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      How artists can protect their work from AI
We are what we do — our identities are the sum of our knowledge, experiences and actions. In a world rapidly filled with AI generators, what does it take to protect our identity, and those of the generations to come? Heather Zheng, co-director of the SANDLAB at UChicago, presents bold ideas that empower individuals to restore control over their identity by changing how they share data online. Together with her partner, Ben Zhao, the two UChicago professors and their team have released Glaze and Nightshade, tools that disrupt generative AI from training on and mimicking artists without their consent.
 
      
      The Art of Noticing
What happens when a doctor trades his stethoscope for a camera? Photodocumentarian Tony Menias reveals how slowing down transforms the way we see ourselves and each other. From medical missions to National Geographic, his decade-long journey captures life's hidden rhythms and our shared humanity. Through stunning imagery and raw reflection, Tony shows how everyday moments become visual poetry when we pause to truly notice. This talk invites you to witness the divine connections that surround us daily—teaching that when we see with our hearts, not just our eyes, strangers become family and chaos becomes peace.
 
      
      Photography, sisterhood, and play as healing
How do we heal? Through an intimate exploration of trauma and healing, photographer Scheherazade Tillet shares how documenting her sister's recovery from sexual assault transformed both their lives while also inspiring her to work with similarly Black girls and young women. Two decades later, Tillet reveals that she discovered how photography and play can become powerful tools for healing intergenerational trauma.
 
      
      The Poet Talks of Freedom
Join Tish Jones as she takes a deep dive into Spoken Word as a radical practice of freedom, critical dialogue, knowing and community building. Learn more about the increasingly popular form of expression and its function as a means of liberation for historically oppressed and marginalized communities. Most importantly, get free.
 
      
      It’s okay not to be the center of the Universe
Playwright May Lee-Yang offers insights on the burdens placed on artists from underrepresented communities and how we can avoid (accidentally) censoring artmaking.
 
      
      Singing is Your Birthright
Ariella Forstein, professional Songstress & Vocal Empowerment Coach shows us how everyone can sing, and that the act of learning to accept, and love your voice, and also your whole self, enables true self-confidence and well being to soar.
 
      
      Why I Wear Purple
Active in the local, national and international arts scene, Andrea will pose the question: How do we center on our most marginalized people to see a new, more sympathetic society?
 
                         
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                       
                      