Compassion Arts Panel at NEVF

Compassion Arts is excited to be part of 2021 virtual NEVF with a panel discussion on ways in which the arts can be a tool for animal advocacy and vegan outreach.

Panel members will speak about their individual journeys as artists, vegans, and advocates, sharing how they came to use the arts as an instrument for raising awareness about animals and for creating positive change. The group will discuss some of the unique ways that creativity and artistry in different mediums can be effective in advancing understanding, empathy, and respect for other animals and nature. Panelists include Alfee West as the panel moderator and guest speakers (in alphabetical order) Allison Argo, Michael Harren, Joanne Kong , Jane O’Hara, and Donald Vincent aka Mr. Hip.

Compassion Arts is an all-volunteer grassroots initiative for exploring our connection with all life. The project, now in its 7th year, hosts virtual programs year-round and an annual Compassion Arts Festival every fall that provides a platform for artists and educators using their work to cultivate compassion for animals and the Earth we share: www.compassionarts.org.

Add the event to your calendar using the calendar options at the bottom of the page, and tune in to watch on our homepage (nevegfest.org) or on Facebook (facebook.com/nevegfest).

Panelists

ALLISON ARGO

Producer, director, writer, and editor Allison Argo is a multiple Emmy Award-winning filmmaker whose powerful documentaries have been broadcast on PBS and National Geographic for over 25 years, reaching audiences worldwide and receiving over 100 awards internationally. From her first documentary in 1992, The Urban Gorilla, to her most recent film, The Last Pig, Allison is known for her emotionally charged and deeply personal work, in intimate portraits of abused and endangered animals. She is the founder of Argo Films, whose mission is to provide a voice for those who are not heard and deepen understanding and respect for all beings. Learn more at www.argofilms.com.

MICHAEL HARREN

Brooklyn-based composer, musician, and performer Michael Harren combines elements of classical composition with experimental electronics and storytelling to create hypnotic and boldly intimate work that walks the line between Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel, and Dead Can Dance. He is an artist-in-residence at Tamerlaine Farm Animal Sanctuary, where he created the solo multi-media theater piece The Animal Show, which premiered in New York City in 2016 and continues to be performed in venues throughout the United States. A Culture and Animals Foundation grant honoree, Michael is also the author of The Animal Book and as well as an independent recording artist and the creator and host of the podcast MIKEYPOD. Learn more at www.michaelharren.com.

JOANNE KONG

Dr. Joanne Kong has been praised both as a classical pianist and as one of the most compelling advocates for plant-sourced nutrition today. Her TEDx talk, The Power of Plant-Based Eating, at over 900,000 views on YouTube, is on numerous websites internationally. Author of If You’ve Ever Loved an Animal, Go Vegan, she is profiled in Legends of Change about vegan women who are changing the world, and is the editor of a new book being released by Lantern Publishing & Media, Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers. She appears in two upcoming documentary films, Eating Our Way to Extinction, andTaking Note about vegan musicians. Learn more at www.vegansmakeadifference.com.

JANE O’HARA

Jane O’Hara is a painter and curator living in Providence RI. Her studio practice exists alongside her curatorial projects with a focus on issues relating to animals’ disparate experiences in society. Using surrealism, she creates a narrative in her work to point out how the animal condition poses a duality, animals raised in captivity at odds with the casting of human traits on our pampered pets.  She is the curator of the Beasts of Burden group exhibit (and author of its gallery book by the same name), and the co-curator of The Fifth Trust exhibit for CAF 2021 in November. She is currently in the midst of a series called State of the Union, to exhibit at the New Bedford Art Museum in 2023. Jane is also a past recipient of the Peace Abbey’s Courage of Conscience Award and a Culture & Animals Foundation Grant honoree. Her work has been shown in numerous galleries and exhibits. Learn more at www.janeohara.com.

DONALD VINCENT

Donald Vincent, also known as Mr. Hip, is a poet, educator, musician, and founder of le pamplemuse™, a content development platform dedicated to spreading the awareness of vegan companies. He is the author of Convenient Amnesia, a groundbreaking and acclaimed poetry work on race and social justice, and is also the creator of That’s So Vegan, a visual project merging creativity and education on plant-based foods with uplifting information on vegan lifestyles. A Culture and Animals Foundation grant honoree, Mr. Hip is also the creator and producer of the hip-hop album Vegan Paradise. He has worked as a Community Outreach Coordinator for PEN America, traveling throughout the country organizing press freedom advocacy events, and is currently a teacher of writing programs at UCLA and Emerson College in Los Angeles. Learn more at www.hidonaldvincent.com.

About the Moderator

ALFEE WEST

Alfee West grew up in Mississippi, moving to Massachusetts in 1994 to attend Berklee College of Music. A singer, stage performer, producer, and mini-documentarian, Alfee serves as the Women’s Health Specialist for the YWCA of Central Mass and works as a domestic violence prevention advocate educating youth on healthy relationships. Alfee is a parent, partner, activist, and a vegan for almost 20 years. She has been with Compassion Arts since 2017 as a presenter and contributor for many events, as well as helping develop its original projects.