“In the dark of these times, art lights the way,” says Patricia Nicholson Parker, co-founder of Arts for Art (AFA). Nicholson, William Parker and AFA team have reimagined the renowned Vision Festival as a limited-capacity outdoor event with a professionally filmed livestream. Vision Festival: Healing Soul will begin Thursday, October 8 at 7:00pm ET with a livestream solo performance by Wadada Leo Smith, followed by in-person / livestream events October 9 through October 12, all taking place outdoors at La Plaza at the Clemente in NYC (the parking lot on Norfolk Street, north of Delancey). Artists include Oliver Lake, Andrew Cyrille, Amina Claudine Myers, William Parker, with the full schedule below.
The outdoor Vision Festival will be limited capacity, socially-distanced and in compliance with all CDC and New York City guidelines. Daily outdoor tickets are $75, and virtual tickets are $15. Both are available here.
Founded in 1996, AFA and Vision has held the belief that music and the arts can inspire and uplift people. It has been rooted in a commitment to social justice and equity. This is evident in all of AFA’s festivals and events where the focus is on the work of groundbreaking African American artists. AFA has been organizing conferences and panel discussions that respond or foretell issues around social justice and equity. In January 2017, AFA initiated the Artists for A Free World project. (https://www.artsforart.org/advocacy)
Vision Festival will return in 2021.
VISION FESTIVAL: HEALING SOUL
THURS, OCTOBER 8
VIRTUAL
7:00pm ET Wadada Leo Smith - solo trumpet, solo piano
8:00pm Panel discussion on protest and jazz with Amirtha Kidambi, JD Allen, Jean Carla Rodea, Arturo O'Farrill, William Parker, Lee Mixashawn Rozie
FRI, OCTOBER 9
LIVE Outdoors in La Plaza at The Clemente, 114 Norfolk St, NYC
5:00pm ET The Healing Force
Patricia Nicholson – text, movement, voice
Voices: Ellen Christi, Jean Carla Rodea, Amirtha Kidambi, Andrea Wolper
Ava Mendoza - guitar / Val Jeanty - electronics, percussion
6:00pm Afro-Algonquin Trio
Lee Mixashawn Rozie – voice, sax, mandolin / Rick Rozie – bass / Royal Hartigan – drums
7:00pm Oliver Lake Organ Quartet
Oliver Lake - alto sax / Jared Gold - organ / Freddie Hendrix – trumpet /Chris Beck- drums
SAT, OCTOBER 10
LIVE Outdoors in La Plaza at The Clemente, 114 Norfolk St, NYC
1:00pm ET Children’s Music is Mine Workshop (free) CANCELLED
4:00pm Lewis / Lopez / Marcelo / Waits
James Brandon Lewis – sax / Brandon Lopez – bass /
Alexis Marcelo – keyboards / Nasheet Waits - drums
5:00pm Fay Victor's Mutations for Justice
Fay Victor - voice, composition / Mazz Swift – violin / Chris Williams - trumpet
Luke Stewart – bass / Jason Nazary - drums
6:00pm Amina Claudine Myers Trio
Amina Claudine Myers – Keyboards / Jerome Harris – bass, voice / Reggie Nicholson
SUN, OCTOBER 11
LIVE Outdoors in La Plaza at The Clemente, 114 Norfolk St, NYC
1:00pm ET Children's Music is Mine Workshop (free) CANCELLED
4:00pm Andrew Cyrille Quartet
Bill Frisell -guitar / David Virelles – piano / Ben Street – bass / Andrew Cyrille - drums
5:30pm POET Tyehimba Jess
6:00pm Gerald Cleaver's Black Host
Gerald Cleaver - drums / Darius Jones - alto sax / Brandon Seabrook - guitar / Cooper-Moore - piano / Brandon Lopez - bass
MON, OCTOBER 12
LIVE Outdoors in La Plaza at The Clemente, 114 Norfolk St, NYC
4:00pm ET David Murray Trio
David Murray - tenor sax, bass clarinet / Luke Stewart – bass / Ronnie Burrage – drums
5:30pm POET Latasha Diggs
6:00pm William Parker’s In Order to Survive Quintet
Rob Brown – alto sax / James Brandon Lewis – tenor sax / Matthew Shipp – keyboards /
Gerald Cleaver - drums