Slow Arts

Cultural expression in music, dance, photography, theater and poetry often surges from the land, the seasons, food and the labors of love that are farming, beekeeping, harvesting, and struggling for food justice. “Slow Arts” are artistic traditions from around the world that persist in and adapt to our agrarian and urban communities. The Slow Arts program was developed with the generous contribution of the Performing Arts program of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

  • Poetry

    David Mas Masumoto and Nikiko Masumoto

    Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Friday, August 29 – Sunday, August 31 | 12pm-12:30pm | Free

    An iconic peach farmer, David Mas Masumoto is a poet living in his family farm in Fresno. Masumoto writes evocative poetry and prose about life in the farm, the ancient connection to the land, and the value of family and celebration.

  • Photography

    Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town

    Tuesday, August 26 – Wednesday, September 10 | Museo ItaloAmericano | Fort Mason Center, Bldg. C | Free

    In collaboration with Slow Food Nation, the Museo ItaloAmericano hosted a special exhibit entitled Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town, by award-winning Italian American photographer and cinematographer, Douglas Gayeton. It marked the first retrospective of his work that combined photographs, narratives and traditional recipes for food and the slow life.

  • Dance

    • Old Time Trio

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Saturday August 30th | 2pm-2:30pm | Free

      Evie Ladin, Suzy Thompson & Allegra Yellin perform oldtime country harmonies and foot-stomping fiddle tunes. The three women switch off on guitars, banjo, and fiddle and include traditional clogging in their performance.

    • Cascada de Flores

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Sunday, August 31 | 2pm-2:30pm | Free

      Music and dance from different Mexican and Cuban traditions, reflecting the diversity of cultural influences in Latin America. The group performs Mexican and Cuban son and Zapateado, a percussive dance on a wooden board.

    • Tibetan Community performance

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Sunday, August 31 | 3:30 – 4pm | Free

      Tibetan music and dance performed by a local community, including the ceremony of tea and traditional food offerings.

    • Hmong music and dance

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Saturday August 30th | 3:30pm – 4pm | Free

      Hmong farmers who live and work in Fresno bring their traditional songs and dances dedicated to the crops, rice and community gatherings.

    • Bulgarian Honeybee and Harvest dance

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Sunday, August 31 | 3:00-3:30pm | Free

      This group of women performs ritual dances and ceremonies from Greece and Bulgaria celebrating honeybees, harvest and season changes with an ancient, meditative act that invites audience engagement.

    • Danza Xitlalli

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Friday Agust 29 | 3:00-3:30pm | Free

      Maestra Macuilxochitl and Maestro Francisco Camplis started Danza Xitlalli more than 20 years ago in San Francisco. Since then the group has dedicated to build a community in the Bay Area around the traditions and ceremonies preserved from pre-columbian times. Their dances accompany the time of harvest, the change of seasons and the celebration of life.

    Music

    • Kulintang Music and Dance

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Saturday August 30 | 11am – 11:30am | Free

      This traditional Filipino group revives the traditional Kulintang percussion ensemble and performance, a form of public music representative of Filipino celebrations, particularly harvest and family life.

    • RSK arts and drums

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Saturday August 30| 11am-11:30am | Free

      Nigerian Yoruba master drummers Rasaki Aladokun and Olusola Adeyemi play traditional Juju “talking” drums, the songs and rhythms tell stories about the villages their traditions and inhabitants.

    • Theatre

      Uncle Buzzy Hometown Theatre

      Slow Food Nation Victory Garden | Saturday August 30 | 12pm – 12:30pm | Free

      An independent comedy theatre and music group, Uncle Buzzy brings hometown entertainment to the big city. The short sketches touch on issues of lost community, food justice and the contradictions of industrialized society.