Sun March 10

Visual Art and Performances

Hope all are well.

I’ve just finished a tour in Nicaragua with my friend’s band. Rulon Brown brought me along with Jeff Busch, and Bill Horist. This was the last concert as part of the Nicaraguan International Jazz Festival. I had a fantastic time, and I look forward to returning sometime again in the near future.

After returning from Nicaragua, I will have a series of performances and visual art shows.

As part of my residency at the University of Puget Sound, I have just presented a new work this week. The Race & Pedagogy Initiative presented "American Voices: Invisibility, Art, and Educational Justice". Over the course of two days this week, I presented this new work five times in schools and in a prison. This piece addresses the school-to-prison pipeline.

Shortly after these performances, I will be performing at the True False Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri. This festival is quite different because they invite musicians from all over the world to play prior to each film screening.

I'm excitedly looking forward to my first solo visual art show at Catherine Clark Gallery in San Francisco. If you happen to be in the Bay Area, I hope you can make it out. The show will be running from March 2nd – April 20th. Unfortunately I will miss the opening reception due to other tour dates, but I will be in attendance for a closing event on April 20th.

My latest completed public art project is a sculpture at People's Park in Tacoma, WA and is currently on view. During a two-year residency in Tacoma, I worked with a diverse group of young people discussing and writing about human rights. I incorporated these writings in this new sculptural work. An image of the final project is attached.

The three benches at People’s Park are installed in a triangular configuration (two of which are pictured). When I created the design, I hoped that the writings would promote conversation about human rights. I've been told this has already started. A public celebration will take place in the park in May.

Best wishes,
Paul