David Moreira’s creative voice is part of the music scene, the food scene, and the Duluth scene in general. Moreira’s art takes its roots from distinctive silk screen poster work but his growth has broadened into creating spaces and happenings that engage viewers into a conciously built atmosphere. This spring the Duluth Art Institute is giving Moreira free reign of the Duluth Art Institute Steffl & Corridor Galleries. The opening night event will feature rock bands, spaghetti throwing, videos, and plenty of surprise shenanigans.

Mousumi De is an independent artist and researcher who works with visual arts, media and new media for peace building, social cohesion and educational projects. Currently, she is working as Associate Instructor and doing a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at Indiana University, Bloomington, majoring in Art Education. She is Honorary Research Fellow with Indian Institute of Sustainable Development, New Delhi, India; editor of newsletter for International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) and editorial board member of the International Journal for Education through Art. She has M.Phil in Communication and Media Studies (2009), M.A in Design and Digital Media (2003) from Coventry University, UK and B.A in English and Economics (1998) from University of Delhi, India. She is professionally trained in Fashion Designing and Clothing Technology (1995) from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, India, and served the clothing industry from 1994 to 2002. Her research interests lie at the intersection of art (including visual, media and new media art) and technology, peace building and peace education. Some of her research works involve using the arts to empower disenfranchised youth and children, to foster peace literacy and enhance emotional and social learning. Works from her projects with children and young people have been exhibited in places including Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry, UK (2006), InSEA Asia Regional Congress, Seoul (2007), the BBC Divine Art Project, UK (2007), and the Soufer Gallery, New York (2009). More recently, her research interests involve exploring the use of online technologies to teach visual arts to art novices and integrating games and play with the arts.  Other research interests include intangible cultural heritage and cultural identity. As an artist, she works with mixed media, interactive media and ceramic carving (Wabi Sabi). Her works address issues of socio-political and cultural conflicts, peace and also traditional artforms of India. She is former member of the Gendai Association of Artists Japan and her works of been exhibited in the UK and Japan.

This lecture series on ‘The art of dissent and peace building’ will examine the culture of using visual imagery, new media arts, as well as performances that are inextricably intertwined with the practice of protesting and demonstrating across different cultures from different countries for the purpose of voicing their dissent as well as hopes for peace. Visual art and new media works from children and young people, the international civil society and various artists from different countries will be discussed. The discussions will seek to explore the power of arts in mediating resistance, civil disobedience, as well as mediating peace, forgiveness and peace building.