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Very Local New Orleans: Woke Dreams - A Reflection & Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.


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On Monday, January 20, you are invited to join us for WOKE DREAMS, a reflective celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on today’s civic movements. This event and admission to the CAC that day is free and open to the public, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 91st birthday, WOKE DREAMS will explore Dr. King’s legacy, today’s social movements, and the role that art plays in advancing activism and social justice. Through a variety of interactive experiences, guests are invited to reflect upon and celebrate Dr. King’s legacy.


Admission to the CAC’s exhibitions will be free and open for the public to enjoy, featuring works by Mickalene Thomas, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Meg Turner, and collaborative effort Les Femmes Feroces. This event is FREE and open to the public but registration is requested.


Join our all-star panel for a conversation about the intersection of art, community, and activism at the center of the old and new civil rights movements, in the heart of the Mickalene Thomas: Femmes Noires exhibition at the CAC. Panelists will include: – Ranord J. Darensburg JD, RSW, Judicial Administrator, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court – Stephanie McKee, Director, Junebug Productions – Alanah Odoms-Hebert, Executive Director, ACLU of Louisiana – Kathy Randels, Artist, Art Spot & The Graduates – Dr. David Robinson, The Center for Equity, Justice, and the Human Spirit JOSE COTTO: “CULTIVATING HISTORY, DOCUMENTING DREAMS” Artist Jose Cotto invites you to take part in his photographic project to capture intimate one-on-one portraits of individuals — and their dream-like auras — through innovative photographic techniques. JET COSTELLO & LES FEMMES FÉROCES TRANS MEMORIAL ALTAR New Orleans-based artist Jet Costello and CAC resident art collective Les Femmes Feroces will present a memorial altar installation to honor murdered Trans women from across the country created especially for WOKE DREAMS.


DJ RAJ SMOOVE: WHEN OPPRESSED, KNOWLEDGE ENDURES In the CAC Atrium, experience DJ Raj Smoove’s curated set entitled “When Oppressed, Knowledge Endures,” featuring songs and beats from the Civil Rights era and beyond. Raj Smoove, called “The Greatest DJ in the World” by Lil Wayne, is the premier DJ in the New Orleans Metropolitan area. Currently Raj Smoove holds residencies at the Foundation Room at House of Blues New Orleans and on the air every Saturday night on 98.5 WYLD’s Saturday Night Live. This event is made possible by support from The Helis Foundation and The Times-Picayune / New Orleans Advocate

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