Water Cycle X Gestures of Refusal is a two-part event taking place on Saturday, April 20, at the Contemporary Arts Center. First, participants will join curator Shana M. griffin for a curatorial walkthrough of the SEEING BLACK’s Gestures of Refusal exhibition, with a focus on water and environmental themes. Then, participants will join hip-hop and visual artist Sly Watts in the CAC theater for a live performance of beats, music, and visual art inspired by the water cycle. Together, we will explore the flow of water through the lens of Black visual culture, through rhythm and music, through the body, and through storytelling.

This event is part of the four-day Earth Day 2024 celebration (April 19 to April 22) organized by Sly Watts, Walt Sandifer III, Tricia “Blyss” Wallace, and Aron Chang, and part of the Gulf South Open School’s Spring 2024 season. The work Sly Watts will perform is a piece commissioned by the Water Map New Orleans / Water Map Bulbancha