Fogo Island Dialogues
In this first US edition of the Fogo Island Dialogues, artists Irena Haiduk and Faheem Majeed and social entrepreneur Zita Cobb considered the dual systems of art and money, and the power and pitfalls of both in shaping and rebuilding communities. Introduced by curator Monika Szewczyk and moderated by Bruce Heyman, former US Ambassador to Canada, the lively panel discussion included Zita Cobb, founder and CEO of Shorefast, whose mission is to expand the conversation around how business can engage in community to the benefit of both; Irena Haiduk, artist, Columbia University professor and founder of Yugoexport, an ongoing art project that takes form as a corporation modeled after the self-managed factories and experimental clubs of the former Yugoslavia; and artist Faheem Majeed, a South Shore resident who often looks to the material makeup of his neighborhood and surrounding areas as an entry point into larger questions around civic-mindedness, community activism and institutional racism.
Fogo Island Dialogues is an international conversation series conceived by Fogo Island Arts that brings together leading artists, thinkers, professionals and researchers from a variety of disciplines to address issues of vital contemporary importance. This edition is one of three North American Dialogues graciously supported by Uncharted that aim to highlight progressive ideas, social enterprise, and cultural and community building initiatives.