The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture Announces First Annual Festival
of Ideas
DALLAS, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 1980, The Dallas Institute of
Humanities and Culture has been the city's center for creative and
intellectual exchange, providing enriching programs for the public that are
grounded in the wisdom of the humanities. On Nov. 8, a bold new platform for
Dallas, THE DALLAS INSTITUTE FESTIVAL OF IDEAS, will bring top national
experts to the Arts District of downtown Dallas, match them with some of the
city's best minds, and place them before local audiences for a day of original
listening, thinking, and speaking -- all aimed toward an intelligent,
thoughtful exploration of four subjects of vital importance to the future of
the city and the nation.
"We believe that the inaugural DALLAS INSTITUTE FESTIVAL OF IDEAS will be
a groundbreaking event that will set the city of Dallas apart and become a
strong new tradition for its citizens," said Dr. Larry Allums, executive
director of The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. "Our goal is to
establish a creative environment where important ideas can be born and take
flight -- for the benefit of the future of Dallas. We have assembled the
highest caliber of national guest speakers and local panelists and moderators
to discuss the future in four areas -- The Environment; American Cities and
Suburbs; Race, Class and the Law; and Global Issues / Local Impact. We expect
the day to generate something important -- and even pragmatic -- for Dallas."
Michael Beschloss, NBC's Presidential Historian and author of 10 books,
will serve as the Festival Moderator for the morning kickoff event. Beschloss
is an award-winning historian of the presidency and appears often on PBS, ABC,
and NBC news programs providing expert analysis of the executive branch. His
appointment as NBC's Presidential Historian was a first for a major network.
Featured topics and speakers for THE DALLAS INSTITUTE FESTIVAL OF IDEAS
include:
The Future of THE ENVIRONMENT
Guest Speaker -- Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer for the New Yorker and
author of the 2006 award-winning "Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature,
and Climate Change." Widely recognized as an expert in her field, she has
written on a variety of environmental issues, from the future of the
automobile to global warming.
Panelists -- Hon. Tom Leppert, Mayor, City of Dallas; Judy Pesek, managing
partner for Gensler Architects in Dallas. With more than 30 years of
experience in interior architecture, Pesek specializes in corporate facilities
with emphasis on sustainable design; Michael Decker, principal of Wingate
Partners and treasurer of the World Affairs Council. Decker is former chair of
ENSR, an international environmental and energy development consulting
company.
Moderator -- Dr. Glenn Arbery, senior editor and film critic for People
Newspapers. Arbery is a Fellow of The Dallas Institute, author of "Why
Literature Matters," and editor of the essay collection "The Tragic Abyss."
The Future of AMERICAN CITIES AND SUBURBS
Guest Speaker -- David Brooks, regular op-ed columnist for The New York
Times and commentator on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." Brooks is former
op-ed editor of The Wall Street Journal, and is author of "Bobos in Paradise:
the New Upper Class and How They Got There" and "On Paradise Drive: How We
Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense."
Panelists -- Dr. Gail Thomas, executive director of the Trinity Trust
Foundation. Thomas is founding director and a Fellow of The Dallas Institute
and creator of its Center for the City; Hon. Ron Kirk, partner with Vinson and
Elkins law firm. Kirk served as Mayor of the City of Dallas from 1995 to 2001
and as Texas Secretary of State in 1994.
Moderator -- Rod Dreher, The Dallas Morning News editorial columnist and
former senior editor at National Review. Dreher is a Fellow of The Dallas
Institute and author of "Crunchy Cons" (2006).
The Future of RACE, CLASS AND THE LAW
Guest Speaker -- Maya Wiley, founder and director of the Center for Social
Inclusion, a national policy advocacy intermediary organization which works to
dismantle structural racism. Wiley is a civil rights attorney and policy
advocate who has litigated, lobbied the U.S. Congress, and developed programs
to transform structural racism in the U.S. and South Africa.
Panelists -- Kim Askew, partner with K&L Gates law firm. Askew is
immediate past chair of the Section of Litigation of the ABA, the first lawyer
of color to have held the chair in this national position; Marcos Ronquillo,
managing partner with Godwin Pappas & Ronquillo law firm. Ronquillo is former
president of the Dallas Mexican ABA and former chairman of the Dallas Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce.
Moderator -- Dr. Randy Gordon, partner with Gardere law firm. Gordon is a
Fellow of The Dallas Institute and former Board member. He holds the LL.M.
degree from Columbia and a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas.
The Future of GLOBAL ISSUES/LOCAL IMPACT
Guest Speaker -- Nicholas Kristof, op-ed columnist for The New York Times.
Kristof has lived on four continents, reported on six, and traveled to 140
countries, every Chinese province and every main Japanese island. Widely
recognized for his involvement in the Sudan crisis, he is writing a book about
women in the developing world.
Panelist -- Lee Cullum, journalist and commentator. Cullum is a Fellow of
The Dallas Institute, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and other
national groups. She is host of the KERA series "CEO"; Dr. James Hollifield,
SMU Professor of International Political Economy and director of the John G.
Tower Center for Political Studies. Hollifield has worked as consultant for
numerous international organizations.
Moderator -- Krys Boyd, host and managing editor of KERA's mid-day talk
show, "Think." Boyd served as producer and co-host of the Emmy Award-winning
public affairs program "On The Record."
Schedule for THE DALLAS INSTITUTE FESTIVAL OF IDEAS on Saturday, Nov. 8,
2008:
Morning Symposium at the Meyerson, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Welcome and Kickoff by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert
Opening Remarks by Michael Beschloss
During this opening session, each keynote guest will give a brief
statement about THE FUTURE OF his or her topic, and then Mr. Beschloss will
get the interaction started among both guests and Dallas panelists, the object
being a many-faceted conversation centered around the FESTIVAL theme.
Buffet Lunch at the Meyerson
Focus Forums with FESTIVAL Teams, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
In four separate Arts District venues, each guest speaker will join his or
her FESTIVAL team comprised of local panelists and moderator for a "Focus
Forum." The guest speaker will first make a brief presentation on THE FUTURE
OF his or her area and then will engage with panelists for discussion,
moderated by an expert facilitator. In the latter third of the session, the
facilitator will open up the exchange to include the audience. Seating
capacity for each Focus Forum is 175-200. THE ENVIRONMENT
AMERICAN CITIES AND SUBURBS
RACE, CLASS AND THE LAW
GLOBAL ISSUES / LOCAL IMPACT
Break on the Mall
Roundtable Discussions, 3 - 4:30 p.m.
In each of four separate Arts District venues -- different from the Focus
Forum venues above -- approximately 25 participants will gather with each
FESTIVAL team to continue the discussions of Focus Forums. These are true
seminar sessions with the expert panelists and the participants jointly
drilling down further to mine new ideas that have been struck during the day.
Silent-gallery seating will be available for these segments. Seating capacity
for each Roundtable is 25-30.
The FESTIVAL will be a city-wide event, open to the public, with tickets
for general level seating beginning at $45 and additional discounts for
students and schoolteachers. For ticket information, contact Lauren Loggins,
(214) 981-8803, lloggins@dallasinstitute.org, or register online at
http://www.dallasinstitute.org. Sponsorships are available at the following
levels: $500 (Aristotle); $1,250 (Plato); $5,000 (Socrates); $10,000 (Homer);
$25,000 (Zeus); and $50,000 (Olympian). For sponsorship information, contact
Jana Rentzel, director of development, (214) 981-8805, or
jrentzel@dallasinstitute.org.
Major sponsors as of Sept. 15 include: (Zeus) $25,000: Harwood
International, Deedie and Rusty Rose, Bob and Linda Buford, Jenny and Dick
Mullen, Dr. Joanne Stroud; (Homer) $10,000: Eugene McDermott Foundation;
(Socrates) $5,000: Gay and Bill Solomon; (Plato) $1,250: Bess and Ted Enloe;
and (Aristotle) $500: Regen and Jeff Fearon.
Media sponsors as of Sept. 15 include: D Magazine/D CEO, KERA, and The
Dallas Morning News.
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture is a 501(c)3 nonprofit
educational organization with a 20-member Board of Directors comprised of
community leaders. Created in 1980, The Dallas Institute is a center for
creative and intellectual exchange, providing enriching programs for the
public that are grounded in the wisdom of the humanities, laying the
foundation for Dallas to realize its full potential for cultural excellence.
The Dallas Institute is located at 2719 Routh St., Dallas, Texas 75201. For
information, call (214) 871-2440, or visit http://www.DallasInstitute.org.
SOURCE The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
Jessica Young, +1-214-890-7912, or Beth Wilbins, +1-214-729-5718, both of
Forte PR for The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
