The University of Iowa

Embracing Complexity Lunch Series: Kinan Azmeh's CityBand

Join Hancher's Micah Ariel James and Chuy Renteria for a conversation with Kinan Azmeh's CityBand about the intersection between art and identity. Hancher’s Embracing Complexity project takes a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to building understanding of contemporary Islamic cultures and Muslim identity. This conversation will be recorded for distribution on the podcast Hancher Presents.

Jazz Studies Masterclass: “Who’s Minding the Store?”

Please join the U of I Jazz Studies area for an open clinic with 2018 Ida Cordelia Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor Rufus Reid. Reid will discuss life, his 50+ year career, music, his work as a composer and field questions from audience members. A rare opportunity to get a glimpse inside the mind of one of the handful of living jazz masters!
 

Free, open to the public and appropriate for all ages.
 

The Story Behind “Quiet Pride"

Please join jazz bassist, composer and Ida Cordelia Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor Rufus Reid as he presents an insider’s perspective on the conception and creative process associated with his Grammy-nominated composition/recording “Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project”.  This composition is based entirely on the work of esteemed Iowa alumna artist Elizabeth Catlett, and represents a uniquely interdisciplinary merging of the worlds of jazz, composition and visual art.  The lecture will discuss how Reid has been able

Catlett Performance with Johnson County Landmark

Please join UI’s top jazz ensemble in the presentation of a collaborative concert with esteemed jazz bassist, composer and 2018 Ida Cordelia Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor Rufus Reid. JCL will perform Rufus Reid's arrangement of "Round Midnight" and feature him on bass with the band. The concert also includes the performance of Reid’s tribute to saxophonist John Coltrane "Of Regal Patience," Thad Jones’ iconic composition "Three and One," as well as original selections from the suite "Unlikely Characters" by John Rapson.

“Stories of Elizabeth Catlett” interview and Q&A

Join jazz bassist and composer Rufus Reid for a conversation about his friendship with acclaimed visual artist and social activist Elizabeth Catlett, the first African American to receive an MFA from the University of Iowa and one of the first three students upon which the degree was conferred. Reid will speak about what inspired him to celebrate Catlett's life, art, and accomplishments with his most recent project for big band, Quiet Pride: A Celebration of Elizabeth Catlett.

Shadow Play! Puppetry Workshop

Learn to make and move shadow puppets in this family-friendly workshop led by master puppeteers from the cast of Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic, an ambitious shadow play that recounts the fates of star-crossed lovers, Zaul and Rudabeh. This event is part of Hancher’s Embracing Complexity project, which seeks to build textured knowledge of Islamic cultures, while creating a greater sense of empathy for the experiences of peoples of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.
 

Hamid Rahmanian & The Shahnameh Project Lecture

Since the late 1980s, New York–based Iranian filmmaker and graphic artist Hamid Rahmanian has combined his love of traditional Persian art forms with modern technology to create new works of art that visually bridge the gaps of East and West. As a story-teller, his works have focused on people and issues that are rarely covered in the mainstream media, offering audiences new perspectives and intimate glimpses into otherwise little known worlds.