WINDSOR TERRACE — The killing of George Floyd will lead to an artistic explosion as Americans pick up paintbrushes, compose songs, write poems and seek out other creative ways to express their deeply-felt emotions about the killing of a handcuffed African-American man by a white police officer, artists and scholars are predicting.
“Yes, I can see it happening,” said Nigel Gretton, performing arts director at St. John’s University. “History has shown us that out of every crisis or struggle, the arts community rises up with bold new works. “You saw it in the Freedom Songs that were popular in the 1960s. It has always been one of the functions of the arts — to raise awareness.”
Gretton is also the director of Voices of Victory, a Gospel choir at St. John’s whose mission is to bring about racial healing on campus. He has been hearing a lot lately from students in the choir as well as those interested in careers in the performing arts…
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