Lavon Hardison photo courtesy of the artist
Thursdays, August 16, 23 & 30
The Seattle Public Library,
1000 Fourth Ave
This month, Seattle Public Library, Earshot Jazz, and Seattle Center Festál present a series of live music and dance, Art on the Plaza, as well as a special event August 30, titled Roots & Routes, discussing immigration, immigrant rights and policies, and more. This collaboration, spearheaded by Davida Ingram, Public Engagement Programs Manager at SPL, brings to the city much-needed dialogue surrounding the current immigration and refugee crises, programmed alongside music and dance, to foster a safe, inclusive, creative environment.
Art on the Plaza, which takes place at the Central Library’s 4th Avenue plaza, kicks off August 16 with LaVon Hardison from noon to 2pm. The Olympia-based vocalist is a multi-faceted entertainer. In her trio, with pianist Eric Verlinde and bassist Osama Afifi, jazz standards and popular songs reveal surprising layers of relevance and joy.
On August 23, Nathan Breedlove and The nu Trio perform from noon to 2pm. The trumpeter, composer, and philosopher-in-training spreads life and love through music. The cultural storyteller and seasoned seeker is joined by Seattle jazz legends, Brian Kirk on drums and Phil Sparks on bass.
Featured Roots & Routes artist is drummer D’Vonne Lewis. On August 30, at 5pm on the plaza, and 6pm inside the Gates Auditorium, Lewis performs with his project Passageways. Mixing Seattle’s rich African-American jazz heritage with today’s social realities, Lewis debuts a multi-national quartet whose members, Ari Joshua, Alex Dugdale, and Thione Diop, have cultural ties to South Africa, Central America, and Senegal.
The discussion will then take place, with guests including from ACLU Washington, plus a special movement session with local dancer/activist David Rue.
Visit spl.org for more information about Arts on the Plaza. Art on the Plaza is made possible by the Seattle Public Library Foundation.
