Symphony’s On Campus programs draw from museum exhibits
The Charlotte Symphony, Levine Museum of the New South, and the Mint Museum of Art have forged a special collaboration to present innovative, multi-disciplinary programming as part of the Symphony’s On Campus project. Now in its second year, CSO on Campus will serve six local colleges: UNC Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Queens University of Charlotte, Davidson College, Johnson C. Smith University, and Winthrop University. The project encourages collaboration among students and professionals and provides students with hands-on learning in the arts.
This year’s On Campus project is rooted in a current exhibit at Levine Museum, Changing Places: From Black and White to Technicolor, which looks at the growing population of “newcomers” to the Charlotte area and their impact on the larger region. Through multi-media orchestral concerts on four campuses and smaller ensemble performances, discussions, and lecture/demonstrations, the On Campus project explores the effects of migration and immigration on artistic expression in general and on music in particular. Download a PDF schedule of events for a complete description.
The On Campus events take place during the month of November, coinciding with the opening of The Mint Museum of Art’s new exhibition, Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color. Loïs Mailou Jones (1905-1998), a pioneering 20th century African-American artist, “changed places” multiple times in her life, moving from Boston to North Carolina to Paris and Haiti and Africa. The exhibition features more than 70 works, all of which demonstrate the profound influence that Jones’s migratory life had on her artistry. Images of Jones’s paintings will be used to create a film component to accompany orchestral music in the four On Campus concerts.
“It is especially important in these times that cultural organizations work together,” said CSO Executive Director Jonathan Martin. “In this project, partners will share publicity and work together to create innovative programming that builds upon each other’s missions and activities in a coherent way. Not only is that a wise use of resources, but it produces richer, multi-layered cultural experiences for the local community.”