A renowned former National Geographic photographer, a Middle Eastern Dance Company and a Hollywood science consultant are just a few of the highlights of the University of the Ozarks’ 2023-24 Walton Arts & Ideas Series (WAIS).
WAIS is made possible by an endowment established by the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. There is no charge for admission to any of the events.
This year’s series, titled “Enlightened and Engaged,” will feature six events beginning on Sept. 14 with the Foreign Tongues Poetry Troupe out of Little Rock. The lineup also includes former National Geographic photographer Dick Durrance on Oct. 17, the Mirana Middle Eastern Dance Company on Feb. 8 and Hollywood science consultant Dr. Erin Mcdonald on April 4.
The full 2023-24 lineup:
Foreign Tongues Poetry Troupe
7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 14
Seay Theatre/Walton Fine Arts Center
Based out of Little Rock, Foreign Tongues is a dynamic and diverse artistic collective that spreads the power of poetry across Arkansas and the United States. Their team is made up of accomplished authors, educators, entertainers, actors, visual artists, playwrights, award-winning slam poets, hip-hip artists, and entrepreneurs, all united by their passion for the written and spoken word. Through their engaging workshops and captivating performances, Foreign Tongues has made a name for themselves as a group that brings people together through the art of poetry. Whether you’re a seasoned poetry enthusiast or a newcomer to the genre, Foreign Tongues is sure to inspire and entertain you with their incredible talent and unwavering love for the craft. Foreign Tongues Poetry Troupe will take the stage to deliver a powerful spoken word performance that promises to educate, empower and move the listening audience.
Dick Durrance, National Geographic Photographer
7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 17
Rogers Conference Center
Dick Durrance has been described by the director of photography at National Geographic as one of the most versatile photographers of his generation. His presentations are based on real-life experiences and the creative instincts he developed while traveling the world as a photographer. Durrance has photographed combat in Vietnam, National Geographic stories, global advertising campaigns, National Parks and the world’s great golf courses. His peers have celebrated his gift for photography throughout his career: National Press Photographers of America honored his combat pictures with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their Military Photographs of the Year competition; White House News Photographers Association named him their Magazine Photographer of the Year; and American Society of Media Photographers named him their Advertising Photographer of the Year. Durrance brings a uniquely comprehensive understanding of the creative process to helping audiences harness the full power of their imaginations to further develop a creative vision for themselves.
Alice Driver, Author and Journalist
7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2
Rogers Conference Center
Author Alice Driver has spent the past three years reporting on workers at the largest meatpacking company in the U.S. as they grieve loved ones lost to Covid and struggling to pay medical bills. Her book, about their fight for justice from their employer, ”The Life and Death of the American Worker” (Astra House), will be published in 2024. Driver is a writer from the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas who writes for The New Yorker, National Geographic, and The New York Review of Books. In 2023, Driver won a James Beard Award for Investigative Reporting. She is also working on a memoir about her family’s relationship with writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak titled, “Artists All Around” (Princeton Architectural Press 2025). She is the author of “More or Less Dead: Feminicide, Haunting and the Ethics of Representation in Mexico” (University of Arizona, 2015) and the translator of Abecedario de Juárez (University of Texas, 2022).
Mirana Middle Eastern Dance Company
7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 8
Seay Theatre/Walton Fine Arts Center
Founded by Marion “Mirana” Thompson in 1974, the Mirana Middle Eastern Dance Company was the first to bring this art form to the state of Arkansas. Mirana’s love and respect for the style of dance inspired her to pursue new opportunities for Middle Eastern dance to be showcased in the most prestigious theaters and performances in Arkansas. Mirana steered away from using the term “belly dance.” Middle Eastern dance was too vast and culturally rich that it should not be reduced to what we now commonly know as belly dance. She fought to keep the integrity of this art form to her very last breath during her battle against cancer (May 1993). Mirana appointed Shannon Sahr to keep her mission alive, to keep Middle Eastern Dance relevant, and to continue developing her troupe into one of the highest professional level dance groups in Arkansas. A member of The Arkansas Arts on Tour, the company is recognized nationally and known to provide quality dance performances that are unique but maintain the traditional elegance of its origin.
Mystical Arts of Tibet
Monday thru Friday, March 4-8
Walton Fine Arts Center
Monks of The Mystical Arts of Tibet from Drepung Loseling Monastery will be on campus throughout the week of March 4-8 to create a Mandala sand painting and present a pair of public lectures. The lectures include, “The Symbolism of Mandala,” on Tuesday, March 5, at 7 p.m., and “Meditation for Focus & Stress Relief,” on Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m. From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sand ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks to form the image of a mandala. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning sacred cosmogram. These cosmograms can be created in various media, however, the most spectacular and enduringly popular are those made from colored sand. To date the monks have created mandala sand paintings in more than 100 museums, art centers, and universities.
Schedule of Events
• Opening Ceremony: March 4, 1 p.m., Stephens Gallery
• Creation of Mandala: March 4-8, Stephens Gallery
• Lecture: The Symbolism of Mandala: March 5, 7 p.m., Seay Theatre
• Lecture: Meditation for Focus & Stress Release: March 7, 7 p.m., Seay Theatre
• Closing Ceremony: March 8, 1 p.m., Stephens Gallery
Dr. Erin Macdonald, Hollywood Science Consultant
7 p.m., Thursday, April 4
Rogers Conference Center
Dr. Erin Macdonald will present a lecture titled, “Representation Matters: How STEM in TV and Movies Led Me to Hollywood.” This personal journey will take the audience through Macdonald’s varied career, teaching that passion and seeing yourself represented can be a guiding light as one finds their path. Macdonald hails from Fort Collins, Colo., and received her Ph.D. in astrophysics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, doing research into gravitational waves as a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. After leaving research in 2014, life took her to Los Angeles where she began speaking at official Star Trek events and working as a science consultant for the entertainment industry. In 2019 she was hired as the official science consultant for the ever-expanding Star Trek Universe and is currently working on all shows in development. She discovered a skill and passion for writing as well as consulting and currently has multiple projects in development.
Topics: About, Community Events, WAIS