An exhibition celebrating the life of jazz musician, pianist, bandleader, mystic, philosopher and Afro-Futurist Sun Ra comes to Duke and Durham this fall.
"Pathways to Unknown Worlds: Sun Ra, El Saturn and Chicago's Afro-Futurist Underground 1954 -- 1968" showcases diverse, provocative and rarely seen materials from Sun Ra's life. The exhibition opens Friday, Aug. 21 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 18 at the Durham Art Guild, 120 Morris Street.
The exhibition will include record album cover art created by Sun Ra, paperwork from the record labels that he ran, costumes and photographs of his musical ensemble, The Arkestra. The event is presented by the Durham Art Guild in partnerships with Duke's John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies.
"These materials help complete the picture of the whole aesthetic universe that Sun Ra cobbled together, which is both rooted in jazz, blues and gospel traditions and -- just like the best jazz -- explores new territory," says Aaron Greenwald, director of Duke Performances.
To celebrate the music behind the exhibition, Duke Performances will present Sun Ra Arkestra and the Mingus Big Band at Page Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26.
"This will be the ultimate evening in massive, modern big band music," says Greenwald. "We're making an event out of it because there is no other way to celebrate Sun Ra than to have it be spectacular."
Other events planned at Duke's John Hope Franklin Center will accompany the exhibition, including a series of workshops, seminars and artist visits throughout the fall semester.
Lori Leachman, an economics professor at Duke and board member of the Durham Art Guild, sees the exhibit as a way to bring together the community.
"Art is a way of bridging what divides us, be it race, gender or social class," says Leachman. "Art and this exhibition provide a place where people can come together and have an experience. And while everyone won't have the same experience, it gives you something to talk over and a place of commonality."
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Exhibit: Pathways to Unknown Worlds: Sun Ra, El Saturn and Chicago's Afro-Futurist Underground 1954 -- 1968 Friday, Aug. 21 to Sunday, Oct. 18 Durham Art Guild Information: 560-2713; durhamartguild.org