A week from tomorrow, Westporters have a chance to look back in history.
Or forward, to a very uncertain future.
Sunday, November 5 (2 to 5 p.m.) is the day for our “Historic Homes of 06880” house tour. It features 4 great properties, all from the 1700s: 6 Old Hill Road, 39 Cross Highway, 190 Cross Highway, and 29 North Avenue. Click here for details.
But this story isn’t about that.
November 5 is also the day for Westport’s annual TEA Talk (2 p.m., Westport Library).
The acronym stands for Thinkers, Educators and Artists. Sponsored by the Westport Arts Advisory Committee, and based on the one-letter-off TED Talks, it’s a chance for artists to discuss and demonstrate the role of technology in a variety of artistic disciplines.
This year, a panel of experts will use live and interactive demonstrations to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on arts education, music and art. The title is: “What’s Next for the Arts?”
The TEA Talk features a diverse, “A” list of panelists.
Brian Keane in his home studio.
Brian Keane is a 1971 Staples High School graduate, and Emmy- and Grammy-winning composer/musician. He has composed music for hundreds of films and television shows, working with directors like Ken Burns, and produced over 100 albums.
He is leasing thousands of his compositions in a computerized music library to major entertainment companies, utilizing AI for metadata searches.
Steve Zimmerman is the Westport Public Schools K-12 arts coordinator. He faces daily challenges creating curriculum that respects art making, with the abundant available AI resources
Liz Leggett is an artist and arts consultant. She currently advises a tech company experimenting with AI-generated art, design and architecture.
“Robot Painting at an Easel” (Prompt by Eric Griffith; Generated on Midjourney)
“As AI becomes more prevalent in everything we do, there are questions we must answer,” says Shobana Mani, moderator of the panel and WAAC co-chair. “Does AI pose an existential risk to arts makers? And how does AI affect the ‘process’ of making art?”
Panelists will discuss those questions, and many more.
An audience Q-and-Q (and refreshments) will follow the TEA Talk. Admission is free. Click here to register.
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I don’t know the others but since Brian and I go all the way back to Coleytown Jr High—where his immense musical talent was already apparent—I can affirm that he is a wonderful choice for this (especially in the way his exceptionally impressive work has evolved).
Brian has had talent oozing from every pore since he was old enough to perspire.