Sixth Annual International Arts and Culture Symposium

Photos of Monk Inmook and Dr. Eun Ha Park

A New International Week Event at Texas Tech University

Sowoon Arts and Heritage (Sowoon) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that celebrates diverse arts, encourages cultural understanding, and enriches lives. Its mission is to create opportunities for all people, especially those in the Lubbock community, to experience diverse arts and cultural heritage. Annually, over the last six years, Sowoon has brought to Lubbock several artists from other countries as well as scholars and performers from Texas Tech University (TTU) and the local community to its symposiums: a Korean tea ceremony, Irish and Korean music, both a Korean coming of age and a wedding ceremony, lectures about various religions, and high caliber dance and jazz performances. Sowoon's access to world-class performers and speakers and its ability to provide free, quality cultural programming to the local community is one of its greatest strengths.

This year, the Sixth Annual International Arts and Culture Symposium, co-sponsored by Sowoon, the Museum of TTU, and the TTU Office of International Affairs, brings scholars together to deepen the understanding of arts and culture. This year's theme is “East and West, Music and Dance.” Korean Buddhist Monk Inmook, the leader of singers of Korean traditional Buddhist music and the keeper of the Important Intangible Cultural Property #50 of Korea, will lecture and perform Korean traditional Buddhist music. Dr. Eun Ha Park, keeper of Important Intangible Cultural Property #3 of Korea, will lecture and perform Korean dance and play traditional percussion instruments. Dr. Tanya Calamoneri, Assistant Professor of Dance at TTU, will lecture and perform Western modern dance. Prof. Stephen Jones, Director of Jazz Studies at TTU, will discuss jazz music and demonstrate Western percussion on the saxophone, accompanied by TTU jazz pianist, Dr. Ben Haugland. A Panel Discussion with the performers and the audience, moderated by Prof. Jesse Jou, Assistant Professor of Directing in the TTU School of Theatre & Dance, will follow. After the intermission, all performers will perform and improvise. These improvisations will be followed by a reception for the performers and the audience.

Supplemental Workshops