Phillips Barry Memorial Panel: The Practice, Mentorship and the Future of African American Expression: An Evening with Phil Wiggins and Ben Hunter


Friday, November 03, 8:30 pm–10:00 pm
Pavilion Ballroom

in-person session will be live streamed
session will be recorded and available for later viewing online

Sponsored by the Music and Song Section


Chair: Junious Lee Brickhouse (Urban Artistry Inc.) and Stephen D. Winick (American Folklife Center)

Sometimes his students, sometimes his collaborators, and certainly his friends, Ben Hunter and Junious Brickhouse join National Heritage Fellow Phil Wiggins in a conversation about African American expressive art forms and why dialogues must continue across forms, the importance of mentorship and intergenerational work, and the legacies we leave through performance practice and through our relationships. In this panel, these artists will discuss the whys of their work, the communities of practice that tend to these roots in the present day, and the mentorship important for stewarding these traditions into the future. The session will undoubtedly include some performance and dance as these long-time colleagues make space together.Phil Wiggins, acoustic country blues harmonica player, educator, and mentor: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/phil-wigginsBen Hunter, musician, educator, cultural advocate and arts administrator: https://www.benjaminhuntermusic.com/bioJunious Brickhouse, dancer, folklorist, educator, researcher, cultural diplomat: https://juniousbrickhouse.com/