Evening of Witness

The number and variety of water-related catastrophic events in the last decade–from the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the earthquake-tsunami-nuclear disaster in Japan last March to the recent worldwide floods and droughts–has led to the idea of extreme weather as "the new normal." It has also led to a sense of greater connectedness and urgency. Many people have gone to extraordinary lengths to rescue, help and support one another and the ecosystem. Politicians, scientists, city planners and activists are working on ideas about how to prepare for and adapt to the likelihood of further events of this kind.

The Cathedral is pleased to announce Evening of Witness, March 21, at 7 pm, the culminating event of its art exhibition The Value of Water, on view since September, 2011. Evening of Witness is a recognition of the grand and terrible powers of nature in the era of climate change, and a celebration of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Amy Goodman will host an evening of readings, music, photography and film. First-person narratives from the Voice of Witness book series, founded by Dave Eggers and Lola Vollen, will be read by noted actors and activists, with visual interventions from Magnum Foundation photographers and artists. Together, they offer vivid portrayals of "water" through the experiences of Zimbabwean refugees, undocumented immigrants in the U.S., Burmese migrants forced into the illegal fishing industry, and of men and women who lived through Hurricane Katrina.

The evening will also feature Ali Hobbs’ film The Long Walk, the Cathedral’s Poet in Residence, Marilyn Nelson; poets Nicole Cooley and Patricia Smith, who have both written extensively about Hurricane Katrina; and storyteller Laura Simms. Kent Tritle, Director of Cathedral Music, will lead the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra. The Peace Poets will join the evening as readers of narratives.