For Freedoms Community Conversation: Freedom of Speech

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For Freedoms Community Conversation: Freedom of Speech

In honor of their newest temporary exhibition, Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal… and the ongoing efforts of For Freedoms, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will present a series of four community conversations to deepen our understanding of issues affecting Northwest Arkansas communities.

The first will be about the freedom of speech from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, in the Great Hall of Cyrstal Bridges in Bentonville.

Crystal Bridges invites you to participate in these conversations with a diverse group of local speakers including artists, city officials, and community leaders in the sharing of personal stories and work in relation to the topic. Each event will focus on one of the four freedoms, asking universal questions to spark conversation such as: "What does truth mean to you?  What does an adequate standard of living mean to you?  What does safety mean to you? What does love mean to you?"

The stories shared in this program are meant to bring different voices from the community together in a shared non-partisan space. All are welcome to participate and we ask you to come with a spirit of reciprocity.

In this community conversation, freedom of speech will be viewed through the frame of "What does it mean to speak your truth?" Speakers and audience members will be asked to recall a time when you first understood what speaking your truth meant, and to reflect on how that experience helped frame the way you saw/see the world. Universal questions may include: How does art challenge or demonstrate truth? What impact does freedom of speech have on someone else's truth?

This conversation will be led by the following speakers:

• Rev. Sekou, Memphis-based musician of the Freedom Fighters band and artist from For Freedoms Collective
• Srividya Venkatasubramanya, president of Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation, a local Indian performing arts organization
• Stephanie Orman, mayor of Bentonville
• Rebecca Ellis, Bentonville High School student who participated in the gun violence walkouts.

This event is free with online registration, and registered attendees will receive a free admission ticket to Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal… at the event. The programs will be moderated by fellows from the University of Arkansas IDEALS Institute.

Please note that a Crystal Bridges member will be taking photos and videos at this event. This footage may be used for internal purposes, such as promoting the next event or archiving. If you would prefer not to be photographed or recorded, you may opt out at the event.

To register for this event, please visit: https://bit.ly/2uGNmzp.