'Wonder What Else Could Be Different Around Here: Yolanda Wisher, Dick Lourie, Natalie Diaz and Christian Campbell' @ Institute of Contemporary Art [PHILADELPHIA/USA]

ICA Gather welcomes:

A little Monk. A little Bessie. A little Langston. Legendary troubadour, poet, and blues saxman Dick Lourie joins Philly Poet Laureate Yolanda Wisher and her band The Afroeaters for an intergenerational performance of blues and verse. They are joined by poets Natalie Diaz and Christian Campbell who will also collaborate in a reading that engages the themes of creative freedom and resistance that are part of the exhibition "The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now" on view at ICA starting Sept. 14th.

The readings on the terrace will be preceded by short "pop-up" readings throughout the gallery, near the works of art that inspired the Philadelphia poets commissioned to write ekphrastic poems for the event. This set features new work by Marie Alarcon, Cynthia Dewi Oka, Alina Pleskova, Lucia Gbaya-Kanga, Cindy Arrieu-King, Faye Chevalier, Stan Mir, Thomas Devaney, Kirwyn Sutherland, Warren Longmire, Sara Grossman, Lauren Yates and Nico Amador.

DJs Cardigan, Anthony Romero and Halfbreed will spin mixes inspired by the exhibition, and Keegan Tawa will play a unique blend of jazz saxophone and original production.

This event is the closing celebration for PHILALALIA, an annual small press/hand made book fair and poetry/book arts festival taking place Thursday-Saturday, September 15-17, at Tyler School of Art on the main campus of Temple University. PHILALALIA includes a full schedule of readings, performances, and workshops at the book fair and at venues throughout Philadelphia. More info can be found here: https://philalalia.com/schedule-2/

This event is sponsored by the City of Philadelphia's Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, The Leeway Foundation, Thread Makes Blanket press, APIARY Magazine, and Dock Street Brewery. With thanks to Mariposa Coop, Four Worlds Bakery, and Penn Book Center for their donations as well.

ICA Gather is a new programming series that presents special programs that are collaboratively produced in partnership with area community and campus groups.

This event is free and open to the public, but please do rsvp.

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below: Muhal Richard Abrams, "View From Within," 1985. Collage and acrylic on canvas. 17 3/4 x 25 1/2 inches. Photo: Gavin Ashworth. Courtesy of the artist and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.