Lumina Festival of the Arts Celebrates Reggae Redemption 

Lumina Festival of the Arts is UNCW’s annual celebration of the arts in the coastal south. The festival will take place from March 16-29. This year, in honor of the university’s efforts to diversify and heal as a community, the 13-day spring lineup will be a collaboration between Lumina Festival and Wilmington’s own, Reggae Redemption Radio Broadcast, hosted by the Night Nurse of Coastal Carolinas Modern Rock 98.7. The entire Cape Fear region is invited to join in the festivities!

Historically, the Lumina Festival team strives to unite audiences and artists by offering music, theater, dance, art exhibits, and film screenings. The broad range of free and low-cost activities takes place on the UNCW campus and in other community spaces to encourage individuals of all backgrounds to engage with world-class artists rarely experienced in the Wilmington area. The overarching vision of the festival is to curate an artistically and culturally diverse series of performances while building upon previous years, showcasing world-renowned and regional artists alike, and creating opportunities for collaboration.

Festival-goers can expect to branch out from the reggae lineup with genre-bending bluegrass by Trampled by Turtles, world-class comedic programming by Second City, and a complex and emotional setlist by Katie Pruitt. Wilmington’s local musicians will offer jazz, symphonic compositions, and even a young rockers showcase where the next generation of musicians will take center stage. UNCW’s Office of the Arts and WHQR Public Media will team up to present the DocuTime Film Festival Finale Celebration & Paula Haller Salute as part of the festival.

Kimberly McLaughlin-Smith, UNCW’s Institutional Diversity, and Inclusion Specialist and founder of Reggae Redemption will co-produce the Lumina Festival this year. McLaughlin-Smith’s expertise as the Night Nurse—a reggae radio show host who has spent the last 29 years as a musical minister for the local reggae community—will be a guiding force as the Lumina team creates a lineup that will span generations. From the founding fathers of contemporary reggae such as Steel Pulse to the musicians at the cutting edge of the genre such as Iya Terra to the fusion that Ras Lidj creates as he reaches into the roots of Washington DC’s go-go culture, there will be music that resonates with every kind fan. McLaughlin Smith emphasizes the unifying power of the reggae culture, its healing properties, and its constant reiteration that we are one.

For a complete schedule and ticketing information, please visit the Lumina Festival website at www.uncw.edu/arts/lumina or visit the Kenan Auditorium Box Office.

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