UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN–MADISON: Division of the Arts Announces Two Artists-In-Residence For The 2021-22 Academic Year
The Division of the Arts’ Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program (IARP) selected two artists-in-residence to teach a 3-credit interdisciplinary course and host public events in Madison for their respective residencies in the 2021-22 academic year. Arun Luthra will teach in the fall 2021 semester and Judy Frater will teach in the spring 2022 semester.
photo of saxophonist Arun LuthraSaxophonist Arun Luthra is an American musician of Indian heritage who fuses modern post-bop jazz with elements of Indian classical music – especially konnakol (South Indian classical music vocal percussion) – and connects a wide range of modern and classic and Eastern and Western musical influences to create a vibrant new sound and style.
In the fall of 2021, Luthra will teach “The Universal Language of Rhythm: Explorations Through Konnakol and Black American Music.” This course is an introduction to konnakol, the Carnatic (South Indian classical music) art form of vocalizing rhythms, and will explore its blending with other musical traditions. Luthra’s residency will be hosted by the Mead Witter School of Music with Professor Johannes Wallmann as lead faculty and support from the Center for South Asia, the Department of Anthropology, the Wisconsin Union Theater, and Arts + Literature Laboratory. The Division will host Luthra for a virtual planning visit later this month.
photo of Judy Frater
Living in India (mainly in the Kutch region in the Northwest part of India) for 30 years, Judy Frater co-founded KalaRaksha Trust and Museum. An award-winning Ashoka Fellow, she founded the first design schools for artisans: Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya and Somaiya Kala Vidya. Previously, she was Associate Curator of the Kala Raksha Textile Museum.
In the spring of 2022, Frater will teach “Cultural Diversity, Connection, Value and Sustainability – the Role of Hand Craft in India.”
Utilizing design thinking, students in this project-based survey course will be exposed to important issues surrounding small-scale artisan production and develop valuable hands-on skills working with artisan partners through design, quality control, branding, and story-telling. Frater’s residency will be hosted by the Design Studies Department with Professor Jennifer Angus as lead faculty and support from the Art Department, Department of Art History, Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Center for South Asia, Bolz Center for Arts Administration, and the Center for Design and Material Culture.
We are thrilled to welcome these artists to campus in the near future. More information on these exciting residencies will be provided as it becomes available!