'Artistic Soul Conversation' serves as a preview of Triad 1Love Festival

The 1Love Festival returns to Winston-Salem in June, celebrating the African diaspora through the arts and more. Artistic themes and cultural identity will be explored during a pre-festival gathering, called an "Artistic Soul Conversation," Tuesday night at Reynolds Auditorium in Winston-Salem.

Afrofuturism, sacred memory and cultural identity are just some of the themes to be explored during the community conversation led by 1Love co-founder Melva Sampson. Among the topics to be discussed will be how these things find their way into artist-in-residence Angelbert Metoyer‘s work, and how his own lived experiences have shaped his artistic approach, particularly during his residency here in the Triad.

"To be able to come to Winston-Salem, the city known for its arts and innovation, and to just be immersed — even if only briefly — in the culture, and to become inspired," says Sampson. "And to then use that inspiration to be unveiled in a larger exhibit that opens the 1Love Festival."

She says another goal is to infuse the Piedmont with progressive artistic content that comes from underrepresented and underserved artists.

The 1Love Festival begins June 27. This year’s musical performers include Grammy-nominated MuMu Fresh, Chelsey Green and the Green Project, and spoken word activist Eloquent Soul.