IARC presents: Damon Locks & D-Composed DAWNING Album Release Show

International Anthem, Damon Locks, and D-Composed celebrate the release of Dawning, recorded and mixed at The Land School. Join us at The Land School on Friday, December 11, as Chicago-based visual artist, educator, vocalist, musician, and deejay Damon Locks and Black chamber music collective D-Composed perform to celebrate their collaborative debut album Dawning (released by International Anthem worldwide on December 4). The performance will take place in The Land School Auditorium in Chicago, the same location where Dawning was recorded earlier this year. The event is very special in that it celebrates the first collaborative work between The Land School's inaugural creative partners in residence, International Anthem and D-Composed. Entry is free with a suggested donation of $20. Photo: Ashley Mia About Damon Locks Damon Locks is a Chicago-based visual artist, educator, vocalist/musician. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago where he received his BFA in fine arts. In 2025 he stepped down from being the Board President on Prison and Neighborhood Arts/Education Project which allowed him to teach art at Stateville Correctional Center for 11 years. He is a 2025 recipient of the Creative Capital Award and the Evolving Democracy Fellowship through Project&. In 2017 he became a Soros Justice Media Fellow. He received the Helen Coburn Meier and Tim Meier Achievement Award in the Arts in 2015. In 2019, he became a 3Arts Awardee. He spent 4 years as an artist in residence as a part of the Museum of Contemporary Arts’ SPACE Program, introducing civically engaged art into the curriculum at Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy High School. He taught Improvisation for three years in the Sound Department at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As well as being a solo musician, Damon leads the Black Monument Ensemble, is a member of New Future City Radio, Exploding Star Orchestra and co-founded the band The Eternals. Damon's Website About D-Composed Historians of art and culture may not currently take into full account that Black culture and creativity are a part of every musical institution's foundation that we currently see today. D-Composed, a Black chamber music collective, exists to ensure that we never forget it. Led by their mission to uplift and empower society through the music of Black composers, this Chicago-based creative incubator serves as a bridge between the past and the present, connecting to the future of representation, music-centered experiences, and the communal power of Black composers and their lasting impact. For this collective, music evolves entertainment becoming a storytelling tool that educates and inspires. D–COMPOSED /DEE-KUHM-POHZD/ – ADVERB - Our creative process that involves the breaking down of preconceived notions, barriers, and opinions of what people think classical music should be to re-writing our own narrative to reflect what the classical world could be. Instagram D-Composed Participating Ensemble Members: Khelsey Zarraga - Violin Anya Brumfield - Violin Seth Pae - Viola Lindsey Sharpe - Cello About International Anthem International Anthem is a Chicago-born recording company that produces and promotes progressive media. Founded in 2014, the IARC label has grown to embody a global community of like-minded artists, musicians, and cultural workers dedicated to craft as a means of discovering truth and celebrating humanity. The ongoing mission of International Anthem is to make generative and sustainable contributions to culture and industry, and to vitalize demand for boundary-defying music. Instagram In Fall of 2025, both D-Composed and International Anthem were named two of the inaugural creative partners-in-residence at Rebuild and Theaster Gates' latest space-based, land-art project, The Land School. About The Land School The Land School, a new pedagogical platform at the site of the former St. Laurence Elementary School, proposes a radical model of artistic experimentation and archival stewardship, providing space, time, access, collaborative inquiry, process-driven programming, and performance, all led by an intergenerational cohort of artists, archivists, scholars, craftspeople, cultural workers, and creative organizations invested in culture as a service. The Land School's Policies and Protocol: Upon arrival, please enter the building at the entrance on S. Dorchester Ave. Ride sharing is encouraged as parking is limited. Please be sure to not block the entrances and exits of our neighbors. Firearms on the premises are strictly prohibited. No smoking, vaping or incense is permitted inside. No pets are allowed. No professional photo/video equipment allowed unless preapproved by Rebuild. Please be mindful of your neighbors by respecting their personal space and bodily autonomy. No violence - verbal or physical - will be tolerated. Any attendee creating an unsafe environment will be removed from the premises immediately, at the discretion of the Rebuild staff. We take the safety our all of our guests seriously. If any guest is found violating these protocols, they may be escorted off the property immediately and will not be welcome to return. ___ Notice of Photography and Videography By entering The Land School, you acknowledge and consent to being photographed and/or videotaped. Images and recordings may be used for promotional, archival, or other purposes by the organizers. If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please notify a staff member upon arrival. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. __________ Thank you for reviewing and honoring The Land School's policies and protocol. We look forward to welcoming you!