by SC Features Writer Reanna Haase
The BIG ARTS Talking Points Lecture Series has returned to the Christensen Performance Hall for its eighth year with a roster of unique experts, authors and journalists – all presenting a diverse range of specified subjects designed to pull the audience in and encourage viewers to question topics further.
“BIG ARTS Talking Points lecture series has encompassed a wonderful and broad variety of subjects and speakers over the past eight years,” said BIG ARTS Executive Director Lee Ellen Harder. “Each season we have had topics of interest that have cast a wide net, something for everyone.”
The series of five lectures, which began on March 12 and will end on April 9, favors an interactive audience that engages in the topics presented by the speakers and participates in the Q&A finale of each lecture.
“The model we have used invites the audience to engage in a lively dialogue with the speakers, offering the opportunity for one to participate and further explore and even expand on the topics being discussed,” Harder said.
The series, sponsored by Bank of the Islands, yields topics ranging from the life and impact of civil rights leader John Lewis, as presented by Historian Ray Arsenault on March 19, to the world influence of Miami’s Art Basel, to be presented by award-winning journalist Jane Wooldridge, on April 9.
BIG ARTS Marketing Director Meghan Govoni shared that the series committee carefully selects a collection of lecturers, each year, to create meaningful, interactive experiences for the audience. She explained that at previously held lectures, the audience has taken advantage of the speaker’s expertise and the series’ approachable nature to further their knowledge of the topics presented.
“The audience was very, very engaged, entrenched in their speech, because they talked about all things, from ways to improve your health to live longer to whether or not humans should be creating these things to make people live longer,” said Govoni, regarding the first lecture, presented by Chip Walter and Keith McWalter, on March 12. “The audience reaction was great.”
On April 2, four-time Emmy Award-winning travel host Mickela Mallozzi was the keynote speaker. Known for her PBS travel series, “Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi,” Govoni noted that in addition to Mallozzi’s knowledge of dance from various cultures, she fully immerses herself in all aspects of the different communities she visits.
“We thought she’d be a great person to bring in to speak about her travels around the world,” Govoni said. “She’s really been around the world and she’s really entrenched herself in different cultures. Not just with the dance, but also with the people in different communities, their food, their rituals. So I just think she’ll have a wealth of information.”
After Mallozzi’s presentation, on April 9, Jane Wooldridge, an award-winning multimedia journalist and Miami Herald veteran, will discuss the global impact of Miami’s art scene and the growth of the annual Miami Art Week, Art Basel.
For those interested in viewing the final lecture of this year’s series, tickets can be purchased to attend the talks in-person at 900 Dunlop Rd or via livestream here. Tickets are sold individually for the scheduled lectures, and securing your seat will cost $35 for adults, while students can attend free of charge.
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