy. Rainey will open the February 8 performance by performing the student poems together with music, creating an enriching and collaborative experience for Central Iowa Youth and all who join.
The workshops are supported in part by grants from the Ames Commission on the Arts (COTA) Special Project Grant, Discover Ames Community Grant and Ames Community Arts Council Grant. Langston Hughes Project performance is supported in part by performance underwriters, Elizabeth Beck and Ana and Ed McCracken and through the Stephens Performing Arts Fund.
Ron McCurdy
The creator of the entire piece, McCurdy is a Professor of Music in the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he served as chair of the jazz department for 6 years. Dr. McCurdy is a consultant to the Grammy Foundation educational programs including serving as director of the National Grammy Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Guest artists he has worked with include Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Leslie Uggams, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schuur, Ramsey Lewis, Mercer Ellington, Dr. Billy Taylor, Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, and Dianne Reeves.