VISION FESTIVAL 22 to Launch This May at Judson Memorial Church

VISION 22, the premier festival of FreeJazz, is dedicated to a Just Future. Since its inception in 1996, Arts for Art and the Vision Festival have advocated for human rights and justice. At this moment, when human rights and the environment are under attack, Arts for Art and the community of artists that AFA represents, feel it is important to use music and art as well as our words to convey our commitment to these basic issues of Life and Justice.

On Memorial Day, May 29, 2017, Arts for Art will open the 22nd annual Vision Festival at historic Judson Memorial Church in New York City, celebrating a Lifetime of Achievement by the renowned multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore, an artist whose music has been informed by his own struggle for freedom.

Born in segregated Virginia, Cooper-Moore came of age playing his music and also as an active member of the civil rights and peace movements. He became a pivotal member of the FreeJazz movement beginning with his tenure with David S. Ware in the 70s as part of the Jazz Loft at 501 Canal Street. Cooper-Moore's primary instrument is the piano, but he has become well-known for the many instruments he has designed and built. He is an important educator who has inspired generations of young artists, from his work with the very young at Head Start to numerous music programs around the world. "Cooper-Moore exemplifies the deep dedication, idealism, and integrity which make for a truly great artist," Artistic Director Patricia Nicholson explains. "He resists definition and continues to shape our cultural landscape."

Festival highlights include: Cooper-Moore, Miya Masaoka, Darius Jones, Farmers by Nature, Nicole Mitchell, Joelle Leandre, Tomas Fujiwara Double Trio, Andrew Cyrille, David Murray, Joe McPhee, Charles Gayle, Odean Pope, Tomeka Reid, Matthew Shipp, Oliver Lake, BassDrumBone, Oluyemi Thomas, Hamid Drake, and more!

Patricia Nicholson Parker founded Arts for Art and the Vision Festival in the 1990s promoting and defining FreeJazz. She is an accomplished dancer, poet, producer and a social activist on a global capacity. In the 1980s, she choreographed and produced A Thousand Cranes Peace Opera with one thousand children for the opening of the UN Special Session on disarmament. Parker also helped organize the Sound Unity Festivals as a response to the lack of visibility of FreeJazz. She has been awarded three times as producer of the year by Jazz Journalist Association (JJA) and won the CMA/ASCAP Award for adventurous programming. In 2015, Parker inaugurated a new quintet, Resurrection Revolution (R&R) that brings together dance, art, and music. Arts For Art supports diversity in music, dance, art and ideas that embrace improvisation as a means to transform both artist and audience.

IF YOU GO:

Vision Festival 22
"Jazz Festival For A Just Future"
May 29 - June 3, 2017
Judson Memorial Church (55 Washington Sq. South, NYC)
Celebrating A Lifetime of Achievement - Cooper-Moore
Tickets: $40 Advance / $45 At Door; $25 Students & Seniors (Door Only); $200 Festival Pass / $300 VIP Pass
More info by emailing info@artsforart.org or calling (212) 254-5420