1) Designer James Garrett Jr. sees his work as far more than beautiful-but-practical buildings. For example, he has talked since last year about how architects can work to combat systemic racism. Apart from that, his bio speaks of the fact that he “artistically creates technologically advanced, resilient design that articulates an evolving comprehension of the 21st Century city. As a visual artist, writer, and architect, he creatively expresses the urban condition through inspired design.” He will speak in a free, online lecture at 7 p.m. today presented by the Bloomington-based Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design at Indiana University. Register for the online lecture at: https://soaad.indiana.edu/events/speaker-series/march-series/upcoming/2021-02-04-james-garrett-jr.html
2) The stage of the civil rights movement bled heavily into the arts, ranging from art to movies to music of the time. Master flutist Galen Abdur-Razzaq discusses and performs jazz pieces by artists who contributed to the formation and progress of the civil rights movement in a virtual presentation “Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement” at 6 p.m. Wednesday via the Bartholomew County Public Library. Galen has performed domestically and internationally for more than 30 years. During the event, he will address some of those who took a public stand against the discriminatory practices of the times, using their influence to speak to the consciences of the American people. This group included Leonard Bernstein, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Harry Belafonte, Sydney Poitier, Charlton Heston, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Nina Simone, Charles Mingus, and Ray Charles. Information: mybcpl.org
Brian Blair is a Republic reporter. He can be reached at 379-5672 or bblair@therepublic.com.
