2023 Tucson Humanities Festival
style /stīl/: a manner of doing something.
From personal expression to artistic movements, style defines how we perceive and create, how the individual stands out from the rest, and how trends captivate and characterize periods of time. Image, identity and form are all rooted in style. People design everything, from ourselves to our cultures to our cities. Every day, we interact with style in various forms: art, music, fashion, literature, film and more. What’s your style?
COH FASHION SHOW
TIM GUNN: The Poetry of Fashion
Description
Taking inspiration from poetry selections, University of Arizona students will stage an interactive fashion show, followed by a conversation about creativity, purpose and the power of meaning with style icon Tim Gunn. An Emmy Award-winning television personality and bestselling author, Gunn became a household name as co-host and mentor for 16 seasons of Project Runway alongside Heidi Klum. After the opening fashion presentation, Gunn will take to the stage to share his impressions and valuable lessons for ‘Making it Work’ in business, relationships and life.
MY LIFE IN THE SUNSHINE: Intersections of Family, Music & Race featuring Nabil Ayers
Description
In writing for the New York Times, Pitchfork, GQ, Rolling Stone and more, author and music executive Nabil Ayers has explored the complex and overlapping topics of race and music. His acclaimed memoir My Life in the Sunshine details his struggle to connect with his father, famed vibraphonist and funk, soul and jazz musician Roy Ayers. The book chronicles his experiences as a biracial kid with a single mother, touring in rock bands, owning a record store becoming president of the U.K.-based record company Beggars Group, which represents Adele, The National, Radiohead and many others.
DESERT SYMPHONY: Mobilizing Creativity and Stories for Social Change
The Department of Public and Applied Humanities through the Dorrance Dean’s Award for Scholar/Specialist-in-Residence invited Favianna Rodriguez for a two-week residency at the University of Arizona to engage students, faculty, and the broader Tucson community in her work.
Description
Catalyzing cultural power and creative expression is vital for building more sustainable futures. Interdisciplinary artist, cultural strategist, and entrepreneur Favianna Rodriguez will discuss the themes of justice and joy in her work, which leverages the power of style and storytelling to challenge dominant myths. She will also unveil her new on-campus installation Desert Symphony, which reflects on the intersections of climate change and migration in Tucson’s unique ecological and cultural home in the borderlands. View more pieces from Favianna’s residency