Prince from Minneapolis
A Symposium at the University of Minnesota
April 16-18, 2018
|
opening keynote, Monday, april 16, 5-7 pm
"Keep The Children Free:
Prince on the Frontline Of Post-Civil Rights America"
A child of desegregation, Prince came of age in an era that passed from civil rights optimism to culture war fear. But as he shuttled between discipline and excess, individuality and community, desire and release, Black and white, he came to articulate a new "dream we all dream of," a way of understanding the nation and the world. How did he come to be one of the exemplary voices in the history of Black freedom culture? Here is Prince's liberation imagination from "Partyup" to Black Lives Matter.
April 16 | 5:00pm
Doors at 4:00pm
Northrop
Jeff Chang
Author of We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation and Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation
Co-founder of CultureStr/ke and ColorLines
Executive Director of Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Stanford University
Daphne Brooks (Discussant)
Author of Bodies in Dissent: Spectacular Performances of Race and Freedom, 1850-1910 and Jeff Buckley's Grace
Professor of African American Studies, Theater Studies, American Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Yale University
Book signing by Jeff Chang will follow the keynote
Author of We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation and Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation
Co-founder of CultureStr/ke and ColorLines
Executive Director of Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Stanford University
Daphne Brooks (Discussant)
Author of Bodies in Dissent: Spectacular Performances of Race and Freedom, 1850-1910 and Jeff Buckley's Grace
Professor of African American Studies, Theater Studies, American Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Yale University
Book signing by Jeff Chang will follow the keynote
Plenary Panel "The Artist", Tuesday, April 17, 5-6.30 pm
Willey Hall, Room 175, University of Minnesota, West Bank
Prince's life and work raise some of the most important questions when it comes to what art is. How does popular music relate to photography and video? Why did Prince insist his collaborators move to Minnesota? How do they relate to this state? What is it like to be an artist under intense corporate pressures and to negotiate such complex issues as copyright? How to respond to today's rapid technological changes? How have black musicians succeeded in overcoming the industry's racial barriers? Why is the music industry dominated by men? This panel gathers academics and artists to both celebrate Prince's genius and ask some tough questions about the artistic process.
Featuring Matt Fink (The Revolution)
Andrew Flory (Carleton College)
Shelby J (New Power Generation)
Diane Mullin (Weisman Art Museum)
STIJN (musician, Belgium)
Gil Rodman (University of Minnesota)
Moderated by Sumanth Gopinath (University of Minnesota)
plenary panel, "prince alumni", wednesday, april 18, 11-12
Willey Hall, Room 175, University of Minnesota, West Bank
This plenary panel is organized by Jacqui Thomson from the PRN Alumni Foundation representing professionals who collaborated with Prince and continuing his philanthropic work. They will discuss how it was to work with and for Prince and what living in Minnesota has meant for their creative output.
Featuring Harlan Austin (security specialist)
Scottie Baldwin (sound engineer),
Kim Berry (hair stylist)
Mayte Garcia (dancer/choreographer)
Dave Hampton (sound engineer)
Stacia Lang (costume designer)
Sotera Tschetter (creative director)
Moderated by Craig Rice (producer and director)